Fifty Plus (50+) - new brooks

So as a reward to myself for existing, I purchased and installed on the bike a new Brooks B17n saddle. This after reading the multitude of glowing repts in many different forums and threads. I must rept that contrary to my expectations it does not fit like a glove. To this point the only dimples that I see are the ones I see in the mirror and I am not referring to dimples on my chin! Admittedly, I have less than 100 miles on the saddle and I'm still doing some tweaking. I have also ordered a Thomson elite seatpost both to help with the tweaking process and as another reward for existing. So I shall persevere with the hope that time and warmer weather, think spring, will cure all. Happy Thanksgiving to all-eat pie or die!

rck,
It takes some time and miles for the dimples to show. Over time, it will conform to you--or you to it! I put in over 1K miles on mine and then went back to my favorite plastic base saddle--Regal. Despite endless adjustments, retensionings, and some mild swearing, I could never quite get the tilt right, and it felt better on the hoods than in the drops, etc. Just my quirk. Most people seem to find them very comfy. Maybe I should have tried a slightly narrower Pro model.

A friend has been on his Brooks for, are you ready, 18 years. Its been laced and re-laced and has a surface that looks like last summer's roadkill. He loves it. So, hang in there and give it a long chance. You'll have to earn your cute little dimples. Don't forget Proofide or something similar for leather treatment.

***Please try to bring back a pic of Irma's cheese curds this weekend...be a nice change of pace from turkey leftovers. 8-)

I have a B-17 on my CX and it took about 400-500 miles for the dimples to form. I can spend 6 to 8 hours on it with no soreness at all.

I have a B-17 on my CX and it took about 400-500 miles for the dimples to form. I can spend 6 to 8 hours on it with no soreness at all.

I didn't like mine - it never got any better. I sold it and bought another saddle. Hope it works out for you...

Sheldon Brown has written extensively on leather saddles and in amongst the many words is an article on breaking in Brooks saddles.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/leather.html

I'm lucky enough that my butt doesn't object too much about the shape of a new Brooks saddle so I don't get tears in my eyes looking forward to breaking in a new one.

So as a reward to myself for existing, I purchased and installed on the bike a new Brooks B17n saddle. This after reading the multitude of glowing repts in many different forums and threads. I must rept that contrary to my expectations it does not fit like a glove. To this point the only dimples that I see are the ones I see in the mirror and I am not referring to dimples on my chin! Admittedly, I have less than 100 miles on the saddle and I'm still doing some tweaking. I have also ordered a Thomson elite seatpost both to help with the tweaking process and as another reward for existing. So I shall persevere with the hope that time and warmer weather, think spring, will cure all. Happy Thanksgiving to all-eat pie or die!

I never got used to mine. After 500+ miles, and a lot of adjusting, I couldn't make the numbness go away. I did llike a lot of things about the saddle, except for that. After those 500 miles, the dimples were just starting to show if you looked at it just right :) It was still hard as a rock though.

I finally gave up and bought a Specialized Alias which I still like a lot, but just recently switched to Specialized Toupe. I've got about 100 miles on the Toupe, all on the trainer, and so far, so good.

Goodluck Rck!

Steve

cheeseflavor, Your right about the hard as a rock part! Skipper and I both have toyed with the idea of the Specialized Alias. Any particular reason you switched to the Toupe?

cheeseflavor, Your right about the hard as a rock part! Skipper and I both have toyed with the idea of the Specialized Alias. Any particular reason you switched to the Toupe?

No good reason in this case. I like the Alias a lot and may ultimately end up going back to it. But, I like the "look" of the Toupe and the fact that it's smooth vs. the fabric inserts of the Alias. The smoothness was one of the things I really like about the Brooks, so I'm trying to find the best of both.

So far, I like the Toupe, but not sure I like it better than the Alias.

Take care,

Steve