How much do Brooks saddles "give"??

[scottcw2]

My Brooks Swift was starting to look a little misshapen and stretched after a few years, so I tightened it a little. If you followed my threads, I first loosened it completely (accidentally), then guessed where it was and went a little beyond that. It feels good to me bum and the shape is back to somewhat normal. But...

I now feel too high with the saddle the exact same distance from center of BB. I have measured to both top of saddle and bottom of rail, two measurements that I had written down from my fitting with Paul Levine. Is it possible that it is not "giving" as much when I sit because of being tightened? would a saddle stretch enough to notice that I am sitting higher?

One caveat - this is on a new bike that I had never ridden before, so it is entirely possible that the sensation has less to do with saddle height than getting used to the new bike.

Thoughts?

[scottcw2]

Nothing?

[Ken Robb]

Brooks saddles are very stingy and give almost nothing at all.

It must be the new bike you are sensing.

[dave thompson]

I've found that each saddle (even within the same model) has a little more or a little less give than it's brother. As an example, I've got 3 B-17s. If I push down on them with my hand, each one gives a different amount.

[vandeda]

Scott,

While I own 3 Brooks, I've only ridden them a few hundred miles. I fell in love with my Swift, so I picked up 2 Professionals. But I don't have enough experience to answer your question, though I wish I did :(

Dan

[Kevan]

hindquarters that is....

Time.

[dbrk]

Every Brooks saddle is different because each is made of its own piece of leather and assembled as such. I've had B17s that sag, others that have lasted 25 years, and a Pro that is older than that. If you don't neglect them (wet, wet, wet) or take too much care of them (go easy on the leather balms like proofide) and really don't do anything truly silly like soak them in bathes of Neet's Foot or some such alchemy, then you will eventually reach perfection. I've honestly found that it's important to sweat on them, like the way your hand fits a baseball glove so too a saddle eventually becomes yours. If you get a sagger, sometimes you can save that with the tightening bolt but not always. Natural materials are not like plastic saddles that are so, so all the same. There should be somewhere between zero and veryveryvery little "break-in" insofar as a Brooks should be comfortable from the get go. If it is not then there are only two reasons I can fathom: not set up correctly or the saddle is just not for you. But the saddles _do_ break-in, it's just that that makes them ever better---meliora!---but comfort should not depend on the break in.

Just one old guy's opinion.

dbrk

[SoCalSteve]

I agree with DBRK, I have 4 B-17 models, all Champion Specials and all Ti railed. They are all a bit different. But, they are all extremely comfortable and they were all comfortable from the get go. No breaking in neccesary.

Good luck,

Steve

[dirtdigger88]

two B17s - one is/was pre aged- I got sag in that one inside of 100 miles- the regular B17 is fairly firm but has some give to it- think hammock like-

Swallow- I had this when I weighed much more and thus it turned to a noodle on me-


20 something year old Pro- is hard as a rock-

newer Pro is firm but not as firm as the old one-

Swift- just the perfect amount of give for my behind- mostly I like the Swifts because they allow be to run my bars low and not have my jewles go numb

Jason

[Ahneida Ride]

After 2K miles, my B67 is due for a 1/4 turn.

The tension bolt has a dramatic effect on comfort.
Go easy on it.