Is there a shortcut way to soften up my Brooks B17?

[meti...@gmail.com]

Friends, 

My Brooks B67S saddle…the wide saddle with springs…was squeaking so distractingly much  that I decided to try the B17S (no springs), and OUCH. So stiff! 

I had a B17 many years ago and don’t remember it being so stiff, but I rode lots more then and perhaps I broke it in quickly. My previous B17 was on my Atlantis, which is set up with mustache handlebars, so I wasn’t riding entirely upright…the new saddle is on my Platypus with Choco handlebars, so I sit more upright on it, and I have a feeling my sitbones hit differently on the Platy.

Anyway, I’m not getting any younger, and I wonder if there’s a cheating way to soften it up. I’ve been thinking of taking a mallet to it. 

Liz in Cincinnati

[mikel...@juno.com]

The B17 aged saddle has some give right out of the box

[Sally Bidleman]

Is it just the stiffness or is the shape different from your old B17? I don't find the B17S as comfortable as the standard B17...

On Sun, May 18, 2025 at 3:28 PM mikel...@juno.com <mikel...@juno.com> wrote:

The B17 aged saddle has some give right out of the box

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[Patrick Moore]

I gave up on leather (as opposed to leather covered plastic) saddles a decade and a half ago, but my experience with many different Brooks models and the stray Ideale and Fujita Belt was that if you chose the right shape of saddle and set it up properly, the saddle was already a metaphorical 90% of the way toward comfort. That applied even to the concrete-bus-stop-bench-like Fujita Belt saddle, shaped IIRC like a B17 narrow. Yes, some softening would have helped but it was the shape and position that made the most difference.

Patrick “original issue Flites, and nothing other than original issue Flites” Moore, who could never get the tilt just right on the otherwise impeccably comfortable Brooks Pro.

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[Eric Daume]

Switch it to a C17. 

I’ve never liked the leather Brooks saddles: hard, slippery, and uncomfortable. But I picked up a used C17, and it fixes all of those issues. The frame is much nicer as well—looks like a nice cast piece with saddle loops, vs the rough stamping of the B17. 

Eric

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[Mike Rossi]

I have a new saddle that I’m going to experiment with. I’ll loosen the tension bolt all the way. Then Proofide the underside. Then I‘ll massage and push around in the general vicinity of where my sit bones would be with a baseball for about 15 minutes or so every night for a week. I just started with it tonight, so I’ll keep you informed. 

The mallet sounds interesting, though.

Mike

On May 18, 2025, at 6:51 PM, Eric Daume <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

Switch it to a C17. 

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[meti...@gmail.com]

Well, heck. For some reason, I thought this might be an easy solve. 

Mike, I’ve never heard of an “aged” saddle, but I’m definitely checking it out.

Sally…I don’t know if my long-ago Brooks B17 was a short version or not. I’ll bet it wasn’t. Maybe that’s a big part of this because the saddle DOES feel a bit “off” for me. I immediately disliked it.

And Eric…for some reason I just can’t describe, I really want a leather saddle. It’s irrational. 

Is it a bad idea to buy a pre-owned saddle?

On Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 6:51:12 PM UTC-4 Eric Daume wrote:

Switch it to a C17. 

I’ve never liked the leather Brooks saddles: hard, slippery, and uncomfortable. But I picked up a used C17, and it fixes all of those issues. The frame is much nicer as well—looks like a nice cast piece with saddle loops, vs the rough stamping of the B17. 

Eric

On Sunday, May 18, 2025, meti...@gmail.com <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:

Friends, 

My Brooks B67S saddle…the wide saddle with springs…was squeaking so distractingly much  that I decided to try the B17S (no springs), and OUCH. So stiff! 

I had a B17 many years ago and don’t remember it being so stiff, but I rode lots more then and perhaps I broke it in quickly. My previous B17 was on my Atlantis, which is set up with mustache handlebars, so I wasn’t riding entirely upright…the new saddle is on my Platypus with Choco handlebars, so I sit more upright on it, and I have a feeling my sitbones hit differently on the Platy.

Anyway, I’m not getting any younger, and I wonder if there’s a cheating way to soften it up. I’ve been thinking of taking a mallet to it. 

Liz in Cincinnati

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[Joe Bernard]

I've owned a few pre-owned Brookses, they were great. Let someone else break 'em in! 

[Ted Durant]

On Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 4:35:13 PM UTC-5 meti...@gmail.com wrote:

Friends, 

My Brooks B67S saddle…the wide saddle with springs…was squeaking so distractingly much  that I decided to try the B17S (no springs), and OUCH. So stiff! 

I had a B17 many years ago and don’t remember it being so stiff, but I rode lots more then and perhaps I broke it in quickly. My previous B17 was on my Atlantis, which is set up with mustache handlebars, so I wasn’t riding entirely upright…the new saddle is on my Platypus with Choco handlebars, so I sit more upright on it, and I have a feeling my sitbones hit differently on the Platy.

This is a rabbit hole down which you can go on the 'net :-) As others have mentioned,  there are different versions B17, with different types of leather, some of which start out a bit more forgiving than others. My experience with the B17s sold by Rivendell over the years varied, most of them being pretty comfy from the start, one of them (the gray with titanium rails) taking longer. You note that your position is different, more upright. Lots of people find they need to tilt a B17 nose-up a fair amount for comfort with an upright position. The B17 is traditionally aimed at a more touring-oriented position, leaning forward a bit but not fully down in racing territory. For me, that translates to about a 45 degree angle between my back and the ground. I definitely found that if I use a B17 with an upright position, I have to tilt the nose up to properly position my rear end. 

As for softening the leather, being too aggressive with that will pretty dramatically shorten the life of the saddle. Of course, a long-lived saddle that's misery sounds like a terrible thing, so lots of people are willing to made a trade-off. I found that a few 2-hour rides on hot days made a lot of progress for me.

I also found, though, that for the position I mostly ride in, the B17 shape and dimensions isn't ideal for me. 

For an upright position, I'd be tempted to try the B67S again, and put a little medium-weight oil in the springs. 

Ted Durant

Milwaukee, WI USA

[Joe Bernard]

I do the 'nose up' thing on my bolt-upright bikes. This is a Flyer with springs, same shape as B17, it feels bizarre when you first hop on then all is good in a couple minutes. 

On Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 4:41:34 PM UTC-7 meti...@gmail.com wrote:

[Jason Fuller]

People will say this is a terrible idea, and they are probably right, but I left my bike locked up with my B17 back when I was in college, 2008, and we had an unexpected downpour right before I needed to ride.  I had the saddle maybe six months at that point, not riding a ton so it was still not very broken in.  It was soaked through when I rode it.  It immediate conformed to my butt and was extremely comfortable from there on out. It's 2025 and that saddle is still going strong, no cracks or signs of wear really at all.  I did have to tighten up the nut a bit after that happened but it's still got lots of adjustment left.  I've been more careful since, keeping a Randi Jo cover on it when it's wet out, but I don't baby it nor do I proof hide it very often. I do store it inside where it's warm and dry though, that probably helps a lot 

[Will Boericke]

I was just going to say: ride it in the rain.  This will definitely shape it faster.  My buddy broke his B17 in on a weekend bikepacking trip with a full day of riding in the pouring rain.  It went from brand new to perfectly formed over that day.

Will near Boston

[meti...@gmail.com]

Good morning on the day I go rogue with my stiff new Brooks B17s. I’ll report back after the experiments. 

Liz who will ride wet in Cincinnati

[Will Boericke]

You could even soak the saddle and ride it with a plastic bag over it in dry weather.  Soaking it is how you reshape anyway, for vintage / distressed saddles.

Will

[Michael Morrissey]

I don't think you should get it all wet with water. That will break it in, but it will also age it prematurely. You might want to just try some old-fashioned padded bike shorts on your Brooks for the first 100 miles.

A recurring theme on this message board is that angle of saddle really matters. Have you tried measuring the angle with an iPhone level app? There is one built in to every iPhone. Perhaps try it angled (pointing up) between 0 and 7 degrees, adjusted and tried one degree at a time? Keep notes on what angle is most comfortable for you. Also you can use a sharpie on your seatpost clamp to draw the angle of adjustment (trace the clamp) once you have it dialed in.

I just changed saddles on my main bike, changing one that I've had on there for about 7 years and thousands of miles to one that has mostly been sitting in a box. It was stiff for the first 100 miles but now it's just fine. I think it's angled up about 3 degrees. 

Good luck! 

If that doesn't work, try a used saddle from eBay like this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405871744341?_skw=brooks+b17s&itmmeta=01JVMACDSHGE59KEZVQM5FGY9R&hash=item5e7fd75555%3Ag%3AjMAAAOSwpYZoJ4Us&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1dA2R5a2um04QzCzMI%2FX3HFrTdG2KkhFELK6cM5c6AyfzQmaXz0k766hF8IxzvLCtwrR7lOYRWWjGPfLBc3fmhgrKlUM3m5LvDKLOKqBMx5TfeO%2Fvir%2Fn5RnOh84g%2BT8ntFog0s0uXfNTM4CubsDbJNn1ifrqrXtrnKPQ3w95yoi2gvMsK5axJhWEGHD835Gl66g8nAnDe76BBvW0%2BsVe5OmDvt0KeB2%2BnxFEtFJuPwwO4RmQw4tNSf6LczkkA2DqhSWz9zW8t8OmXPKUifcYDcrx0y9pU1NMsEMk8tw73MAQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_rcsYrdZQ&keyword=brooks+b17s&sacat=0&relatedSearch=true&LH_ItemCondition=3000

If that doesn't work, just call Rivendell and buy one of the plastic saddles that they sell on the Clem completes.

[Will Boericke]

The leather saddles on my commuters get wet almost weekly.  Both are 40+ years old (not all in my possession).  Still going strong.  A Brooks saddle is a sturdy beast - you don't need to baby it.

Will

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[meti...@gmail.com]

I soaked my saddle in a bucket of hot water for about 30 minutes…then I adjusted the tilt to about 8 degrees and headed off for a 30-minute hilly ride, and oh my goodness…it’s already so much more comfortable. I’ve slathered it—top and bottom—in mink oil, and now the bike/saddle is soaking in the sun. 

I plan to ride again for an hour this afternoon. 

If I’m happy with the results, I’ll stop there. If I’m not happy, I’ll do the same thing again tomorrow. 

Yes, I could be shortening its overall life, but hey.

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions! And if I’ve screwed anything up because of my knee-jerk actions, I’ll fess up. :)

Liz

[Jason Fuller]

Glad it has worked out (so far)! I'm confident it'll last a long long time after this - I think the issues arise when it stays wet, or is ridden wet repeatedly. As a tool for breaking in, seems great to me. Then again I soak my cast iron in soapy water sometimes, too - clearly I live dangerously! 

[Brian Forsee]

I'm also a fan of the 'leave it out in the rain a time or two' method of speeding up the break in process. It probably shortens the lifespan some but I am ok with that.

Brian

[EGNolan]

I ride a few different Brooks', the most comfortable ones are the vintage ones (a B17N and a B5N). I've had a newer B17 that broke in fairly easily just riding, but a B17N that just doesn't seem to want to form to me.

I remember an old Lon Haldeman (maybe from a Reader, maybe elsewhere, but Grant did some great interviews with him, he's an ultra long distance rider, FWIW) story about breaking them in this way. He'd soak them in water to break them in and then use oil from there on out. I doubt realistically it shortens the life much, but maybe...

Anyway, I'm tired of the B17N not fitting and don't want to keep it if it ain't gonna work, so I'm soaking it tonight and seeing what we can do!

Thanks for the info and unintentionally pushing me to do something.

Best,

Eric

[Jason Fuller]

Nice!  Since this discussion is leading to action, I should add the disclaimers:

- if it's good and soft, you'll want to sit and ride for only a very short period, just until it feels like it has relaxed under you, which might be mere moments on the bike 
- keep it warm and dry afterwards so it dries fully in a reasonable amount of time

[Manoucher Brahman]

Hi all

I have had three B17s and had softened them up using olive oil. When it is brand new it will take up 2 cups of olive oil in no time! I have done this each summer for the past 18 years. Unorthodox but works!

Sent from my iPhone

On May 19, 2025, at 1:34 PM, EGNolan <egn...@gmail.com> wrote:

I ride a few different Brooks', the most comfortable ones are the vintage ones (a B17N and a B5N). I've had a newer B17 that broke in fairly easily just riding, but a B17N that just doesn't seem to want to form to me.

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[meti...@gmail.com]

I rode approximately 15 miles today on my wet-then-oiled saddle, and it felt fantastic from the get go.

I’ll probably take a ride again tomorrow, but I don’t plan on soaking it again. I’m so happy! 

Liz, happy sitbones in Cincinnati

[Nick A.]

Happy to hear the results! I'd like to humbly posit that there really aren't rules, and whatever works for us works for us.

Fan of the Brooks saddles in Northern Virginia,

Nick A.

[Joe Bernard]

Yay Liz! I'm glad you found a solution 🙂 

[Tim]

HI Eric. You're right about Lon Haldeman. He has a Pactour blog and there's an entry about breaking in a leather saddle. It's still available. I have to laugh at this topic because I got my first Riv in 2011 as I became interested in a cross country ride, and had moved to leather saddles and was having a devil of a time breaking them in. I read Lon's blog and used his method. Be careful not to ride it too long when it's wet, as I apparently did, because it stretched and sagged badly. I was new in this group and reported my experience. I was just a young lad of 50 at the time and one of the group "old-timers" really berated me for doing that. I haven't seen him post in a long time so I hope he's still going strong, but he didn't have to be so mean about it. At 64 1/2 maybe I'm getting to be that grumpy old timer so I shouldn't throw stones. Damn whippersnappers! I broke in my first B17 in a while last September. I only use proofide now, but having only ridden B-17s since 2011 they break in easily. I ride a lot without padded shorts so if it's a little too hard I put some on for longer rides. One other note, I have to use the B17 Special, which has the hammered brass rivets, rather than the machine-set steel rivets in the Standard. I tried two of the standards and the furthest rivet to the left of the seat gave me a sore. My left cheek must have a little "princess and the pea" thing going I guess.

Peace, 

Tim

[Ted Durant]

On May 20, 2025, at 9:10 AM, 'Tim' via RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I tried two of the standards and the furthest rivet to the left of the seat gave me a sore. My left cheek must have a little "princess and the pea" thing going I guess.

+1

Not sure it’s the rivets. I got frequent sores on my left side with all my B17 saddles.

Ted Durant

Milwaukee WI USA

[Brian Turner]

TMI, but my ass sweats so much on rides in warm weather, I reckon that's why I've never really had an issue breaking in leather saddles.

I'm sure most of us here do this anyway, but if not, try putting a generous amount of Proofhide or Obenoufs on the underside of your leather saddle as well as on the top surface.

Brian

Lexington, KY

[Ted Durant]

> On May 20, 2025, at 9:35 AM, Brian Turner <brok...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> TMI, but my ass sweats so much on rides in warm weather, I reckon that's why I've never really had an issue breaking in leather saddles.

LOL. That’s what is “behind” my recommendation to go for a few rides in hot weather. :-)

Ted Durant
Milwaukee, WI

[Steven Ayers]

The proofide under the saddle is the key. Slather it on and don’t wipe it off. Only wipe it off of the top after letting it chill for 20 or so minutes. 

I second Brian’s method of just sweating. 😅 

-Steve

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[Matthew Rebmann]

Leave it in the sun on a hot day or warm it up with a blow dryer, hit the bottom with a bunch of conditioner (proofide or obenauf's etc.) and put it in the sun again/warm it up with the blow dryer again. Do some "chest compressions" while it's nice and warm with goop on the underside and also ride it on those hot days. You'll be surprised how fast it breaks in.

[Doug Van Cleve]

Yikes!

I’ve been mostly riding B17s since 1999, and I would suggest that if a new one is not reasonably comfortable for you, a broken in one probably won’t be either.  A few random thoughts…  I have only had one soaked once, caught in some pretty good rain and no choice but to finish the ride.  I dried it as best I could when I got home and let it dry out indoors.  Pretty sure I Proofided it again after that.  I think in the modern era, leather products containing animal oils/fats are not recommended.  I’m a beefy boy, never under 200 lbs., plenty of my riding has been toasty (Chandler, AZ) and I have never touched the tension bolts on any of mine.  I use Obenaufs now, I give the underside of a new saddle a thorough bottom coat and a light top coat.  Probably once a year or so, I’ll redo the top. My opinion is that once it’s broken in, putting more on the bottom is likely to soften it up more than the ideal amount.  I personally wouldn’t force the break in, Brooks’ are too expensive to abuse…

Doug

[Eric Marth]

Hi Liz — Have you tried to address the squeak in the springs of your B67? As Ted suggests, a little wax or grease could go a long way towards addressing that, if you liked the fit and comfort of the saddle. I'm sure there's a thread in here somewhere addressing Brooks spring squeak and oiling. 

I'm glad you have a better fit with the B17 after soaking! Seems a few have good experience with various methods. I got caught in a thunderstorm in April riding a new Berthou Aravis and got soaked, the saddle shaped to my butt in about 10 miles. Wouldn't have done that on purpose, I liked how the saddle was breaking in. 

Here's a link to Lon's soaking method, mentioned by Eric N. above:

https://pactour.blogspot.com/2011/01/breaking-in-leather-saddle.html

The most comfortable saddle I ever had was a Selle Anatomica but I absolutely hated the way it looked so... bye bye. I owned a Brooks Team Pro saddle from the 70s, the leather was suuuper heavy and thick, much thicker than the B17. Got rid of that one quickly. In my experience the Berthoud saddles fit me better than the Brooks. The rivet placement and the shape of the rails along the back edge better fit the shape of my sit bones. 

Regarding "aged" saddles: Doesn't Brooks offer a "pre-softened" saddle in their lineup? 

I've purchased (and sold) many used Brooks saddles over the years and have no complaints. 

[Sally Bidleman]

Agree with Eric on the Berthoud; I have a Berthoud Aspin (open) and it is really nice!

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[ascpgh]

Having lived places with hot and HUMID summers, I too have sweat saddles wet and incidentally accomplished the break in function. On my Trans-Am ride I had to judge when to put my saddle cover on just to give my Rambouillet's B-17 Special (hammered flat copper rivets) a break because it hadn't fully dried from the previous day's hot, humid sweat wetness. 

While in KY I worked for a supplier to the equine industry and the leather shop produced all sorts of tack for horses and their handling. The final step for all of the leather goods, being for show, sales or training, was a dip in mineral oil to produce that dark brown coloration, weather proofness and pliability that would fit quickly without reducing strength or stretching. The leather master himself loaded the hooks, lowered items into the drum of mineral oil and took responsibility for the duration of the dip so the oil didn't go too deeply into the leather. This as a saddle break in method would be tricky, let it soak in too much and you might get a saggy outcome if you ride it too much. Let it be out in the sun and the mineral oil will eventually evaporate. 

I have a RIvet Cycle Works saddle now and I can say that the fit of the saddle is important. Breaking in can either optimize that or cause a saddle to sag to less than optimal, I found that true of the leather saddles of later B-17s right after Brooks was bought, those broke in too much and sagged past ideal fit. If your saddle fits, its hardness matters much less. The flesh covering your sit bones does need time to break in (toughen up) with a new saddle too, even a new one of the same model you've used forever. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh