I don't think you should get it all wet with water. That will break it in, but it will also age it prematurely. You might want to just try some old-fashioned padded bike shorts on your Brooks for the first 100 miles.
A recurring theme on this message board is that angle of saddle really matters. Have you tried measuring the angle with an iPhone level app? There is one built in to every iPhone. Perhaps try it angled (pointing up) between 0 and 7 degrees, adjusted and tried one degree at a time? Keep notes on what angle is most comfortable for you. Also you can use a sharpie on your seatpost clamp to draw the angle of adjustment (trace the clamp) once you have it dialed in. I just changed saddles on my main bike, changing one that I've had on there for about 7 years and thousands of miles to one that has mostly been sitting in a box. It was stiff for the first 100 miles but now it's just fine. I think it's angled up about 3 degrees. Good luck! If that doesn't work, try a used saddle from eBay like this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/405871744341?_skw=brooks+b17s&itmmeta=01JVMACDSHGE59KEZVQM5FGY9R&hash=item5e7fd75555%3Ag%3AjMAAAOSwpYZoJ4Us&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1dA2R5a2um04QzCzMI%2FX3HFrTdG2KkhFELK6cM5c6AyfzQmaXz0k766hF8IxzvLCtwrR7lOYRWWjGPfLBc3fmhgrKlUM3m5LvDKLOKqBMx5TfeO%2Fvir%2Fn5RnOh84g%2BT8ntFog0s0uXfNTM4CubsDbJNn1ifrqrXtrnKPQ3w95yoi2gvMsK5axJhWEGHD835Gl66g8nAnDe76BBvW0%2BsVe5OmDvt0KeB2%2BnxFEtFJuPwwO4RmQw4tNSf6LczkkA2DqhSWz9zW8t8OmXPKUifcYDcrx0y9pU1NMsEMk8tw73MAQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_rcsYrdZQ&keyword=brooks+b17s&sacat=0&relatedSearch=true&LH_ItemCondition=3000 If that doesn't work, just call Rivendell and buy one of the plastic saddles that they sell on the Clem completes. On Monday, May 19, 2025 at 8:16:48 AM UTC-4 Will Boericke wrote: > You could even soak the saddle and ride it with a plastic bag over it in > dry weather. Soaking it is how you reshape anyway, for vintage / > distressed saddles. > > Will > > On Monday, May 19, 2025 at 7:16:45 AM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: > >> Good morning on the day I go rogue with my stiff new Brooks B17s. I’ll >> report back after the experiments. >> >> Liz who will ride wet in Cincinnati >> >> On Monday, May 19, 2025 at 6:23:17 AM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: >> >>> I was just going to say: ride it in the rain. This will definitely >>> shape it faster. My buddy broke his B17 in on a weekend bikepacking trip >>> with a full day of riding in the pouring rain. It went from brand new to >>> perfectly formed over that day. >>> >>> Will near Boston >>> >>> On Monday, May 19, 2025 at 12:04:13 AM UTC-4 Jason Fuller wrote: >>> >>>> People will say this is a terrible idea, and they are probably right, >>>> but I left my bike locked up with my B17 back when I was in college, 2008, >>>> and we had an unexpected downpour right before I needed to ride. I had >>>> the >>>> saddle maybe six months at that point, not riding a ton so it was still >>>> not >>>> very broken in. It was soaked through when I rode it. It immediate >>>> conformed to my butt and was extremely comfortable from there on out. It's >>>> 2025 and that saddle is still going strong, no cracks or signs of wear >>>> really at all. I did have to tighten up the nut a bit after that happened >>>> but it's still got lots of adjustment left. I've been more careful since, >>>> keeping a Randi Jo cover on it when it's wet out, but I don't baby it nor >>>> do I proof hide it very often. I do store it inside where it's warm and >>>> dry >>>> though, that probably helps a lot >>>> >>>> [image: PXL_20250510_211503376.jpg] >>>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/fd937743-3baf-4793-bdf2-643f9a62e605n%40googlegroups.com.
