Originally Posted by
jethro56
I have a b17 and a B17 Flyer (sprung) I prefer the straight B17. When you hit a bump with the flyer You move up and down 3-4 times at about 1/2 second cycles and it messes up my cadence.Doesn't matter which bike I put it on. Also you have to adjust the nose down so that when you sit and compress the springs it is level. So when you sit down you have to slide back each time to get the correct for and aft position.
I agree with this 99%. On my distance-riding Surly, where I ride with a bit of a hunch, the sprung Brooks and Velo Orange Flyer/B17 I've tried have driven me crazy with the bouncing...even when my cadence gets too high on a smooth surface I would start to boing.
However, while the unsprung VO Model 3 has turned out being perfection for the Surly (you have to abuse these saddles to break them in, but the shoulders seem more rounded and ergonomic...chafing is a memory, which I can't say for the Brooks I've ridden), I moved the sprung Model 5 over to my extremely-upright Schwinn MTB/commuter cargo wagon, and there's very little bouncing, just supreme comfort. The straighter your back, the better the sprung saddles work, probably because you're putting much more of a compression preload on the springs with the extra weight.