Brooks saddle report and ischial tuberosity question

[nuthatch]

Last year I rode on the stock saddle on my hybrid - very cushy and ultimately chafing on long rides. This year I have a new road bike with a harder Selle Italia seat and I replaced my hybrid saddle with a Brooks B-17.

For the first time, I can actually feel myself sitting on my ischial tuberosities (sits bones)!! My question is, how long did it take you to "toughen up" that area? I've been using these saddles for about 3 weeks and my bones still feel bruised and sore - granted, I've been taking ever longer weekend rides but my daily commute is sore too. Not unbearable, just bruised feeling. Can I expect improvement or is something amiss here?

BTW, the Brooks is beginning to show signs of shaping itself to my rear end and I have great hopes it will be beloved in the future - but I didn't experience instant comfort like Veronica did.

[Veronica]

Gee, maybe I have a hard butt. That would be nice.

V.

[nuthatch]

Gee, maybe I have a hard butt. That would be nice.

V.

Your new, new nickname: "Rocky"

[snapdragen]

"Buns 'O Steel"

[aka_kim]

Zippy Buns 'O Steel, or just Zippy Buns for short.

Oops, sorry to continue this slide off topic. Hmm, if you're sure it's the sit bones feeling sore and not soft tissue, then maybe it will just take a few more weeks in the saddle to work out.

[Veronica]

How's your back Kim? Are you riding Sierra?
Back - backside same thing - sorta.

V.

[aka_kim]

Maybe if I had a Brooks saddle, my back/backside problems would go away...

I will be doing Sierra, don't know what distance. I'll be on a steady diet of vit I, and probably getting off the bike to stretch every 30 minutes. We'll see how far I get.

Now back to saddles...

[Veronica]

Well, you know the drill - if it hurts too much - it ain't worth it. I'll be sending good back vibes your way.

V.

[fixedgeargirl]

One unorthodox way to break-in your Brooks to your ischial tuberosities, rather than vice versa, is to get the saddle damp and ride it for 30-45 minutes. The chaps at Brooks frown on this, and it probably does shorten saddle life *some*, but it works! DH has been doing this for 25 years, and has been riding at least one of his saddles for 20 years. If you plan on using this saddle for 50 years, well, don't do it. If short-term comfort is more the issue, you may want to try it.

My saddle dampening happened naturally on my first real ride on it: got caught in a thunderstorm and rode home about 45 minutes. One way to dampen the saddle is to wrap a wet towel around it and let it soak for *a while*. I can't recommend how long to soak, but if you haven't treated it with the special-Brooks-saddle-stuff-whose-name-escapes-me, it won't take as long.

[nuthatch]

Thank you, fixed, for the tip!!! I really want to make this saddle work for me and I'm struggling to get past the dislike my hiney has for it!

P.S. I'm surprised that it hasn't gotten damp enough just from my profuse sweating, but maybe salt water doesn't work the same

[Veronica]

... but if you haven't treated it with the special-Brooks-saddle-stuff-whose-name-escapes-me, it won't take as long.

Proofhide?

V.

[nuthatch]

Yeah, I did apply proofhide - I kind of thought it provided a light protection but didn't totally repel the wet. The saddle still looks great but it's just now gotten really hot here so I haven't had too many days where it's totally sweaty, so I'll see what happens when I have put in a few weeks of real hot weather work. This is really probably more information about sweat than you wanted, isn't it?

[fixedgeargirl]

Proofhide?

V.

Yeah, that's it

Nut, the trick is to dampen the saddle from the underside. The underside is much more porous. DH has recommended clients pull the seat post out of the bike and douse the saddle in a bucket of water. You pull the seat post out so as not to compromise your dialed-in saddle position. Riding in the rain worked for me b/c the trail and road were wet and I got plenty of spray on the underside.