Brooks saddles and sit bone question.

[chickendrumsticks]

I'd love to know who measures your sit bones. A very good friend I imagine?

 

[sawston_vulcan]

I'd love to know who measures your sit bones. A very good friend I imagine?

Do it yourself with either a piece of corrugated cardboard or aluminium foil or go to a swanky bike shop.

Full instructions on YouTube!

 

[bikeworkshop]

You may never know until you've ridden one. That's the ultimate test.

Used to be that a Brooks stockist could lend you a saddle - maybe a local dealer still has a loaner?

We had some demo cambiums (cambia?) when they came out - funnily enough one was stolen, and a regular customer of ours "bought" it back for us at the bristol bike jumble, because it had the shop details stamped in the bottom.

I'd have loved to get the sellers identity

Nose up is frequent on saggy later leather- saddles are designed to work horizontal, but the ultimate choice is the riders'

Some brooks owners try for years to get on with them, but never do.
Others wouldn't ride anything else.

 

[sawston_vulcan]

You may never know until you've ridden one. That's the ultimate test.

Used to be that a Brooks stockist could lend you a saddle - maybe a local dealer still has a loaner?

We had some demo cambiums (cambia?) when they came out - funnily enough one was stolen, and a regular customer of ours "bought" it back for us at the bristol bike jumble, because it had the shop details stamped in the bottom.

I'd have loved to get the sellers identity

Nose up is frequent on saggy later leather- saddles are designed to work horizontal, but the ultimate choice is the riders'

Some brooks owners try for years to get on with them, but never do.
Others wouldn't ride anything else.

No local Brooks dealers sadly and few places do loan saddles.

At least you got the saddle back…good of your regular customer to do that.

So try level for starters…if so where do you place your spirit level on the saddle to level it? Do you put a hardback book on the saddle from the front to back and place the spirit level on the book?

 

[bikeworkshop]

Line it up visually with a window sill or similar.

You could buy a good condition Brooks off eBay, ride it a few hundred miles and see if it's working for you, if not, sell it again and get most of your money back.
I've got a few in the shop.

 

[sawston_vulcan]

Line it up visually with a window sill or similar.

You could buy a good condition Brooks off eBay, ride it a few hundred miles and see if it's working for you, if not, sell it again and get most of your money back.
I've got a few in the shop.

So don’t use a spirit level?

I am currently trying to do that but what have you got in your shop???

 

[bikeworkshop]

I'll have a look next week.

The risk with a spirit level is that it must sit on specific high points of a saddle- not a problem on some though.

Be eyeing the saddle against a windowsill or similar
(indoors where the floor is level)
you get an overall view of how the saddle sits across its whole length.

As regards the used Brooks, sometimes they have taken a "print" of the former rider's backside, so the fewer signs of use the better, but then the higher the financial gamble.

 

[sawston_vulcan]

I'll have a look next week.

The risk with a spirit level is that it must sit on specific high points of a saddle- not a problem on some though.

Be eyeing the saddle against a windowsill or similar
(indoors where the floor is level)
you get an overall view of how the saddle sits across its whole length.

As regards the used Brooks, sometimes they have taken a "print" of the former rider's backside, so the fewer signs of use the better, but then the higher the financial gamble.

Thank you…I currently have a bid on a Swift on eBay that finishes a bit later today…I will let you know how that ends up.

Yes the more unmarked is the saddle the higher the price…which makes sense.

I have had a Brooks before a Team Pro…the saddle to sit on was comfortable but the skirt on my right side interfered with my hip and I had to stop using it…I am hoping the Swift which is narrower and more chamfered skirts won’t be a problem….Maybe a ‘butchered’ Pro might work…only problem…finding one !

 

[Gtpulse]

Apologies if teaching you to suck eggs but also make sure you’ve seen a picture of the underside of a used Brooks so you can see how much the adjustment bolt has been used.

 

[doctor-bond]

Apologies if teaching you to suck eggs but also make sure you’ve seen a picture of the underside of a used Brooks so you can see how much the adjustment bolt has been used.

Yep> check the bolt threads.