Brooks Saddles

[Triskeliongirl]

I guess what I am asking is, can I expect the pressure to go away as my body makes an impression in the nose of the saddle (that is what breaking in is) or is it better to experiment with the saddle angle. I have a longer ride planned for tomorrow, so I think I'll go out with it like this, but bring my allen key just in case it starts to bother me too much. Does that make sense? I am surprised you ride with it tipped up. That is *very unusual* for a women.

[mimitabby]

I guess what I am asking is, can I expect the pressure to go away as my body makes an impression in the nose of the saddle (that is what breaking in is) or is it better to experiment with the saddle angle. I have a longer ride planned for tomorrow, so I think I'll go out with it like this, but bring my allen key just in case it starts to bother me too much. Does that make sense? I am surprised you ride with it tipped up. That is *very unusual* for a women.

Trisk

I guess it is unusual for a woman to ride tipped up a bit.. the guy at the shop said "If you can take it..this will take the pressure off your hands"
and i guess i could take it.
I sit way back on my sit bones and so far it has not been a problem.
To answer your question, i think that if micro adjustments don't help.. yes
as you imprint that saddle with your very own sit bones, i think it will make a difference with the pressure. Mind you, you ride more aggressively than i do (right?) but your saddle is different too. My guess is that you should just ride it for a week and THEN change it, if you still think you need to!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The nose of the Brooks is not going to change in shape too much- it's the sitbone area that will form to your sit bones.
Like Mimi, I ride with the nose tipped up a TINY bit from perfectly level. That lets me put more weight on my sitbones. Too much tip up on the nose though created too much girly bit mashing. Every teeny adjustment makes a difference. Give every adjustment a day or so to feel the difference.

If you lower your saddle too much your legs will stay too bent while riding and you will have knee pain.

Glad to hear you like the Brooks!

[Veronica]

I also have my saddle - a green Finesse - tipped up.

V.

[KnottedYet]

I just looked carefully at my Brooks, and it's tipped up a tiny bit, too. I don't have a level, but eyeballing it looks tipped up.

Feels level when I ride.

[xeney]

I read this whole thread a while ago, and a similar Brooks thread on another site, and one thing that struck me is that some people find the Brooks to be completely comfortable right out of the box, and other people say it has a long break-in period requiring lots of conditioning and adjustment, and that the saddle isn't really comfortable until it has formed to your sit bones. And it seems like the first group are ultimately happier with their saddles.

From that, I am thinking that if the saddle doesn't work for me right away with a few adjustments, then it is not the saddle for me. I just put my Team Pro on my road bike last night and it was not love at first ride. It wasn't terrible, but I think it is too narrow for me; I am not feeling like I have a good platform for my sit bones so the saddle is pressing on my genitals, and I don't care about break-in periods, that's bad. I am going to give it a couple more trys with the saddle moved slightly forward, tipped up slightly, etc., but I am not going to ride around with numb genitals hoping that eventually the saddle will get better.

[KnottedYet]

The Team Pro is only 160 mm wide! Is that the saddle Bill recommended when you told him your sit bone measurements?

My bones are wider than that saddle. (170-180mm) I'd be on soft tissue only.

I'm tempted by the B17S for my new bike because it's sexy, but it's only 177mm wide. At best I'd be balancing the points of my sit-bones on the metal frame under the leather, rather than on the suspended leather itself.

My B67 is 210mm. Bones are on suspended leather. It is good.

If the Team Pro is that uncomfortable, don't bother keeping it. It'll get softer, but it ain't getting wider!!!! Call Bill, tell him how the narrow Team Pro feels, and ask him to recommend another saddle. 1-888-731-3537

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I read this whole thread a while ago, and a similar Brooks thread on another site, and one thing that struck me is that some people find the Brooks to be completely comfortable right out of the box, and other people say it has a long break-in period requiring lots of conditioning and adjustment, and that the saddle isn't really comfortable until it has formed to your sit bones. And it seems like the first group are ultimately happier with their saddles.

From that, I am thinking that if the saddle doesn't work for me right away with a few adjustments, then it is not the saddle for me.

I can't say I agree with that assessment about the two types of Brooks users.
I had some sitbone soreness in the first few days, but that went away pretty quickly to where I was pretty comfortable within a few days of using the new saddle. In the 2 months since then, it just gets more comfortable as the saddle is forming to me. Thus, I don't fall strictly into either group, and my experince would not indicate at all that one can tell "right away" if the Brooks is right for you.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I also have my saddle - a green Finesse - tipped up.

V.

Ok, so Veronica....what's up with the towel? Did your bike just wash its hair or something?

[Veronica]

No, I had just washed my hair and the towel was there to dry. Plus it hides my Brooks Leather bar tape and lugged stem, so no one gets envious.

V.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

No, I had just washed my hair and the towel was there to dry. Plus it hides my Brooks Leather bar tape and lugged stem, so no one gets envious.

V.

Yeah well I see that lugged stem coyly peeking out from under that towel...it's a good thing I have a lugged stem too, or I'd be JEALOUS!!!