Weird sideways tilt on a brooks professional...any guesses?

[Andrew Turner]

So I was installing wider tires on my dad's Rambouillet and I noticed his saddle had a really wonky sideways tilt to it. And then I remembered him telling me on multiple occasions that one foot would always go numb on him after a few miles, but I always marked it up to improper saddle height. That is until now. I'm thinking this is what's causing it. Below's a photo of what I'm seeing: 

It looks worse in real life. Has anyone experienced this? 

Most of the bike's life is spent hanging up as you see below, which does put pressure on the tension bolt of the saddle but is it enough to really bend the rails that much? 

Really just interested in any ideas or if this isn't the first time someone has seen this, maybe his rump is also just a little crooked! 

Cheers, 

Andrew

[Joe Bernard]

I think you're right about improper saddle height, which is leading to the exaggerated tilt to the leather (I don't think it's the rails) and his numb foot. I have a slightly shorter left leg and my saddles get a lesser version of this tilt as well; what I think is happening is your dad is stretching too far to get his right foot on the pedal which is causing both problems. 

[lconley]

I may have been that way since day one. I had a Brooks B-72 that was a little off from the start. Some leverage can be applied to straighten it out.

Laing

Delray Beach FL

[James Valiensi]

HI,

Well used Brooks Saddles are never symmetrical and perfectly flat across the top.

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[Andrew Turner]

This is good info. One of his legs is longer than the other so I could see how that could add a tilt to a saddle. Joe, do you have any fit suggestions for different length legs? 

[Benz Ouyang, Sunnyvale, CA]

I'm not Joe, and I don't have legs asymmetrical enough to require action; but I've seen people get fitted with spacers in between shoe and cleat, to make up length for the shorter leg. Obviously, this will require clipless pedals and I don't know if your dad rides with them.

[Joe Bernard]

What Benz said. I use flat pedals and running shoes and drop the saddle low enough to match my short leg so I don't have any input on fixing the issue. My saddles get sideways and I keep riding!

[joe]

Definitely have a similar tilt to both my current Brooks b17. One saddle actually has a bent rail from a trip over the bars but I really don't notice the asymmetry when riding

[dane...@gmail.com]

Hey!

I have a leg length discrepancy of about 10-15mm.  Ive tried different things but im currently riding a 165mm crank for my shorter leg and a 177mm crank for my longer leg (Rene Herse Cranks).  Ive only experimented with this on one bike which I ride clipless.  I also always have the saddle problem with a tilt or one side of the leather having a much bigger dent from the sit bone than the other.   I notice if I ride with the same length cranks and flat pedals I always pedal almost mid foot position on the longer leg and more ball of foot on the shorter leg.  Which is my bodies attempt at correcting the issue.  My discrepancy is in my femur from an accident when I was younger. 

-Dan 

New Jeruz

[Paul Clifton]

This little problem took me an embarrassingly long time to identify, and it caused a tilt like in your image. There is a shelf little shelf on the side of the part that connects the tension bolt to the rails. The skirt from the tension bolt head is supposed to sit on it. I used some pliers and a pry bar to get it back in position and squeeze it back into shape.

I guess I went over too many big bumps and it slipped off. I noticed my saddle feeling soft and a sore knee/hip on one side after riding. I suspect you've checked for damage, but just mentioning this because it took me a while to notice this.

Paul in AR

[Michael Morrissey]

You might want to pick up some Nite-Ize rubberized bungees to help you hang that bike a little bit more delicately. Also you may want to put some leather conditioner on the brooks to see if it can be adjusted more smoothly. Just some suggestions. Good luck. 

m