Need help from Brooks owners, please.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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!

[SLash]

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 ) 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

[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.

[SLash]

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.

Hi Modern,

The thing that jumped out at me was the 1000 miles. 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

[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!

[SLash]

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!

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?? 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. 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!

[moderncyclista]

Hi Modern,

The thing that jumped out at me was the 1000 miles. 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

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.

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

[SLash]

MC,

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

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.

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