question re twisted Brooks saddle

[Jim S.]

Hi all, I was wondering if any of you have ever had your Brooks saddle look like this:

twisted? I don't know what to call it, but it's not symmetrical. Is their a fix?

As always, thanks for your expertise.

[Joe Bernard]

I'm not familiar with that particular twist but all my Brookses eventually develop a leftward slide of the sideskirt, I guess my left leg is a smidge shorter and I - as Grant calls this phenomenon - "pedal left." I'll leave it to others to recommend a fix if there is one, my solution is to ride them as is because they keep working that way. 

Joe Bernard

[David Person]

It looks to me like the nose has rotated on the tension bolt.  Is this a result of tightening the tension bolt?  The back of the saddle looks normal.  Should look something like this.

On Monday, August 16, 2021 at 4:17:44 PM UTC-7 Jim S. wrote:

[David Person]

It's not real clear in my picture, but the metal part that is wrapped around the front of the rail is notched on the sides and sits on a metal plate riveted to the nose of the saddle.  I'm wondering if the left side notch (as view from riding position) has slipped off of the plate, allowing the nose to rotate.

[John G.]

Jim,

I've had this exact thing happen, but only on a Brooks Swift that got soaked a few too many times. My B17 Select and B17 Imperial do not have a similar twisting pattern. It looks weird, but it's pretty comfortable.

[Paul Clifton]

That's exactly what happened to mine and it was a beast to get the plate back where it needed to be. It didn't help that my tension bolt is seized.

I don't remember exactly what I did, but I think I ended up bending the plate out, so I could get it up on the lip and then squeezing it back together. Mostly used channel locks because that's what I had around, but man, it was brutal.

I can dig up my photos if needed, but yeah, my bet is that the metal plate needs to get back up on the lip.

Paul in AR

[Jim S.]

Thank you all for your helpful responses. Cyclist1959 (I'm sorry, I'm not seeing your given name or I would address you as such), your description is exactly the problem. I fiddled around with it - tried loosening the bolt, vice grips - yowza - it's stuck. I looked in vain for a YouTube video. I think I will send it in and make a warranty claim. It looks like you should register your Brooks Saddle when you buy one. I never have. Maybe I will from now on. 

Also, thank you for not correcting my (is it grammar or spelling?) when I wrote, "Is their a fix?"

[David Person]

Glad you sorted the issue.  Weird that my name does not show.  At any rate, It's David Person.

[Pat Smith]

My off brand Brooks (Cardiff) came that way. You can see the plate on either side of the tension bolt is rotated. I squeezed and rotated it with a pair of channel locks to get it back in place. Scratched up the leather a bit but at least it's straight. 

Pat in DC

[lconley]

Looks like an application for a pry bar or large screw driver to me.

Laing