Breaking in a Brooks Saddle | CycleChat Cycling Forum (2024)

The only issue with breaking in a Brooks by riding alone is that they have quite a hard "spine" where the holes are and some (including me) find that really uncomfortable. I was bearing too much weight directly on my perenium which was causing numbness, and my sit bones weren't taking enough of the load.
One of the members here (Jayoclock) recommended Flexalan horse tack dressing. You take the saddle off, paint it with flexalan on the underside until it soaks right in (some of it may soak through to the saddle upper, but that's fine). Then put on clean socks, bend the saddle "wings" out so the saddle is flattened out with it being oriented right way up, and then press the saddle onto the ground, and stand on the spine of the saddle. You'll feel that spine start to give a little as you work it with your foot (and your full weight) on it. Do it for about 10-20 minutes.

Allow the saddle to dry naturally and it'll be much softer in that area particularly, (although it'll still be firm).

Proofhide is largely a waste of time for softening, it's just neutral shoe wax which is fine for protecting the leather if that's what you want to do.

I've had variously a couple of B17, a swift and a team Pro. Both B17s were comfy from the off, the Team Pro even more so, but the Swift was a bit hard and it was a year or two before it got to "OK"

Moral of the story is you want the Brooks saddle that suits you, then you don't need to bother about breaking them in nor any secret potions

Hanlon said:

I'm fitting a brand new black Brooks Swift saddle to my restored Holdsworth Mistral and must confess I've never owned a Brooks.........would be very grateful for advice on any pre-treatment to the leather that will improve water resistance and perhaps help "break in." I've a horrible feeling the Brooks will be a lot tougher than the tender areas that come into contact with it - so any experienced guidance is most welcome, along with any advice on keeping it in good order (the saddle that is !) Thanks Chaps

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Give it to some one else to break in. Get yourself a comfatable saddle and ride your bike.👍🤔🤣

numbnu*ts said:

I loved the way it looked........my arse hated every minutes of it

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Erm, you're supposed to sit upon it, not insert it

Be careful on the tension, I would leave it alone for quite some time.

I bought a Rivett Diablo (leather saddle, good price on eBay ) and found it bloody uncomfortable, it took me a while to realise that the previous owner had slackened it off a lot. Once I tightened it up, quite a lot, it felt lovely - seems counterintuitive, but firm is better

I also have a couple of B17's and they feel fine - nose up a bit.

carpenter said:

Be careful on the tension, I would leave it alone for quite some time.

I bought a Rivett Diablo (leather saddle, good price on eBay ) and found it bloody uncomfortable, it took me a while to realise that the previous owner had slackened it off a lot. Once I tightened it up, quite a lot, it felt lovely - seems counterintuitive, but firm is better

I also have a couple of B17's and they feel fine - nose up a bit.

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B67 on my Pashley, also find nose up a bit is comfortable

Lots of things about cycling years ago are a bit crap in my opinion e.g. wool shorts, ever ready battery lights and ...............B17 leather saddles. I gave up with mine after two years. Saddle 1 , me 0.

Far better options out there. Stuck with their product range however, using the Cambium saddle which I find very comfortable straight out of the box.