Experiment with a Short Saddle

13 Sunday Jan 2013

Tags

a. homer hilsen, B17, brooks, brooks b17, brooks Finesse, finesse, kent peterson

I always thought that a shorter “women’s” saddle should work great for the fellas. There is less nose to get in the way of your junk, right? I saw my chance to try one when Kent Peterson posted for sale a ti Brooks Finesse. I pounced thinking it would be a great way to try both a ti Brooks and a short nose saddle.

B17 on left, Finesse on right

It was a bit on the dry side, so I put a few coats of Proofide on it to soften it up a bit. The first thing I noticed is how nice the brown leather looks. It’s like having a nice piece of wood with unique grain. The copper rivets and nameplate were a nice match for my copper Hilsen, as well. The thing felt like it weighed about half of my normal B17 Special. All systems go!

Copper plate

The first few commutes dialed it in, and I found that I was getting similar comfort to the B17 I was used to. This saddle has more of a Team Pro shape, and I liked how it was easy to slip around on while riding. No sticky points. I really liked the shape – the sides are molded inward a bit more, and less apt to stick out and rub your thighs. The one area I wasn’t sure about was the nose. It seemed to pop up a bit more than I liked, and to get it to the angle I needed it at for my sit bones, I could feel the nose tip. This turned out to be the rub for me. I really didn’t like having that upward push happening further back than on the normal “men’s” saddles I ride. It wasn’t painful, just there. A good saddle is supposed to disappear beneath you…

First long ride

I ended up taking it on a longer ride (38 miles), and it was comfortable, but when I reached the finish, I decided it was time to end the experiment. I knew that after 100 miles, this slight bump would become a royal pain in the taint! No go. Oh well, it is a really nice saddle. I may hold on to it for a while and see if my wife or daughter find it to their liking. Next up – I’m going to try the Rivet Pearl (again) on a longer ride. I may have it just about dialed in this time, and the shape is superb!

Side view of the B17 – notice the longer flat nose

The Finesse is more of a bowl – less nose…

Notes on Fit

20 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

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Tags

bike fit, brooks b17, clipless shoes, cycling fit, health, iliopsoas, KOPS, saddle height, sore groin, transportation

I had been having a sore groin/hip for about a month, and while it was not too noticeable when I was riding, it wasn’t getting better. According to my doctor at a recent physical, it turns out it was a sore iliopsoas (inner hip muscle). It was starting to impede on my cycling activities, so I jumped at the chance for a referral to a PT who specializes in bike fit. I’ve been tweaking my fit for years, but never have I seen a “professional” before. According to the internet fit gurus I’ve consulted, I should have a 75-76cm saddle height based on my pubic bone height (87.5cm). Since I ride a Brooks B17, it is evidently hard to get this saddle back “far enough” for comfort. I’ve always measured it at the saddle nose to the center of the bottom bracket with a thread tied to a bolt (poor man’s plumb bob). As such, I had varied this between 65-85mm.

At the fit, he did two things that I haven’t thought much about. First, he moved my shoes out and straightened my right foot. I had always walked with my right toe pointing out slightly, and I set up my clipless shoes to angle out on the right a few degrees to make it similar to my gait. Second, he brought my seat down 5mm to 74.5cm, and forward 15mm putting it 55mm behind the bottom bracket. That was it. He had me on a pedestal with my bike mounted in a roller and watched my form after measuring the knee angles and knee over pedal spindle (classic KOPS). He also wanted to change my seat angle, but after I protested that it was pushing me forward into the bars, and he hopped on to check it, he agreed and we left it at a 7 degree angle up.

I didn’t think it would make a difference, but after commuting 66 miles this week, I seem to be over the sore psoas. My knee doesn’t hurt either. I thought having my foot straight would be a knee killer, but perhaps it was the other way round. I’ve set up my other active bikes to the same measurements, and everything feels pretty good. Now I need to get a 100-miler under the belt to see if this will stick. For now, I’m leaving it alone…