Squeaky saddles…

As my friends know, I ride a variety of Brooks Saddles (specifically the B-17 shape in a variety of models). Well…the one on my Friday squeaks and creaks a bit (a lot really). Sometimes it’s a comforting sound, sometimes it makes me nuts.
The one I have on my Friday is older, I’ve had it since just after I got the Friday back in 2008 I think. It’s definitely broken in, sometimes I think perhaps a bit too much, but it does fit like a glove if one wore a glove on one’s…ummm…perhaps not the best analogy.
So…what to do?
First I decided I’d oil the areas where the metal frame contacted the leather. It seemed to help for about 50-100 yards. Okay, maybe not the problem.
Next I decided I’d try the C-17 saddle I was entrusted with by Brooks. Well it’s not really as comfortable as this old leather model but it is comfortable enough, I’ve ridden long distances on it. Sadly, though it didn’t creak on my Rivendells, it did on my Friday.
Maybe the seatpost. Okay, I had an extra 350mm seatpost (need long ones for Fridays in general). I made the swap and discovered that the new 350mm seatpost is about 10mm shorter than my old 350mm seatpost. Really? How the heck? As it turns out the post is the same length but the head that hold the saddle is designed differently and that makes it ever so much shorter. In fact I was now at the limit for the post…any further out and I’d be above the safety line. Not a good thing as this can damage the bike frame. With a Friday it wouldn’t be the end of the world (assuming it failed slowly and without hurting me) as it fits into another post that can be removed and hence, replaced. But still this didn’t really seem to be the answer.
Then I realized that the old seatpost really is old, the teeth that allow adjustments in angle are worn down (actually they have been for sometime, I’d just really wrenched down on the bolt till everything held). So what to do?
Okay, I needed to use the new seatpost which works fine when I wear my sandals. However with the added padding in my walking shoes I’m a wee bit to low. I can’t raise the seatpost because I’d then be over the safety line…
New seatpost. That’s what I needed. I needed a 400mm seatpost. And, sadly, I need one in the slightly odd size of 28.6. There just aren’t a lot of choices out there and none of them would ship soon. Rats.
Then I realized I could use a 27.2 post with a shim from 27.2 to 28.6. Now there’s an under $10 solution to the problem. But I still needed something quick. Amazon is usually good for this sort of stuff…but they use outside sources for many bike things and that would hold shipping up for 2 to 3 days and that means I wouldn’t have my stuff till after my plane leaves.
Enter Universal Cycles. They seem to be a big place with several locations and a huge selection. They had all the bits and pieces I needed, at a good price, and, with a little extra shipping fee, a delivery date of this coming Friday.
Whew…
But ya know…this isn’t going to solve my problem. I’ll bet that when push comes to shove, no matter which of my saddles I use, and I do lean towards the old one), it’ll squeak. Yep. No doubt.
Well that’s okay. I’m used to it at this point.
The moral of the story is twofold: Don’t fix what ain’t broke…and never put off ordering parts till tomorrow when you can order them weeks before RAGBRAI. Sigh.