Need help from Brooks owners, please.

I have a B-17s, aged leather that I recently purchased and put on my Jamis Aurora. Today was the longest ride I've done on it, and only my 3rd ride. I rode for a little over an hour/15 miles, so a reasonable time in the saddle.

The good:

1. Overall my sitbones are happier in that they are more supported.

The not so good:

1. My soft tissue isn't happy, pain isn't excrutiating, more discomfort than actual pain, however I 'm sure that will come as I do longer rides :rolleyes:. It was worse but reduced tension in saddle, lowered nose slightly, prior to todays ride. Both these adjustments did help.

2. The biggest issue however is the pain in my shoulders and neck. It's related to the saddle because it was not an issue at all prior to the Brooks. I feel like my reach to the handlebar has increased but I very carefully marked the saddle when I put it on (placing it where the other was, adjusting for the shorter length of the Brooks so may be off some. Could be the tipped nose but it is nearly level so I don't think it's that.

3. I couldn't comfortably ride on the hoods or drops because of the soft tissue pain on the saddle and because of the reach discomfort (don't know how to describe it any better).

I know Brooks need to be broken in so I am wondering will the issues I mentioned resolve in time? I wonder because most of what breaking in does affect the sit bones and of all the points of contact on the saddle that one is the most pain free.

I think I should move my saddle slightly closer to h/bar, what do you all think?

Any other help/advice would be appreciated. :)

Susan

I can't give you any specifics - I don't even ride a Brooks - but I can tell you that I've ridden three saddles on my current bike, and every change has completely changed the way I fit/sit on the bike - even though tilt, height at the top of the saddle and nominal fore/aft placement didn't change. Stem changes, moving the hoods around, tilting the bars, the whole shebang - even from the Specialized Lithia to the nearly identical but firmer Jett.

If your sitbones, your knees and your lower legs are happy, I wouldn't change the fore/aft position of the saddle. What that does is change the relationship of your knees to the pedals. If you want to adjust the reach, put on a shorter stem (or, counterintuitively, sometimes a longer stem can take pressure off your shoulders as well).

What you say makes sense, but I have the shortest stem on it now (90mm). On the Jamis they have a "easy height adjustment" stem that is specific to the bike so I can't just change the stem by itself, interesting about going w/longer stem possibly, but I think the problem if stem related is length. I felt too stretched out.

Maybe I should lower the saddle a bit more/raise the h/bar. The Brooks is quite a bit higher than the stock saddle of the Jamis so I may still be high. I may reduce the tension a little bit more too.

Thanks OakLeaf, I appreciate the suggestions.

When you put the Brooks on your bike, how did you determine your position was the same? I ask only because Brooks saddles tend to be taller and the rails tend to be shorter. So, you want to have measured from you to the bike (e.g., bend in the knee and knee to pedal spindle distance), not saddle to bike. I had to go from a straight seat post to an offset seat post when I put in the Brooks to get the same position on the bike.

As for the bits, did you try the "cutout test" that KnottedYet wrote? If so, did you pass or fail? If your saddle position and overall fit is not right, that alone could cause the pressure, so you want to resolve that before anything else. Be careful tipping the saddle down as you can end up with too much pressure on the hands and arms (hm....as you've stated).

You don't want to hear this, but I cut a hole in my Brooks (well, actually, Selle Anatomica cut the hole in for me). Without it, I just couldn't get comfortable. If your sit bones are supported on the B-17 you might just want to try out a Selle Anatomica to see if it resolves the pressure in the sensitive areas.

But, first, can you get someone to help you with that fit?

The "S" models of Brooks saddles are shorter than the non-S models. Their rails are about 1 1/2" shorter as well. When i had a B17S I found I could not shove the saddle far back enough to feel balanced on my bike. It caused me to feel like I was falling forward with my weight, and this put too much weight on my hands and arms. More weight on your hands could mean shoulder discomfort. For me, it wasn't so much that I couldn't reach the handlebars, it was that there was too much weight coming down on my hands to hold myself up. I felt like I was holding myself up with my hands.

All this sounds familiar to me, and when I exchanged my B17S for a 'men's' B17, I was SO relieved to be able to slide the saddle back another 1.5". This made all the diff in the world to my sense of weight balance. It shifted my center of gravity back and my weight off my hands.

The main diff I found between the B17S and the B17 was not so much the shape of the saddle, or even its shortness/longness....it was the length of the rails and how that effected my being able to position the saddle further back.

I know it seems counter-intuitive to put your saddle further back if you think you are having a reach problem, but...
get on the floor, evenly on on your hands and knees. See how much weight is on your hands? Now, shift your butt backwards while keeping all hands and knees in the same spot- see how there is now less weight going onto your hands? Yet you have not brought your hands in closer to you. This is what happens when you shift your saddle a bit further back. It changes your center of gravity.

In addition to getting weight off your hands, shifting your weight back will also put less weight on your frontal 'girl parts'. Having more weight on your sitbones will help with soft tissue pain. In the meantime, be sure you are using a lube on your tender parts, or at least some creamy hypo-allergenic hand lotion- this does help on long rides, I find.
Hope this provides some further possibilities to think about.

Lisa, that's a great illustration!

Another thing to remember is that stems come not only in different lengths, but in different rises. A longer stem with a steeper rise can shorten the distance to the handlebars and give you a more upright riding position.

Thorn: I'll have to look up KnottedYet's "cutout test" and see, I've never heard of it but I'll do a search. You're right, I can't bear to think about cutting a hole in my Brooks! :eek: I've tried out a variety of saddles over the years but never a Selle Anatomica. I'm committed to Brooks for this bike (aethetics over function/comfort, hopefully just for the time being though :rolleyes:). I may look at that saddle for my Scott though.

Because my sitbones seem supported I'm hopeful the Brooks will work once I get the fit dialed in. I bought the bike from a lbs and will be taking the bike in for a check next week so they can tweak my fit.

Lisa: I went back and forth between the s and regular. Initially I planned to order the "regular" because in my research here I read about the issue of not being able to slide back enough because of the shorter rails. After a ridiculous amount of weighing the pros and cons, I went with the S because of the width difference between the two and felt like my sitbones needed that little extra that the S gives). I think in terms of that alone the S is a better fit for me than the regular. However, if this one doesn't work for me my plan is to return and try the B17 regular.

You've both brought up a lot of good points and I plan to ride today and experiment. I really think the saddle is too high and that will be the first thing I change. My husband rode behind me and thought I seemed to be reaching more in the bottom of my pedal stroke. It felt like it to me so I'll start there.

I've gotta go to the dentist now :( but, thanks very much for the feedback - I really appreciate it!!:)

Susan

Thanks ladies! I recently purchased a Brooks saddle and have been having many of these same problems. Could not believe how much weight was on my hands yet my reach felt further away. I will try to move the saddle back a little more and see if that helps.

Thanks again!

Just got back from riding around the neighborhood with regular shorts, no bike shorts/no padding.

I decided to ride once more before making any changes to my fit so I could mentally take note of exactly what was happening regarding pain, etc. I have found over the years that I am better off making changes to my fit very slowly and very conservatively.

First off, I was much more comfortable on my Brooks without my padded bike shorts. Confusing to me, I would have expected the opposite.

I'm wondering if the reason is when I wear padded shorts, the padding gets squished against the saddle, which further squishes my bits. My other saddles have cut outs so this wouldn't be an issue, or at least not as much of one. What do you think?

I did Knotted's cut-out test and passed, nothing was squished. ;)

Another thing I noticed, when I am riding on my saddle with hands placed just on the flat part of the bar (either side of the stem) my saddle feels fine. No pain anywhere.

It is when I rotate my pelvis down/forward and get on hoods or drops (which is how I ride the majority of the time) that the pain occurs. The pain occurs not on the sit bones but rather the pubic bone.

Thoughts??

Much Thanks! :)

Susan

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Originally Posted by SLash

First off, I was much more comfortable on my Brooks without my padded bike shorts. Confusing to me, I would have expected the opposite.

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Too much padding in your shorts can indeed cause more pressure and will push back against your sensitive parts. Just as a too-padded foamy saddle can be more painful against your soft tissues than a hard unpadded saddle. Sometimes less is more. :)

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It is when I rotate my pelvis down/forward and get on hoods or drops (which is how I ride the majority of the time) that the pain occurs. The pain occurs not on the sit bones but rather the pubic bone.
Thoughts??

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When you get onto the hoods or drops, be aware of tilting your pelvis. Try tilting it the other way instead, down/forward- pull in your stomach and tip your pubic bone area up and forward instead of down and back. This will strengthen your core, prevent the sagging back posture (which again puts more weight and strain on your hands and shoulders) and prevents you from riding right on the hard nose of your saddle with your pubic bone. After a while when you are more aware of your body positions this tummy tuck pelvic tilt will become more automatic.

When you tilt your pelvis down/forward, you tend to let your back and tummy sag down (like a swayback horse) and that makes your hands have to hold your weight up all by themselves (ow!), plus it will hurt your pubic area to ride on it. It's sort of a lazy posture, easy to do, but will work against you. I had to stop myself from doing it.
It helps to be more aware of your whole body floating over the bike, and try to distribute your weight evenly between sitbones, feet, and hands. think of your whole body as floating/walking/swimming over your bike, not just your body sitting on a chair while pedaling. This thoughts helped me become much more aware of my own body on my bike. :)

Thanks Lisa, but I'm a little confused by some of the information. I've always been told to ride with flat back, pelvis rotated forward, imagining trying to touch the top tube with belly button, etc. So I have always tried to ride with a flat back and achieving that by rotating my pelvis forward. When I said forward/down I was referring to rolling my pelvis forward and down getting in the drops. I checked with my husband who I ride with primarily and a friend and both say although my back isn't perfectly flat (slightly rounded in the upper part) the lower part of my back is flat, not swaybacked.

The other thing is this is an issue with the Brooks and Jamis not my Scott and Zerox.

With that said, I know I could engage my core more (always :rolleyes:) and as you suggest try to pull up at the pubic area. I think part of the issue is the saddle is a little high which would exacerbates the pubic pressure issue as I have to reach at the bottom of my stroke (my husband noticed this when we were out riding the other day).

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It helps to be more aware of your whole body floating over the bike, and try to distribute your weight evenly between sitbones, feet, and hands. think of your whole body as floating/walking/swimming over your bike, not just your body sitting on a chair while pedaling.

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This describes how I feel when I ride my Scott CR1 Pro perfectly (Terry zerox saddle), feeling a part of the bike, not like I'm sitting on and riding the bike. I don't feel that way on my Jamis which is partly because of the different geometry but I believe, is also a fit issue. Getting the Brooks has changed my fit and the changes need to be addressed. Sigh. :( I had the perfect fit on the bike prior to changing out the saddle. I felt comfortable while in the drops or hoods with the stock saddle, but my sit bones weren't happy. Funny, but I have the opposite problem with Brooks, sitbones happy, rest isn't/stock saddle everything happy but the sitbones. There is no perfect saddle. :cool:

I appreciate your feedback and know it's important to not collapse on the bike but to support myself with my core too, and will keep your pointers in mind when I ride next.

Susan

Thanks Susan,
Yes everyone and every bike is a little different. I hope you can figure out the issues. I wonder if some of our confusion about pelvic tilt is possibly just confusion in descriptions, hard to figure out.

One sign that your saddle is too high is that your hips will rock from side to side as you hit your downstroke. Perhaps that's what you describe as 'reaching' for the downstroke? No harm is trying different tweakings!

My advice is usually based on just my own experiences, so if you find any stuff in what I say that you can use, then great! :)

Lisa, I think you're right, different ways to say the same thing sometimes.

I wondered about whether my hips were rocking and asked DH when we were out riding together last time and he said no. I mainly feel like I'm reaching with my right leg and not a lot but maybe enough to explain some of the discomfort with the Brooks. My right leg is 5/8th in shorter than my left (bike accident when I was 10 :rolleyes:) and although with shim and pad for R shoe it was reduced a lot there still is a slight difference so I have to fit for the shorter leg, if that makes sense.

It's a long story and I won't go into it but basically I rode for several years, lots of miles (for me anyway, 3000+) also ran and after having trouble with my knee saw an orthopedic dr. He's the one that first diagnosed my right leg problem. Turns out I broke my leg in that bike accident all those years ago (my buddy and I were flying down a hill, I hit gravel, went airborne, landed on my knees) and never knew it, never was treated for it. The break resulted in a curvature of my right leg below the knee (the area of the break) and the 5/8 inch shorter leg length since I was so young and still growing. So basically after riding all those years with no "accommodations" to equal out my leg lengths I just "learned" how to ride without rocking hips or being "unbalanced" in my pedaling style even though I had this fairly significant diff between the two leg lengths. From paying attention and riding while the guy that did the fit watched me, I have compensated for it by sitting on the saddle not quite centered. Until I got this latest fit on my Jamis and got the shim, etc. for my right shoe I had never addressed it. It's never given me any problems that I was aware of anyway.

I mention all this because it makes my fit on the bike more complicated and is part of what I'm dealing with on the saddle - I think anyway. :)

Again, I appreciate your help.

Susan

I own a B-17 and for me, the tilt adjustment made a huge difference. I have one on one bike but I haven't gotten one for my Aurora because I'd need to get a better seatpost (for my tastes) to be able to tweak the heck outta the tilt. It's taken me awhile to get the height, tilt and such...just right on my other bike. But the rest is just a matter of breaking in. I'm in no pain when riding. You shouldn't be either. Brooks saddles take about - (dare I say this?), 1000 miles to fully break in - according to the guys/gals from Brooks. I feel comfortable already, but it's just a more finicky saddle.

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Originally Posted by moderncyclista

I own a B-17 and for me, the tilt adjustment made a huge difference. I have one on one bike but I haven't gotten one for my Aurora because I'd need to get a better seatpost (for my tastes) to be able to tweak the heck outta the tilt. It's taken me awhile to get the height, tilt and such...just right on my other bike. But the rest is just a matter of breaking in. I'm in no pain when riding. You shouldn't be either. Brooks saddles take about - (dare I say this?), 1000 miles to fully break in - according to the guys/gals from Brooks. I feel comfortable already, but it's just a more finicky saddle.

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Hi Modern,

The thing that jumped out at me was the 1000 miles. :eek: The aged leather is supposed to have a shorter break in period, so that should help. Part of the reason I got the aged, guess I'm inpatient. I also liked the way it looked with my Aurora.

How did you finally get the tilt adjusted? Is it tilted up or down? I rode a little tonight and again felt a little better so there's hope I think.

What do you ride with on your Aurora?

Thanks,

Susan

I have a B67-s and I tried it with it slightly tilted down, but that was putting too pressure on my wrists. I ended up putting it with a slight upward tilt, and as far back on the rails as it would allow. So far, no real pressure of the "girly bits" unless I hit a major bump, other than that it's all good. I barely notice that the saddle is there.
Good luck, I bet you figure out a way to make it work. You must be tough, to be able to have a broken leg and not even know it! :)

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Originally Posted by Melissa71

I have a B67-s and I tried it with it slightly tilted down, but that was putting too pressure on my wrists. I ended up putting it with a slight upward tilt, and as far back on the rails as it would allow. So far, no real pressure of the "girly bits" unless I hit a major bump, other than that it's all good. I barely notice that the saddle is there.
Good luck, I bet you figure out a way to make it work. You must be tough, to be able to have a broken leg and not even know it! :)

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It's all the positive comments about Brooks I've read on this forum and other places (and the fact that it looks so damn cool on my Jamis) that has me so committed to trying every possible thing to make it or another Brooks work.

I've thought about the leg break many times wondering did I not complain?? :eek: My parents are both deceased so I can't ask them. The rule in my house was that if you weren't going to bleed to death, you didn't go to the doctor. :rolleyes: I remember my mother picking gravel out of my knees and the huge scabs on my knees but guess they thought the pain was from that. The funny thing too is I remember I had to walk home pushing my bike, at least a couple of miles. The ortho doc that told me about it was amazed. He came in with the x-ray and said "who set your leg when you broke it, they did a lousy job", to which I replied "I've never broken my leg".

He told me to I would never be able to run or ride without pain. True enough for running but just made changes on the bike and no problem. I love proving doctors wrong! :D

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Originally Posted by SLash

Hi Modern,

The thing that jumped out at me was the 1000 miles. :eek: The aged leather is supposed to have a shorter break in period, so that should help. Part of the reason I got the aged, guess I'm inpatient. I also liked the way it looked with my Aurora.

How did you finally get the tilt adjusted? Is it tilted up or down? I rode a little tonight and again felt a little better so there's hope I think.

What do you ride with on your Aurora?

Thanks,

Susan

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Susan,

Well yeah 1000 miles seems like a lot, but I knew from all my research that you "earn" a Brooks saddle. The aged leather should break in - a few hundred miles sooner.

As far as tilt, I adjusted it just high enough to keep me from sliding forward when I stop - but just low enough not to really "dig" into my girly bits. I also slid it back a few millimeters (really just a scooch or two - but that isn't a technical unit of measurement :) ) My seatpost on my 520 is a micro-adjust bontrager so it made it pretty easy to tweak angles. On my Aurora, I haven't found an adequate way to adjust the angles so I haven't bought a Brooks for it...yet.

Currently I'm making use of the stock 09' saddle - which works fine for short distances or commutes. I've considered finding a Specialized Lithia (in Black)on eBay or something for it (I don't think they make it anymore) as I rode a Specialized and enjoyed the Lithia quite a bit. I've considered a Selle An-Atomica Watershed Leather saddle, a Selle San Marco Rolls in Brown Suede, and quite a few others. Indecisive basically. :D

Good luck with tweaking your Brooks. Part of it is just getting used to the "feel of a Brooks."

MC,

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I knew from all my research that you "earn" a Brooks saddle

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That seems to describe the Brooks process perfectly.

Thanks for the specifics on how you adjusted it. I've been ready to go ride now for 2 hours + but having to delay because of rain/threatening rain, so I'm still sitting here in my bike shorts and jersey typing away. :rolleyes:

I want to get at least 20 miles today in my bike shorts (as opposed to regular shorts... just to be clear ;))so I can see if it continues to feel better/kinda good (high praise for a new Brooks, right) and if not maybe make a few tweaks of the type you mentioned.

Didn't know about the saddles you mentioned and looked them up. The Selle An-Atomica Watershed Leather saddle could be a good possibility. Just what I need more options. :)

Susan

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Originally Posted by SLash

Because my sitbones seem supported I'm hopeful the Brooks will work once I get the fit dialed in....Initially I planned to order the "regular" because in my research here I read about the issue of not being able to slide back enough because of the shorter rails.

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I cannot emphasize enough the importance of sitting whilst being fully supported by your sitbones rather than the pelvic floor. You'll be paying a price if you ride unsupported. :eek: What's nice about the S model is that it forces you to sit back further on the saddle rather than ride on the nose. :cool:

Since the rails run short on Brooks saddles, one suggestion I can make is to consider a setback seatpost with a looong setback. But first I would suggest you lower the seatpost 2-3 mm and try that. Then as you break in the saddle you can raise your seatpost little by little. (It might be handy to switch to a quick release collar during the break in of your saddle so you can adjust it quickly on the fly. Once you find the right heighth, mark it on the seatpost. )

And as for breaking it in faster, I found putting it on the bike that I sit the most upright will break it in faster. My Brooks get broken in on my mountain bike and then I switch it to the road bike. :)

Oh, one more thing. Specialized makes an adjustable stem.

Sundial,

Excellent information and suggestions, thank you.

I rode today and for the first 10 miles I just focused on what worked, what didn't, where the pain was, where it wasn't, and on and on. I paid attention to my hands and whether I felt I was disproportianately supporting myself on my hands. I did. I also noticed I wanted to slide back.

So I stopped, adjusted the nose up ever so slightly (while I was cursing the *^%# wind!) and then slid the saddle back about 1/4 inch. I felt better but not good enough.

I just don't feel "one with the bike" like I feel when I ride my Scott and like I felt before I put the Brooks on this bike (Jamis). I am constantly aware of how I am feeling and it's not good! :rolleyes: I feel like I used too when I was just getting my base miles - like it is all such an effort. I haven't felt that way in a long time. I don't blame the Brooks, I think the saddle switch simply screwed up the fit that I got when I bought the bike so the next thing I plan to do is go this week and get re-fit.

Other possible reasons: 1. I'm riding a much heavier, slower geomety bike (Jamis Aurora Elite vs all carbon Scott CR1 pro) 2. The shifting isn't nearly as good or smooth (poorly adjusted - which will get fixed this week -Shimano Tiagra vs Campy Centaur) so shifting is a struggle and hard to maintain a smooth and consistent pedal stroke.

I think these things are part of the problem. Thoughts?

Today I wondered if I need a longer saddle but the dilemma is I need the extra width of the S so couldn't go with a B17. I ride in the drops or the hoods mostly so don't think the B68 would be a good match.

With what you said though maybe it's good I don't have the longer saddle so it forces me to sit at the back of it where I am more supported by sit bones.

I'm 5'5" but more of my height is in my torso than my legs (inseam of just under 30") don't know if that is impacting any of this.

It is all a mystery at this point. I expected the pain of the Brooks to be in the sit bones and it isn't. One other thing, I am beginning to believe that some of my discomfort is because of the padding in the front part of my bike shorts (Shebeest Triple S). I need the padding at the sit bones area but not in the crotch.

Is anyone aware of bike shorts that have good padding, but focus it at the sit bones area rather than the front/soft tissue part of the short?

Thanks to all of you for your help! :)

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Originally Posted by sundial

What's nice about the S model is that it forces you to sit back further on the saddle rather than ride on the nose. :cool:
Since the rails run short on Brooks saddles, one suggestion I can make is to consider a setback seatpost with a looong setback.

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I know we all have different experiences, and I must relate my own experience, having ridden thousands of miles on both "S" model and non-S.
The rails on the S model are about 1.5" shorter than the rails on the non S. Thus, if you position your saddle all the way back on its rails, the back edge of the S model was always more forward on the bike than my non-S model. For me, this put my center of gravity way too far forward and i had too much weight falling forward onto my hands. Just my own experience of course.

Just as an interesting visual comparison of the "S" vs. the non-S Brooks saddles...

Here is my Rivendell Rambouillet with its original B17S saddle when I first got the bike:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3433/...0ffc8f00_o.jpg

And here is the same bike a couple years later with a B68 (not an "S" model), same seatpost:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/...d542b8f6_o.jpg

Note also how I initially had my saddle set pretty low when i first got my bike. It seemed so scary tall! lol!

For what it's worth-
I went from the B17S to the B17 so i could move the saddle back further. I had been feeling sort of like I was riding a unicycle. It helped a lot, but i eventually found that my sitbones were a bit too wide for the B17 anyway, they were too close to the side frame edges of the saddle, so I then switched to the B68 on both my bikes, which was as wide as they come. (I have very wide hips and sitbones to match) It's been heavenly ever since. i ride on the hoods and drops quite a bit and never have any problem with my B68 because of that. I am most comfortable when the saddle nose is tipped ever so slightly up from level.

I personally found the B17S forced my whole body to be too far forward. The non-S with the longer rails, shoved all the way back, allowed me to get an inch and a half further back and I felt so much better balanced and off my hands.
Incidentally, when we measured me carefully for my second bike, a custom Luna, we found my right thigh bone was a 1/2" longer than my left thigh bone. :eek:

Lisa,

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I went from the B17S to the B17 so i could move the saddle back further. I had been feeling sort of like I was riding a unicycle. It helped a lot, but i eventually found that my sitbones were a bit too wide for the B17 anyway, they were too close to the side frame edges of the saddle, so I then switched to the B68 on both my bikes, which was as wide as they come. (I have very wide hips and sitbones to match) It's been heavenly ever since. i ride on the hoods and drops quite a bit and never have any problem with my B68 because of that. I am most comfortable when the saddle nose is tipped ever so slightly up from level.

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I am so glad to hear that about the B68. Everything I've read (I know, you shouldn't believe everything you read) made me believe that the B68 is for upright "city" riding and not for longer distance drops/hoods riding.

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personally found the B17S forced my whole body to be too far forward. The non-S with the longer rails, shoved all the way back, allowed me to get an inch and a half further back and I felt so much better balanced and off my hands.

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I feel like my weight is too far forward too. If I end up with a B68 I will not get the S.

After I get the re-fit with the B17, I'll ride and see if there is significant improvement. If not, I'll probably order the B68.

BTW, I love your Rivendell. Amazing that it's the same seat post. Big difference with the 2 saddles.

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

...if you position your saddle all the way back on its rails...

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Lisa, I can see where you would have center of gravity issues with it shoved all the way back. What I strive to do with all my saddles is to have the rails centered over the seatpost, as I find this offers the best fit, and coincidentally, the best balance on the bike. On the bikes with the relaxed geometry I have to use a setback seatpost. On the bike with the more aggressive geometry, I have to use a zero setback seatpost.

SLash, I remember with each new Brooks saddle the feeling of pressure in the hammock area of the saddle. It wasn't causing pain--just pressure. I took shorter rides initially until it was broken in--which was usually around 120 miles for me. Perhaps as you break in the saddle more it will become less of an issue and you'll feel "one" with the bike. I remember having to make several micro-adjustments up until it was broken in. The nose of the saddles are tilted just a hair up and the seatpost is lowered about an inch or so.

If you have questions about the fit, call Wall Bike. They are more than happy to help their customers. :)

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Originally Posted by sundial

SLash, I remember with each new Brooks saddle the feeling of pressure in the hammock area of the saddle. It wasn't causing pain--just pressure. I took shorter rides initially until it was broken in--which was usually around 120 miles for me. Perhaps as you break in the saddle more it will become less of an issue and you'll feel "one" with the bike. I remember having to make several micro-adjustments up until it was broken in. The nose of the saddles are tilted just a hair up and the seatpost is lowered about an inch or so.

If you have questions about the fit, call Wall Bike. They are more than happy to help their customers. :)

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I've emailed Bill several times and he's been a big help. Very nice guy.

I think the padding in the shorts I wear (Shebeest Triple S) makes what would be pressure into pain (dull pain while on the bike but last night 4 hours after ride it still hurt-still dull). I'm considering giving my shorts a *trim* in the pad area at the front just to see if it will help. The way I look at it I have nothing to lose by at least trying it on one pair. :rolleyes:

I'm waiting to hear from the lbs I bought my bike to see when they can get me in for a re-fit. Today I'm having a lot of pain (pinched nerve type pain) in my right shoulder/shoulder blade area that I wasn't having before. Think it's due to my ride yesterday. Granted, it was windy as hell so maybe that's part of it.? After I get fitted and have a chance to ride again, I'll re-evaluate and maybe call Bill at that point. I'm hoping for a *small* miracle after I get my fit adjusted. :) Plus, as you point out the breaking in process should give me some relief in time. I hope I see some improvement quickly.

Thanks for the tips. :)

before you cut up your shorts, don't you have anything else you could wear? Even a pair of cotton slacks, just to see?

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

before you cut up your shorts, don't you have anything else you could wear? Even a pair of cotton slacks, just to see?

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I've ridden twice in knee length cargo type shorts (regular shorts not bike) and it felt more comfortable than my bike shorts. One pair of my shebeest shorts is pretty worn so those are the ones I would experiment on.

I wouldn't remove the pad just thin it some... as in take a little off the top. ;)

I recently saw bike shorts with a pad that was split down the middle. I wonder if that would help?

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Originally Posted by jezbael

I recently saw bike shorts with a pad that was split down the middle. I wonder if that would help?

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I think it would, do you remember the name or company that makes them?

Thanks! :)

I just called the bike shop, and they said they are Pearl Izumi. They were men's shorts. I was looking at them, because I like the longer shorts but women's were all short.

Hope that helps!

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Originally Posted by jezbael

I just called the bike shop, and they said they are Pearl Izumi. They were men's shorts. I was looking at them, because I like the longer shorts but women's were all short.

Hope that helps!

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I'll check them out, thanks!:)

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

before you cut up your shorts, don't you have anything else you could wear? Even a pair of cotton slacks, just to see?

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Good idea, Biciclista. :cool: Part of my Brooks break-in regimen is riding in jeans around the hood. SLash, it sounds as if you might benefit from a thinner newer chamois. Perhaps you can call TE and chat with them about chamois and go shopping. You need a new pair of shorts to go with that classy saddle. ;)

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Originally Posted by sundial

Good idea, Biciclista. :cool: Part of my Brooks break-in regimen is riding in jeans around the hood. SLash, it sounds as if you might benefit from a thinner newer chamois. Perhaps you can call TE and chat with them about chamois and go shopping. You need a new pair of shorts to go with that classy saddle. ;)

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Ha, I'd have a hard time convincing any one that I need a new pair of shorts (but I agree I need a pair with a chamois with a thinner center :)). In the past week I've got 2 new (baggy with too thiick liners :rolleyes:) pairs of short/capri.

I have ridden in regular shorts but the seams would bother me for very long rides I think. Do you ride in jeans around your hood 'cause it accelerates the break in process?

I ride around in jeans because it's comfortable. Not sure how comfy it would be on a long ride, but for 2-5 mile stretches, jeans and a brooks is definitely a nice way to go.

Took me about 200 miles on average to break in a Brooks, btw.
My husband bought one once that we couldn't break in. We sold it to a 200 pound guy who loved it.

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Originally Posted by SLash

Do you ride in jeans around your hood 'cause it accelerates the break in process?

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No, I just don't want to change into roadie gear. ;) I roll up the pants leg and away I go.

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My husband bought one once that we couldn't break in. We sold it to a 200 pound guy who loved it.

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See, there are advantages to being a Clydesdale. :) Was it the Team Flyer saddle?

Pain in the soft tissue area is not a good sign and will get worse over time. It can even cause damage to the area, so you definitely want to avoid it. No amount of breaking in of the saddle will alleviate the pain in the soft tissue area.

For a Brooks it's best to start with the nose of the saddle level (I got that advice from BSG) and work it up or down in tiny adjustments from there depending on if you're sliding forward or back. I find I like it with the nose pointed slightly upward, but depending on my position on the bike and if I tend to wear padded shorts or not with that particular bike the tilt is slightly different. The B72 (same top as B68) on my touring bike is tilted a hair lower than my other bikes because of that.

I just put a B17 on my Xtracycle and the leather on it is thicker and harder than the leather on the B72 and B18 that I have on my other bikes. It took little to no breaking in period for those saddles, but it's going to be a while before my sitbones don't feel bruised after a ride on the B17. I hope it doesn't take 1,000 miles or I may abandon for a B68.