For reference saddles are Brooks B17 and Gilles Berthound Aspinz
Both have been lubed up with leather conditioner which did soften them.
I have tried both saddles in what seems like every possible angle. Up, down, neutral. I’ve adjusted them multiple times, throughout the ride either going up more or more beautiful and they just haven’t been comfortable for me.
The Brooks gives me horrible perineum pain. The Gilles, better but just can’t get it comfy, even with padded shorts.
I am 5’9, 155lbs, 30” inseam. I feel like I have pretty normal proportions.
Disclaimer; neither have had enough miles to be “broken in” but the discomfort seriously limits my ability to ride I can’t go more than 10 miles without calling it quits
Thinking about giving up on leather saddles unless anyone has some tips I should try.
by analogshooter
12 Comments
It really is a matter of suffering through it until it softens up. Leather conditioner on both the top (and particularly) underneath and then put on the miles.
My B17 is by far the most comfortable saddle that I have, but it took a long time to get there.
I have a Vaya and I’m really similar proportions to you OP. I rode a brooks C15 for a while and it felt hard for a long time, got a C17 with the cutout and that was better, but honestly it just took a lot longer for my butt to get tough than I expected. It’s not a fitness thing, and I don’t know how many miles your butt has on it, but it just takes a long long time to get a desensitized butt. Also the Cambiums don’t care about getting wet and don’t need to be broken in like leather.
That Brooks looks brand new. It’s not broken in until you get at least 1000kms. Think of it like a baseball glove. A brand new glove is so stiff, you can barely catch a ball.
Maybe it’s because they are just very uncomfortable. You ass should not be constantly hurting. If you are going to ride for longer periods of time just get a very thick foam saddle. Gel saddles gets rock hard in freezing temperatures.
“You have to break them in”. Might work for some. At the end of the day, your ass is still gonna be sore.
Brooks = ass pain and street cred.
Foam saddle = ass heaven and no street cred.
I tried the Brooks B17. Felt like I was riding a baseball bat. I could not endure the pain to reach the promised land that others said I would.
Later I tried the Sella Anatomica. Way better on the breakin phase.
Might just not suit your sit bones. My B17 was comfortable out of the box and only got better on wearing in. I wear work shorts with no chamois.
I can’t speak to the other but the Brooks isn’t even remotely broken in yet.
the advice is to avoid getting leather saddles wet, but my berthoud broke in pretty much immediately after a commute in heavy rain with no mudguards in the first week i had it. i stuffed my extra socks under it to help it keep its shape. if you do this, just make sure you don’t adjust it while it’s still wet, and condition it well again
Brooks saddles are living off past glory. They aren’t what they used to be.
Just sell them and get something that works for you. I don’t get along with Brooks saddles but do with GB.
Look at the cranks and make sure they fit you. I spent time with 10s of saddles before I realized the issue was the crank arm length. I got short legs.
Have you tried angling them upwards slightly? Use a level and give it a slight upwards tilt.