Brooks -- Anyone have problem with rivets?

[Bob M]

I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
what'd you do?

--
Bob M in CT remove 'x.' to reply

 

[Gary Smiley]

Try moving the saddle back further, so your sit bones sit on the leather portion of the saddle;
otherwise your experience can be quite riveting.

Bob M wrote:

> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
> miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
> into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
> what'd you do?
>
> --
> Bob M in CT remove 'x.' to reply

 

[Sorni]

"Gary Smiley" <[email protected]> top-posted in message news:[email protected]...
> Bob M wrote:
>
> > I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was
> > 55 miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit
so
> > far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up into my rear. I
have
> > some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so, what'd you do?

> Try moving the saddle back further, so your sit bones sit on the leather portion of the saddle;
> otherwise your experience can be quite riveting.

You might even say a riveting...tail.

Bill "somehow pretty sure he already considered moving seat back (out of room?)" S.

 

[Bob M]

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 23:54:47 GMT, Gary Smiley <[email protected]> wrote:

> Try moving the saddle back further, so your sit bones sit on the leather portion of the saddle;
> otherwise your experience can be quite riveting.
>

Thanks. Unfortunately, I can't move it further back. It's as far back as it goes (and I have a
LeMond! On my Trek, I was in front of the pedal spindles, and this is with a set-back seatpost). The
only thing I don't like about these saddles is that they don't go back far enough. It looks as if
I'm off to find a wide saddle that will allow me to move the saddle back. This is a bummer, as this
is my favorite saddle that I've ridden in 15 years or so.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

 

[B.C. Cletta]

Bob M <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
> miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
> into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
> what'd you do?

which model? it's not uncommon to take a hammer to the rivets, esp 'Team Pro', to re-blend them
into the leather after the leather starts to stretch away from them. 'Wallbike' sells replacement
rivets. also, Brooks do have a service life. just because people like me get ten plus years of
them don't mean you will. slightly OT: how can you 'love' a saddle that abuses your ass?

 

[Tim McTeague]

Bob M wrote:
> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
> miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
> into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
> what'd you do?

I am suprised no one has advised you to get a seatpost with more setback. Take a look at the Easton
EC70. http://www.eastonbike.com/COMPONENTS/post.ec70.html I have a Brooks Swift and it felt pretty
good right off the bat. I had to move it pretty far back on my Easton post to avoid the issue you
have. But now, after several hundred miles the center is still very hard and brusing
me. My sit bones are happy and if I tilt the saddle to reduce the pressure I slide forward. Oh,
well. I am trying a Fizk Aliante and it is very comfotable so far.

Tim McTeague

 

[Bob M]

On 22 Sep 2003 06:15:40 -0700, B.C. Cletta <[email protected]> wrote:

> Bob M <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
>> miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
>> into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
>> what'd you do?
>
> which model? it's not uncommon to take a hammer to the rivets, esp 'Team Pro', to re-blend them
> into the leather after the leather starts to stretch away from them. 'Wallbike' sells replacement
> rivets. also, Brooks do have a service life. just because people like me get ten plus years of
> them don't mean you will. slightly OT: how can you 'love' a saddle that abuses your ass?
>

It never did until this weekend. I've ridden it 700-800 miles, about 4 months. Put it this way,
until this weekend, when I rode my old bike, I hated the saddle. And I used to like the saddle until
I bought the Brooks, which is on my new bike. I have the Brooks B-17 narrow.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

 

[Pat]

x-no-archive:yes

> > Try moving the saddle back further, so your sit bones sit on the leather portion of the saddle;
> > otherwise your experience can be quite riveting.
> >
>
> Thanks. Unfortunately, I can't move it further back. It's as far back as it goes (and I have a
> LeMond! On my Trek, I was in front of the pedal spindles, and this is with a set-back seatpost).
> The only thing I don't like about these saddles is that they don't go back far enough. It looks as
> if I'm off to find a wide saddle that will allow me to move the saddle back. This is a bummer, as
> this is my favorite saddle that I've ridden in 15 years or so.
>
>
> --
> Bob M in CT

I have read that the problem is the Brooks machinery in the nose area that makes Brooks alter the
shape of the rails, thus limiting the movement of the saddle backwards. I finally had to send mine
back to Wallbike, as I couldn't get comfortable even with a setback seatpost. Only thing I can think
of is look to see if there is a seatpost that has an even greater set back to
it....

Pat in TX

 

[B.C. Cletta]

> It never did until this weekend. I've ridden it 700-800 miles, about 4 months. Put it this way,
> until this weekend, when I rode my old bike, I hated the saddle. And I used to like the saddle
> until I bought the Brooks, which is on my new bike. I have the Brooks B-17 narrow.

IMHO, 800-mi is diddly squat in the Brooks world. while my butt don't complain too much w/ most
new Brooks, i don't really trust them until i have over 1000 miles on them. i hope you didn't use
one of the weird break-in methods people are fond of telling you to do to your $50-100 (plus)
saddle. i think a quick break-in leads to a quick leather break-down. consider giving the adj nut
a 1/4 turn. i think both WallBike & Harris writes on the dangers of the adj nut.

 

[Rb]

Another approach you could try is to put on a longer handlebar stem. That may move your body forward
a little, though it may compromise comfort a bit. Or the same for lowering the saddle's nose a
little. That puts more strain on the arms. I can sometimes feel the rivets on my Brooks B17 Standard
but it's not painful. I've had the saddle for 3 weeks and I find that as the seat breaks in, the
slight sag of the leather affects the overall stretch of my extended legs. So I move the seat
upwards to compensate.

r.b.

Bob M <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 22 Sep 2003 06:15:40 -0700, B.C. Cletta <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Bob M <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was
> >> 55 miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are
> >> pushing up into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience
> >> this? If so, what'd you do?
> >
> > which model? it's not uncommon to take a hammer to the rivets, esp 'Team Pro', to re-blend them
> > into the leather after the leather starts to stretch away from them. 'Wallbike' sells
> > replacement rivets. also, Brooks do have a service life. just because people like me get ten
> > plus years of them don't mean you will. slightly OT: how can you 'love' a saddle that abuses
> > your ass?
> >
>
> It never did until this weekend. I've ridden it 700-800 miles, about 4 months. Put it this way,
> until this weekend, when I rode my old bike, I hated the saddle. And I used to like the saddle
> until I bought the Brooks, which is on my new bike. I have the Brooks B-17 narrow.

 

[Bob M]

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 09:46:23 -0500, Pat <[email protected]> wrote:

> x-no-archive:yes
>
>> > Try moving the saddle back further, so your sit bones sit on the
>> leather
>> > portion of the saddle; otherwise your experience can be quite
>> riveting.
>> >
>>
>> Thanks. Unfortunately, I can't move it further back. It's as far back as it goes (and I have a
>> LeMond! On my Trek, I was in front of the pedal spindles, and this is with a set-back seatpost).
>> The only thing I don't like about these saddles is that they don't go back far enough. It looks
>> as if I'm off to find a wide saddle that will allow me to move the saddle back. This is a bummer,
>> as this is my favorite saddle that I've ridden in 15 years or so.
>>
>>
>> -- Bob M in CT
>
> I have read that the problem is the Brooks machinery in the nose area that makes Brooks alter the
> shape of the rails, thus limiting the movement of the saddle backwards. I finally had to send mine
> back to Wallbike, as I couldn't get comfortable even with a setback seatpost. Only thing I can
> think of is look to see if there is a seatpost that has an even greater set back to
> it....
>
> Pat in TX
>
>
>

Thanks, Pat. Darn it! I really like the saddle other than this. I guess I'm off to find wider
saddles (the LeMond I bought cames with what looks to be a pretty good saddle; I'll have to
give it a go).

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

 

[Bob M]

On 22 Sep 2003 12:29:46 -0700, B.C. Cletta <[email protected]> wrote:

>> It never did until this weekend. I've ridden it 700-800 miles, about 4 months. Put it this way,
>> until this weekend, when I rode my old bike, I hated the saddle. And I used to like the saddle
>> until I bought the Brooks, which is on my new bike. I have the Brooks B-17 narrow.
>
> IMHO, 800-mi is diddly squat in the Brooks world. while my butt don't complain too much w/ most
> new Brooks, i don't really trust them until i have over 1000 miles on them. i hope you didn't use
> one of the weird break-in methods people are fond of telling you to do to your $50-100 (plus)
> saddle. i think a quick break-in leads to a quick leather break-down. consider giving the adj nut
> a 1/4 turn. i think both WallBike & Harris writes on the dangers of the adj nut.
>

Actually, I didn't try any break in technique -- I thought the saddle felt great immediately.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

 

[Bob M]

On 22 Sep 2003 12:53:12 -0700, rb <[email protected]> wrote:

> Another approach you could try is to put on a longer handlebar stem. That may move your body
> forward a little, though it may compromise comfort a bit. Or the same for lowering the saddle's
> nose a little. That puts more strain on the arms. I can sometimes feel the rivets on my Brooks B17
> Standard but it's not painful. I've had the saddle for 3 weeks and I find that as the seat breaks
> in, the slight sag of the leather affects the overall stretch of my extended legs. So I move the
> seat upwards to compensate.
>
> r.b.
>

Thanks. I have this saddle on my LeMond, and I replaced the 110mm stem OEM on the LeMond with a
130mm stem. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to go to a normal saddle, as I can barely sit down today.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

 

[Peter Cole]

"Bob M" <[email protected]> wrote in message news[email protected]...
> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
> miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
> into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
> what'd you do?

I don't think the Brooks are long enough for a lot of riders. I tried a Pro & a B-17, and there just
didn't seem to be enough distance between the very hard nose and the very hard tail.

 

[Pat]

x-no-archive:yes

> "Bob M" <...
> > I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was
> > 55 miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit
so
> > far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up into my rear. I
have
> > some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so, what'd you do?
>
> I don't think the Brooks are long enough for a lot of riders. I tried a
Pro &
> a B-17, and there just didn't seem to be enough distance between the very
hard
> nose and the very hard tail.

"Peter Cole
>
Bingo! That was my experience as well. If only the nose wasn't like sitting on a block of concrete!

Pat in TX

 

[Bob M]

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 17:54:55 -0400, Tim McTeague <[email protected]> wrote:

> Bob M wrote:
>> I love my Brooks saddle, but I may will have to stop using it. I just finished a tour that was 55
>> miles yesterday and 60 miles today. I sit so far back on my Brooks that the rivets are pushing up
>> into my rear. I have some severe pain because of this. Anyone else ever experience this? If so,
>> what'd you do?
>
> I am suprised no one has advised you to get a seatpost with more setback. Take a look at the
> Easton EC70. http://www.eastonbike.com/COMPONENTS/post.ec70.html I have a Brooks Swift and it felt
> pretty good right off the bat. I had to move it pretty far back on my Easton post to avoid the
> issue you have. But now, after several hundred miles the center is still very hard and brusing
> me. My sit bones are happy and if I tilt the saddle to reduce the pressure I slide forward. Oh,
> well. I am trying a Fizk Aliante and it is very comfotable so far.
>
> Tim McTeague
>
>
>

Hi Tim, my LeMond already has a seat post with some amount of setback. On my Trek, I did buy a
seatpost with setback, but I couldn't push the Brooks back far enough. I'm bummed because the Brooks
is by far the most comfortable saddle -- other than the darn rivets -- I've ever used. Oh well, I'm
using the saddle that originally came with the LeMond, and I sit back on it, too. That's just how
long my femurs are.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply