816 miles on my Brooks Finesse........

Well now that I have put some serious miles into my Brooks Finesse, let me share what I have learned. I found that unlike gel saddles, you can get a good KOP regardless of how the saddle is positioned on the rails, but you may not be sitting on the best part of the saddle. I had trouble getting enough set back, but since I was a lot more comfy than on my previous saddle I didn't worry about it, until I noticed the sit bone marks were forming at the most rear end of the saddle, on top of the ti frame. So, I marched myself to a bike shop last week, where they found a bianchi seatpost that is super laid back and put it on and now my sit bones are finally being supported on the stretchy leather portion of the saddle. I also found by pushing the leather away from the rails slightly I could get the saddle even further back. I did a 65 mile ride on saturday and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! While before I was not uncomfortable, I did have to move around a bit, stretch out of the saddle, etc., wherease now I really am in saddle nirvana. Furthermore, I learned that for me it was a mistake to try and level the saddle by placing the level across the top, but rather have the nose be level. The bike shop guy explained that is cuz on a brooks you want your sit bones supported higher up than your soft tissues, which is why the saddle has that shape in the first place. AAAAh, that's what I get for buying my saddle online, but I didn't learn until last week that I even had a local Brooks dealer! I had been riding with it tilted like this based on comfort, but was worried it was a bad thing since some books like Pruit's say if your saddle isn't perfectly level it can mean a bad bike fit. I also found that if I drop the saddle too low, so the nose is pointing down even a bit, then I get shoulder pain, and even soft tissue pain from pushing back up, but level or just a tiny bit up on the nose (which looks quite down sloping from the rear) is PERFECT. So, be sure to experiment with both your saddle angle and set back.

Such good news!!
Happpy brooks saddle to you too!

ps what's a KOP? I keep thinking of copping a feel but somehow I think that's not what you mean!

KOP is knee over pedal. You know how when they set you up on a bike they adjust the saddle fore-aft position so a plumb bob dropped off your knee bisects the pedal axis. But on a Brooks, I find I slide back to get my proper KOPS length regardless of where the saddle sits on the rails. But, clearly some positions are better than others in terms of sit bone support. I also realized you want your saddle quite a bit wider than your sit bones, again to avoid having your sitbones be on top of the metal frame. I think that may be why some folks are never comfy on their saddles. The leather hangs like a hammock from the frame, and your sit bones need to be sitting on the hammock and not the frame! It may feel better than a gel saddle, but then it never really breaks in. Mimi- you would love the shop that sold me the bianchi seatpost. They specialize in Italian bikes and parts, many many bianchis, they do custom colagnos and serottas, mostly campy, etc. BUT, I also learned that Bianchis all have too steep a seat-tube and too long a reach for me :(. Even though I don't ride a bianchi, they liked me cuz I use a Brooks saddle (they are also very big on Brooks) and ride bikes made of steel and ti. They are very anti-carbon. -e

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Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl

KOP is knee over pedal. You know how when they set you up on a bike they adjust the saddle fore-aft position so a plumb bob dropped off your knee bisects the pedal axis. But on a Brooks, I find I slide back to get my proper KOPS length regardless of where the saddle sits on the rails. But, clearly some positions are better than others in terms of sit bone support. I also realized you want your saddle quite a bit wider than your sit bones, again to avoid having your sitbones be on top of the metal frame. I think that may be why some folks are never comfy on their saddles. The leather hangs like a hammock from the frame, and your sit bones need to be sitting on the hammock and not the frame! It may feel better than a gel saddle, but then it never really breaks in. Mimi- you would love the shop that sold me the bianchi seatpost. They specialize in Italian bikes and parts, many many bianchis, they do custom colagnos and serottas, mostly campy, etc. BUT, I also learned that Bianchis all have too steep a seat-tube and too long a reach for me :(. Even though I don't ride a bianchi, they liked me cuz I use a Brooks saddle (they are also very big on Brooks) and ride bikes made of steel and ti. They are very anti-carbon. -e

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you're right. i'd love to go to that store. If I'm ever in TX...

This sounds like the prob I have -- I know I'm sitting too far back on my B67, yet it's so much better than my other saddle I just go with the flow. The leather/hammock thing makes sense. I wonder if there are any Brooks dealers in Dallas who would really know what they're doing. I didn't find one when last I looked.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl

Furthermore, I learned that for me it was a mistake to try and level the saddle by placing the level across the top, but rather have the nose be level. The bike shop guy explained that is cuz on a brooks you want your sit bones supported higher up than your soft tissues, which is why the saddle has that shape in the first place. AAAAh, that's what I get for buying my saddle online, but I didn't learn until last week that I even had a local Brooks dealer! I had been riding with it tilted like this based on comfort, but was worried it was a bad thing since some books like Pruit's say if your saddle isn't perfectly level it can mean a bad bike fit. I also found that if I drop the saddle too low, so the nose is pointing down even a bit, then I get shoulder pain, and even soft tissue pain from pushing back up, but level or just a tiny bit up on the nose (which looks quite down sloping from the rear) is PERFECT. So, be sure to experiment with both your saddle angle and set back.

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That's really helpful. I have a Brooks Finesse with about the same mileage. In the beginning I tried to make the saddle level. (I had been told that if the nose is down you slip forward putting pressure on the neck- and in the case of the Terry saddles I was using at the time, this was true.) With the Brooks I was in complete agony (too much pressure up front). I finally broke down and tilted the nose down 2 degrees and things were so much better. I'll have to get the level back out and see if the front half is level.

I have my B67 set down and back relative to where it "should" be, so I can keep my knee behind the pedal axis a bit. That takes a lot of strain off my grumpy knee.

My seatpost has just enough set-back that my Brooks is almost, but not quite, as far back on the rails as it can go. My sit-bones are making dents right where they should.

One thing I really like about the leather saddle is that I can slide forward or back on it easily. Slide forward a touch to get some more power into the pedal, slide back a bit to rest my knee, slide to center for my comfort zone.

And the noise from the nose shackle/frame is gone. Word to the wise: Grease works MUCH better than oil! Learn from my mistake! :D