quilkin wrote:I've been very happy with my Brooks (Swift) for 3 years (3 two-week tours plus a few day rides) and was planning on a trip again next month. But yesterday the tension pin snapped and it now has to go back to Brooks for repair (£25) - seems it's v. difficult to repair these without special tools. A bit of Googling suggests I'm by far not the only one to have this problem. Anyway, glad it happened yesterday and not 1-2 days into my next trip. Not sure if I'll get the repaired unit back in time; if not it's back to the old cheap saddle
Hope you get it back in time. You might consider a Gilles Berthoud in preference to a Brooks next time, because they can be completely disassembled and rebuilt by yourself, using replacement bits if anything breaks.
I did get it back in time, but my decision to tour was delayed by cold wet weather in April so I left it until May, and have just returned. But the repaired saddle didn't feel 'right' and after four days I shortened my tour because it's just so uncomfortable and I'm getting saddle sore for the first time in years (last year the same saddle took me two weeks across France with zero problems). Seems like the repaired saddle is as stiff as a new one, and has lost all my 'moulding', and will need breaking in again with shorter day rides. On the other hand, I also recently hired bikes twice in Spain, with undefined (probably cheap) saddles and ridden each for a week without any discomfort. So I'm wondering about the point of the Brooks. It looks nice though.
Sorry your tour was cut short. It looks like the repaired saddle is just not ready for long rides. Brooks (and similar) leather saddles do have maintenance and breaking in issues that foam filled saddles don't have, so if you are lucky enough to be able to get comfortable on the foam ones I would say that is the way to go. Possibly cheaper too.
ChrisF wrote:I've been very happy with my Brooks (Swift) for 3 years (3 two-week tours plus a few day rides) and was planning on a trip again next month. But yesterday the tension pin snapped and it now has to go back to Brooks for repair (£25) - seems it's v. difficult to repair these without special tools. A bit of Googling suggests I'm by far not the only one to have this problem. Anyway, glad it happened yesterday and not 1-2 days into my next trip. Not sure if I'll get the repaired unit back in time; if not it's back to the old cheap saddle
This happened to my B17, but I managed to repair it myself, after getting a similar quote from Brooks. I bought a new nose bolt from SJS cycles in Bridgwater for about a fiver. The tricky bit is stretching the saddle enough to get it over the new nose bolt. I managed to do this using a flat screwdriver and the nose bolt as a fulcrum. Not easy but possible. I would also agree about the repaired saddle becoming "stiff". Mine used to sag quite a bit but is now rock hard again, even with the nosebolt not extended at all.
Spa Cycles Nidd saddle. All day. For months. Almost exactly the same as a Brook's B17, but half the price. I actually think the leather is a little thicker, so it took a bit longer to break in.
I avoided Brooks because I was worried about rain and outside storage when touring, but this spring bought a Cambium C17. Just back from a very wet 500mile tour, including a 150 mile day and completely happy with it - and no breaking in or worrying about wet leather, more comfy than the Rolls it replaced.
hayers wrote:I avoided Brooks because I was worried about rain and outside storage when touring, but this spring bought a Cambium C17. Just back from a very wet 500mile tour, including a 150 mile day and completely happy with it - and no breaking in or worrying about wet leather, more comfy than the Rolls it replaced.
I'm thinking of a C17 to replace a Rolls I'm not happy with. Maybe even the Carved version.
