Brooks Saddle question

[sevencyclist]

How do I know when to tighten the Brooks saddle? Is there a problem if the saddle is too loose?

[Ahneida Ride]

Experiment ;) make a 1/8 to 1/4 turn and then ride and see how it feels.

[sevencyclist]

Experiment ;) make a 1/8 to 1/4 turn and then ride and see how it feels.
Thanks. I don't seem to feel significant difference with the 1/4 turn, so should I leave it at tighter or looser setting?

[Guy A]

If you cannot feel any difference, then it doesn't make any difference....

[SoCalSteve]

If you cannot feel any difference, then it doesn't make any difference....

That is not true. Eventually, the tightening screw will reach its end and then you are pretty much done...

I have a feeling that this takes many years to happen and only if you have big changes in climate, it gets wet, etc...

Just a thought,

Steve

[Ken Robb]

I have never had to tighten any of my Brooks but I "spread" my riding over several bikes and saddles. Most riders like their Brooks even better when they develop a bit of a "hammock-like" sag.

[sevencyclist]

I have never had to tighten any of my Brooks but I "spread" my riding over several bikes and saddles. Most riders like their Brooks even better when they develop a bit of a "hammock-like" sag.
I suppose my question should be: if I don't feel a difference between tighter and looser settings, is it better to have the saddle loose or tight? From Steve's answer, it might be better to not tighten unless comfort suffers. Any problem with leaving it loose?

[confente]

Any problem with leaving it loose?

If you leave the tension too loose, the saddle top sags and puts a lot of bending pressure on the leather at the two lowest rivets at the back lower corners of the saddle and often a crack in the leather will result. Not good!

[swoop]

where's the bolt? i keep tightening the horse and it isn't going well.

[mschol17]

I've found that as it stretches a little the front screw gets kind of loose and it starts to squeak. Then I tighten it a quarter turn or so, and the noise goes away.

[Ahneida Ride]

Gee, I just tighten mine a bit a few days ago.
Decided the seat was a bit too hard and relaxed 1/8 of a turn.
Pure comfort....

A Brooks really needs to be experimented with ....
Small adjustments can have a dramatic impact on comfort.

[SoCalSteve]

Gee, I just tighten mine a bit a few days ago.
Decided the seat was a bit too hard and relaxed 1/8 of a turn.
Pure comfort....

A Brooks really needs to be experimented with ....
Small adjustments can have a dramatic impact on comfort.

Truer words have never been written! But, for me, its the way the saddle is leveled (or not level) has more impact on comfort than the tension screw an 1/8th in or out...

Steve

[Louis]

for me, its the way the saddle is leveled (or not level) has more impact on comfort

I know this has been discussed a million times, but please remind me - for most guys a Brooks (in my case a Swift) works best with nose up just a tad, is that correct?

Louis

[palincss]

I know this has been discussed a million times, but please remind me - for most guys a Brooks (in my case a Swift) works best with nose up just a tad, is that correct?

Louis

Definitely nose up - maybe more than "a tad" in my case. In fact, on one of my bikes I look at the saddle and can't believe that could possibly be right, but as soon as I get on it I know that it is.

This is one of those things you've just got to experiment with.

[WadePatton]

On that count-I rode my Swift nearly dead level, but turns out it's a bit too narrow for me and I'm running the 17 a teeny tad nose up, but it's a ways from being broken in.

On the tension bolt. My unnerstanding was that it's there to compensate for leather stretch, and not to eff with it until sag is present. One can't unstretch the leather.

And then the older saddles--like my B5N have ready punched holes in the skirts giving a whole 'nuther way of twiddling with the feel of the saddle.

But I haven't been running leather that long. I defer.

Sheldon said this:

Most leather saddles have a tension-adjusting nut located under the nose of the saddle. Fortunately, this nut usually requires a special wrench, so most people leave it alone. In almost every case that I know of where someone has tried to adjust the tension with this nut, the saddle has been ruined. My advice is to leave it alone.

If a leather saddle gradually becomes too soft and too wide after many thousands of miles, it is sometimes useful to punch a few holes in the bottoms of the side flaps and lace them together under the saddle frame.
This allows the width and firmness of the saddle to be adjusted to the rider's taste. Some older models came with a row of holes along the lower edge of the side flaps, for this very purpose.

I realize that this sounds like a lot of trouble, but most cyclists who take the trouble find it well worth while--in the end.

[Ahneida Ride]

I know this has been discussed a million times, but please remind me - for most guys a Brooks (in my case a Swift) works best with nose up just a tad, is that correct?

Louis


YES !!! But I have seen riders with the nose down on purpose.