Brooks Saddle

I used an leather Ideale saddle from my 1974 Motobecane Grand Jubilee touring bicycle for many years and many miles. It held up well. 

1974 Ideale French Leather Saddle

I used various different saddle on mountain bikes but when more long distance riding began again I went back to a Leather Saddle.  In 2009, I put a Honey color Brooks Flyer on my Surly Long Haul Trucker. 

Brooks Flyer Honey Color

It took a bit of breaking in but it was really comfortable after the break-in period. After about 2 years and 5,000 miles, I needed to adjust it.  It was starting to sag a little too much.   It was becoming a little less comfortable.

I was a little apprehensive to make the adjustment after reading a few articles.   But,  I had adjusted my old Ideale saddle with great results, so I thought that I would give adjusting the Brooks a try.   The worst thing that could happen was that I would ruin it.   And I would pay the price of stupidity by not only purchasing a new one but paying the price of having to break a new one in.

Enter the new Brooks wrench.

Brooks Saddle Wrench

I purchased a Brooks wrench to do the job.  With care, I gave the adjustment nut a quarter turn and noticed the leather coming back to shape.  I continued to make the adjustment a quarter turn at a time.  After about 4 quarter turns the leather looked much better with the sag removed.

I did a quick test ride and the saddle seems like new.

That process continued and I eventually had used all of the adjustment thread at about 30,000 miles.  

SO .. I wrapped the inter railing with two old tire tubes that worked great.  Yes, I loved that honey color Brooks Flyer saddle.

I also had a Brooks flyer on my Salsa Fargo, that I used for single track riding. After about 5,000 miles,  sold the Fargo but kept the Black Brooks Flyer. I eventually put the black Brooks Flyer on the Long Haul trucker and 'retired' the Honey Colored Brooks flyer... which now hangs in a special place in the garage.