southpier

so there might be a little more happening than breaking in my new padded shorts. i did a search and found little past 2007 so maybe it's something which science, unbeknownst to me, has cured or we have become so politically correct it's just not mentioned, but my bum hurts.

not in the same way as riding with no pads, but as if there is a bit of a stretch along the X axis. a bit of an annoyance, and old wisdom seems to dictate waiting it out.

any current tricks o' de trade by you peloton- physicians?

hillyman

How many miles have you put on it? I'm sure youll get many tricks here soon but I'm sure voids the warranty. Never had a problem with Brooks saddles but after getting caught in the rain and about ruining it ( never trust 0% chance of rain forecast ) I tried the Cambriums. Didn't work for me on comfort. Switched to Selle Anatomica R2 and love it. Some people just never get comfortable with any saddle that others love.

DeadGrandpa

A long time ago I had a leather saddle. It might have been a Brooks. What I do remember is that it took about 500 miles until I didn't notice the discomfort. Not sure if it was the saddle molding to my derriere or vice versa. I ride all weather ISM saddles these days. Leather is fine for horse saddles.

shelbyfv

I think most folks have figured out that if a saddle is uncomfortable they can try a different one. Aside from that, if I've been off the bike for awhile my butt might hurt some the first ride back.

cyccommute 

This stuff works for me. Don’t need much.

Pratt

The picture shows a guy out of the saddle. Perhaps not the most convincing graphic

Mulberry20

I gave up on a Brooks saddle about 5 years ago after 3 months of near torture. I bought a Fabric Scoop and then another for my second bike and haven’t thought about saddles since. They are incredibly comfortable and more durable and relatively inexpensive. If you give up on the Brooks try Fabric. Ironically I have one of the least expensive saddles made on two $5,000 plus bikes.

Slightspeed

I love my Brooks, but I've been riding them since 1964. I think the leather B17 is the most comfy, Pros are next, and I started using Cambium C17 on my modern bikes, in fact, I just put on my second C17 last week. On the first ride, I forgot it was there, so I guess the fit is OK. I always wear proper padded cycling shorts, and don't leave home without chamois butter. The only complaint on the C17 is that it's a little too grippy, at least when new, where the leather ones are nice and slidy, and comfy, first ride. I too, ruined a 50 year old B17 on a rain ride, so I've been giving the Cambium a try. So far so good.

My new C17

Ross520

I've experienced some butt-on-butt crime (especially when running/power walking) so for myself, surprisingly convincing. 😂
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frogman

Sounds like you haven't broke in your Brooks saddle yet. They are typically hard and uncomfortable at first but after broke in you love them, like a good pair of leather shoes. The saddle will conform to your sit bones and be very comfortable. Forget about the Brooks Proofide for breaking them in. Too much wax and not enough mink oil in the formulation to soften the leather in a resaonable amount of time. I use the process used in this webpage: Uses mink oil. Don't give up on your Brooks ! Lon's PACTOUR Blog: Breaking In a Leather Saddle

sledgefisher

I'm a Downing Street fan boy. I only ride Brooks saddles wherever possible. Some years ago my Wife was having trouble cycling any distance, I bought her a Brooks B67 and she thanked me for it. I'm a great fan of the Swifts and the B17 Special. But then again I met Joe at Smethwick and he used to do the manual riveting at Brooks.

southpier

this one sold me

southpier

perhaps a bit too cryptic in my original post ....

i'm referring to hemorrhoids & anal fissures. not plagued with multiple of any, but sense they could creep into the picture unless my behavior on the saddle is modified. saddle is in season 6, treated regularly, and adjusted to the best of my ability fore & aft/ to & fro. i am riding "better" in strength & distance, so i am concluding diet & conditioning are coming into greater consideration for continued success.

there's also a possibility (input welcome) i may have started riding too much too soon this season.

not ready to give up yet!

shelbyfv

cyccommute 

If you don’t stop riding, you don’t have to worry about “seasons” and all the issues that arise from starting to ride in a new season. Get a bike for winter and just keep going. If you never stop, you don’t lose the butt calluses you’ve developed

phughes

Whenever someone talks about adjusting a Brooks saddle, they always say they adjusted it fore and aft, and the tilt, but they never talk about height. I very often see people trying to run a Brooks saddle too high. Try dropping it a bit and see how it feels. Brooks saddles are very unforgiving of a too high seat height.

southpier13

i'm down to almost the curve in the seatpost, but can probably skootch it another few mms; thanks.

63rickert

Perhaps a bit more elaboration on why saddle height matters. Your bum should rest on the saddle. Your bum should not be rocking side to side, dragging your weight over the saddle with every turn of the pedals.With a too high saddle the friction and motion against the saddle are just enormous and it is going to hurt. Watch how other people ride. Watch their hips. Not many are sitting motionless above the hip socket, some of us are.

If rocking and dragging on the saddle you are going to need perfect ideal bike shorts and copious amounts of chamois butter. You will try lots of saddles and lots of shorts and every proprietary butter on the market. And maybe you get lucky and some combination works pretty good. Or you can sit still in the saddle and it will hardly matter what you are sitting on.

The works every time old saw is put more weight into the pedal and you won’t care about the saddle. At the extreme that means standing on the pedals. Also means you might have to work hard and go a little faster. Is going a little faster OK? If just riding slow is good enough get the tractor saddle and relax. Brooks is a performance saddle. Once there is some performance happening sitting on the saddle should be just as comfortable as standing on the pedals.

southpier13

if i lower the saddle, should i assume it should be pushed back a tad on its rails? or do i make one adjustment at a time?

southpier13

well . . . after an unplanned month off, i got around to dropping the seat about 3mm and sliding it backward on the rails about the same. while it felt good, i didn't seem like my legs were providing enough "snap" to each revolution of pedal. i left the fore & aft as it was, and raised the seat less than 2 mm. makes a huge difference.

thanks for the suggestion. amazing how little it takes to make a dramatic difference in comfort.

Kabuki12

I ride every week and spend most of my riding time on a Brooks Pro saddle because I have a few bikes that have them. The saddles are from the seventies so they are all broken in well and get regular use . I think both the rider and the saddle need to have regular use. I only stopped riding once in the last several years due to a bad crash a couple years ago. I had to take three months off and I used the time to work on my bikes, cleaning and staying busy by conditioning all the leather saddles. When I finally got back on the bike(s) I started with 15-20 mile rides for the first couple of weeks and did not suffer any soreness. Of course I never ride without my padded shorts or undies.

Sojodave

I had a friend give me a Brooks C17 Carved saddle. It was winter, and I put it on my bike while it was on the trainer. I thought it looked huge compared to my Power saddle and it weighed twice as much. I rode it for 10 minutes and decided to take it off. I have had it in the closet ever since.

Last weekend, I rode a 75-mile ride on a Specialized Romin Evo that I only had a couple of weeks to get used to. I was in severe pain most of the ride. I decided to drag the C17 Carved saddle to try. Within 5 miles, I was shocked at how comfortable it was. My first ride was 18 miles and I played with the tilt to get it dialed in.

My inner weight weenie is having a hard time with the 400+ grams, but I now know why people praise the C17.

phughes

Glad to hear you got it sorted out. Yes, small adjustments can make a very big difference.