Brooks saddle and bike shorts

[starfish]

I've recently bought a Brooks Imperial Carved saddle which is great. I wear lycra bike shorts and now feel as if I'm slip-sliding off the saddle. Any suggestions?

[Pat Lamb]

Not familiar with that model, but the Brooks I've bought were all a bit slippery at the beginning.  You'll want to make sure you've adjusted it correctly -- most if not all Brooks are finicky about getting the tilt just right.  Once you're balanced on the saddle, just keep riding.  The leather will adjust itself to you, and then you'll enjoy the lack of friction and chafing as you pedal.

[Old Guy New Hobby]

+1 on Pat's comment. Make sure especially that the saddle is level.

[RussSeaton]

Brand new Brooks saddles are slick and shiny.  New leather.  With use, sweat, the leather softens and get a bit more porous, rough.  You can speed this up by soaking the saddle in Neatsfoot oil.  The oil makes the leather more porous and rough.  I suppose to speed up the roughening part you could maybe even use light sandpaper on the saddle leather.  Just rough it up.  Not gouge it.  Take the sheen off.  Do in five minutes what it would take 1,000 miles of rubbing from your shorts.  The roughness would help you stick a bit better.  Look at the underside of your saddle.  It is rough.  Top is smooth and shiny.  Brooks puts the smooth shine on the saddle.  Its rough like the bottom when it comes off the cow.  Try to make the top a bit more like the underside of the saddle.  But use, oil, sweat will soften and roughen the saddle up.

[donald.stewart.92]

I've read on other forums that the nose of the saddle should be tilted up a little. That's how mine has been for 5+ years. Yes it takes a while but the slipperiness does wear off.

[paddleboy17]

Your saddle may be over tensioned.  There should be a hint of sag, from front to back.  You might also have someone check the fit, when the fit is "right" you tush will neutral for front to back movement.

You have a natural product, so your leather may just be a little harder than normal. Black saddles are harder than honey saddles, it is a function of the dye.  Once your butt forms those tell tale ruts, you will stop sliding around.

Most Brooks leather saddles should show signs of breaking in after 8 hours of riding.  I have owned 5 of them, and that is what 4 of them did.  I had a Team Pro that took all summer to break in.