jmccollister1

I have found a B-17 for sale ($60) Someone asked the seller if it came with adjustment wrenches. Are these necessary?

mackerel

If you want to increase (or decrease) the tension of the saddle.
You could always use some other small wrench that fits instead of the brooks one.

littlefoot

they are typically sold seperately as well look in the tool section of any online bike seller( that sells brooks) you should see them.

phatfree

It depends on who you ask. If you visit Sheldon Brown's website you will find that he is a big advocate against ever using the nose bolt. I am of the opinion that if it wasn't necessary why in the hell is it there? The rule a little at a time applies. My Brooks Pro started to feel a bit soft after 500 miles and I adjusted the nose bolt about 1/4 turn. When it still felt soft after a month I decided to lace the sides. That did the trick and I haven't had any problems since.

mike

Nah. 99% of Brooks saddle owners don't have the wrench (like the seller of the saddle you are considering).

Most folks who try to use the wrench end up ruining their saddle. If the saddle is in good shape and you like it, go for it. $60.00 isn't a bad price.

mike

Well, my experience tells me that this is not accurate. It is very difficult to tension the saddle nose bolt with a collection of typical wrenches. The Brooks bold tensioner is thin and allows for manuevering around in the tight space.

That said, I still do not think the bolt tensioner is necessary. I have ridden leather saddles for many years and never had to tighten the tension bolt (except once when it was loose on a new saddle and was making a clicking sound).

slcbob

B-17 is a good saddle. Highly recommended.

I'm of the "you don't need the wrench" camp. You will need some of the Proofide or other dressing to condition it to protect it, and it helps expedite the break in a little. It won't be comfortable for ~500 miles or so.

That's a decent price, but depending on what's going on with it being used, or not the color you want, or shipping, etc, don't die on that specific sale. You can find <$80 online regularly.

TomM

Is this a new or used saddle? If it's used how many miles have been put on it? I ask because a Brooks tends to become a custom fit for a specific butt after a few hundred miles.

roseskunk

brooks are great saddles, i have a dozen of them from the b-17 to the b-135. i do have a wrench around here somewhere but i never use it. and maybe i just have a big butt, but my brooks saddles have always been great right out of the box, no break-in required. i still have the first one i ever bought back in '74...

jyossarian

You'll need the wrench in around 20 years so if you buy it now, you'll save a few bucks over buying it 20 years from now. Just don't lose it.

dschwarz

^^^ +1 funny & true!

unterhausen

maybe not a good investment. If I had waited to buy my Brooks and just saved the money, I would be money ahead, even with the current sky high prices. Same probably goes with the wrench.

europa

Buy the saddle and use it. If you find you need the wrench, buy it then because it's not something that 'has to be done NOW'. Most people appear to never need the thing.

I bought the wrench because it came in a kit with a tin of proofide and polishing cloth ... on sale - the price was less than the tin of proofide on its own.

Then I bought a B72. Unbeknowns to me, it came with the wrench and the proofide and cloth all in one package, so now I've got two wrenches (which just gives me twice the opportunity not to be able to find one if I ever need one), two tins of proofide ... which you use at a rate of about one tin per century, and two polishing cloths.

Richard

dobber

Whether you need the Brooks spanner is a question of genetics, both yours and the bovine from which the leather came.

Some Brooks seems to stretch a bit quicker than others (1 out of 9 for me), so a quick turn of the wrench may help. I've gotten better result with lacing the saddle though.

Weight may hasten the sagging a bit, though at ~245#, I've only had the aforementioned one that required any adjustment.

Until I received my trial Imperial, I'd never had the proper wrench, just made do with your generic Wally-World type.

MrCjolsen

Don't buy the adjustment wrenches until you actually need them. That will prevent you from prematurely tightening your saddle, which is not good for it.

ItsJustMe

I've been riding mine close to a year, and I've done nothing but put the conditioner stuff on it.

GV27

I didn't even know until recently that there WAS a wrench for it. I'd seen the adjuster but never thought much of it. I haven't had 9 Brooks saddles however!

fender1

Also when the saddle sags, tensioning it will sometimes make the saddle skirts flair out a bit. I had to tension mine (B-17 Champion Special) after about 5,000 miles and number of unprotected soakings by HEAVY rain. I used the Brooks spanner but it was still not firm enough for my liking. I also bought a leather punch at a craft store and put a couple of holes on either side in the skirts. I ran a piece of waxed cotton string back and forth like a shoe lace and pulled the string taut to firm up the saddle.

Best thing I ever did!! It was like combining the support of a new Brooks saddle, yet custom fit to my rear.
There is A LOT of Brooks related nonsense/ opinion as fact, etc. out there. At the end of the day, they are much more hardy and not nearly as difficult to keep as people would have you believe. I say buy the wrench and if the saddle sags, give it the nut 4 complete turns and ride it for awhile, those were the instructions from Brooks anyway regarding tensioning. Also the official company line was not if the saddle would sag,but when.

Randochap

Like rosekunk, I have found Brook's saddles to be comfy right out of the box ... as was the case with the B-17 I bought last November.

The Pro I've had for 31 years is still going strong and has never been adjusted.

What's the secret to longevity (the saddles, that is. If I had the answer to human longevity, well, I'd be rich!)? Proofide and nothing else, beside an occasional clean with sadle soap.

If you ever do feel the need to adjust the tension, you'll need the proper tool.

Hmmmm. Maybe I'll try smearing myself with Proofide.

jpdesjar

weird

modernjess

Over 6K miles on my B17 champion special. I don't have a wrench, and so far and I've never wanted to use one. Not sure if the champion special is much different, other than the hand hammered rivets.

jpdesjar

i have the b17 champ speciale too and it's taking shape quite nicely...i have the little kit with the wrench and the proofide but i guess the tensioning isn't necessary for another 25 years or so, i try to keep mine out of the soaking rain as well, i would like to buy another brooks for my singlespeed someday maybe in the spring

Randochap

I'm all out of baby oil.

jpdesjar

ok not so weird i just read your post again...anything to help longevity!

mackerel

That's why I said to use a "small wrench that fits" - Myself: I never did have to find one that fits as I never had to mess with my Brooks to begin with. I feels just fine the way it is.