Commuting - First 20 miles on New Brooks Saddle

After much anticipation, I just put the first 20 mile on my beautiful new Brooks B17 Champion Ti, and I survived! In fact, it didn't hurt. I am really surprised cause that thing is hard as a rock to the touch, and I have had trouble with other saddles. It's also nicely shaped and very easy to move around on. If it just keeps getting better like some say, I may have found saddle utopia.

You have.

Wait until you do a century and your butt is the only thing that doesn't hurt!!

Long live Brooks !!!

Pardon my ignorance but just what about the brooks saddles make them so great? Strictly going by looks they do not look comfortable at all. Is the fact that they'll mold to fit your body what makes them so great?

Inquiring minds want to know! :)

Zack

Most saddles are designed to fit an ISO standard butt (or the wider ASA standard butt). Brooks saddles , available in narrow or wide to start with, then mould themselves to the owner to give a precise fit.
The tensioned leather hammock is a very effective shock absorber. The material may appear hard when you press it with your thumb, but it is designed to work with the full weight of an adult male.
The material can breath, and the coefficient of friction of a well used Brooks is ideal for the purpose, so you dont slide all over, or get "stuck" in one position.

Brooks' Try it, you'll love it, in fact you'll never ride anything else. If ya ride your bike, Brooks saddles are the way to go and go and go.

hope mine gets here tomorrow.

I found that that my comfort level was great right out-of-the-box with my Brooks saddle. Never sore, never hot. Great products are fun to find!

How have you all found the Brooks to be for "numb nuts"? The way everyone is talking this may be the way I go if they can cure this problem.

I ride only BROOKS, have massive rpoblems with my heart, but the only "male trouble" is the same one I had when I was 16!:p

Can you ride a brooks saddle in a rainy climate? What is the care and feeding of these beasts?

To the question regarding "numb nuts" - It's my opinion/understanding that this is frequently caused by having the front-to-back angle incorrect for your personal shape. Try tipping the seat a degree or two.

Ypu also want to make sure you're sitting on your bones, and not your soft tissues.

Good luck

I am familiar with the Oregon climate, lived there for many years. I bought a cover for my saddle, which covers everything with a very small opening around the post, I am sure that would be more than adequate protection in Oregon. They also sell compound which will soften and protect the leather from drying out and hardening: "Brooks Proofide leather saddle treatment". Mink oil or other leather seat preservatives will also protect it, together with the saddle cover, however there is a lot of contraversy about what is appropriate to use as far as preservative compound. I boutht mine at St. John Street Cycle (www.sjscycles.com), but it is available on many web sites. Never saw any at bike shops though. My butt did hurt at first, however.

the BROOKS is made from the same kind of leather a horse saddle is made from. You got to oil them occasionally and ride them often and they will out last you.

Well, I ordered my Brooks saddle today...a Team Pro. Hope it gets here soon to put on my new commuter on Saturday. Looking forward to this weekend.:) :)

This thread reminded me of when I got my Brooks. I was riding from MA to Indiana to meet my girfreind, now wife. I made it to Fort Wayne, but had decided that it was time for a Brooks after going the gel pad route and realizing that more padding was worse than less padding. So I got my nice new Brooks and rode 80 miles the next day and felt great.

The next morning I got up thinking I would cover another 80 miles. After fifteen miles i could barely pedal or even walk. Fortunately I was near a state park and was able to camp for night. In all my years of cycling I was never in more pain. But, not really having the opportunity to take a few days off I was back at it the next day and while I was a little sore, that saddle carried me thousands of miles in comfort after that.

So, even if you do have some pain breaking the thing in, it will not last and you will be very happy you got a Brooks.

Amen