How long did it take you to break in your Brooks?

[Triskeliongirl]

How long to break in a brooks? For me, I found my brooks saddle to be more comfortable out of the box than my previous terry butterfly. They did get better over time, but some of that I think was learning to adjust them. I like the noses level. I also learned that since one doesn't sink into a brooks like a cushy saddle, sometimes the saddle height has to be a tad lower than on a gel saddle. That too was key for me. It wasn't until I got the saddle height right, that sit bone marks started to form. I have two brooks finesse saddle on two bikes. On my racing bike, the bars are lower than the saddle and my position is more aero, while on my touring bike the bars are level with the saddle and my position is a bit longer. What I noticed, is that once I got to used to a brooks I could never go back. Anytime I tried a lighter saddle, I couldn't believe how much it hurt. There is nothing like leather custom molded to your body, but you do need to find the right saddle for your anatomy first, and then get it adjusted correctly. I think in time even the nose softens where your pubic bone makes contact, similar to how your sitbones form indentations in the back. I don't think cut outs are necessary, or even desirable, if your weight is being supported by your sit bones as it should be, rather than by your soft tissues. The cut-out on my terry buttefly rubbed me raw, and caused me to bleed, I think now because the saddle wasn't wide enough to support my sit bones so all my weight was being supported by my soft tissues resting on the cut out.