Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - brooks saddles

nice new forum. getting to the point .. i can be a member of this one but only by a little bit. avg weight 215lbs

i noticed from the pics that brooks saddles seem to be a favortie saddle for bigger people. any reason why?



lbs mechanic racer (kid who i like) took a look at my new litespeed and said wow .. this could be a sub 14 bike if you dumped that brooks saddle and bought a pair of look peadles that didnt look like legos or were at least made in the last 10 years.

I said keep your eyes pealed for peadles but the brooks is staying.

nice new forum. getting to the point .. i can be a member of this one but only by a little bit. avg weight 215lbs

i noticed from the pics that brooks saddles seem to be a favortie saddle for bigger people. any reason why?



lbs mechanic racer (kid who i like) took a look at my new lightspeed and said wow .. this could be a sub 14 bike if you dumped that brooks saddle and bought a pair of look peadles that didnt look like legos or were at least made in the last 10 years.

I said keep your eyes pealed for peadles but the brooks is staying.

The Brooks is a better saddle I have 5 of them on five different bikes and you can tell your lbs mechanic that comfort matters more than weight any day of the week and that includes the pedals. When you figure the actual weight percentage difference of shaving a pound off your bike, its really very small when you add your weight to the equation. Something in the order of less than 1/2 of a percent. Heck I've visited the john and lost more! Riding in comfort is waaayyy more important as far as riding long and hard is concerned.

nice new forum. getting to the point .. i can be a member of this one but only by a little bit. avg weight 215lbs

i noticed from the pics that brooks saddles seem to be a favortie saddle for bigger people. any reason why?



lbs mechanic racer (kid who i like) took a look at my new lightspeed and said wow .. this could be a sub 14 bike if you dumped that brooks saddle and bought a pair of look peadles that didnt look like legos or were at least made in the last 10 years.

I said keep your eyes pealed for peadles but the brooks is staying.

I put a Specialized Alias on the bike about a month ago. It's reasonably light and once I had it dialed it in it's been comfortable. Couple that alias with a pair of Voler shorts with the Ion pad and you have an all day solution.. I imagine a toupe would probably be as comfortable, but would only weigh in around 150g.

As for the look pedals, I can only imagne he's talking about the keo looks which are pretty popular. However I believe they have a weight limit of 185lbs, so maybe they're not the right solution for you.

Oh, speaking of the voler shorts.. Hammer nutrition (www.hammernutrition.com) has the voler shorts with the ion pad for $40. Granted, they're advertising for hammer, but that's the best price I've been able to find for these shorts. Check the fit guide before going crazy and ordering a ton..

I have the B-33 Bomber http://www.velorution.biz/images/brooks_b33_black_l.jpg
My old padded seat gave me aches and sores. The Brooks supports your sitbones and provides a bit of air circulation to prevent saddle sores.

A friend loaned me an old Schwinn World Sport to try out. It had a well broken in B17 on it. The back of the seat felt great but the front about killed me. I couldn't find the right angle, if the front was up it hurt me, if the front was down I would keep sliding forward and it would hurt me. I road it about 35 miles altogether and ended up with a big sore where the sun don't shine. I have only found happiness on saddles with the cutout in the center.

lbs mechanic racer (kid who i like) took a look at my new lightspeed and said wow .. this could be a sub 14 bike if you dumped that brooks saddle and bought a pair of look peadles that didnt look like legos or were at least made in the last 10 years.

I said keep your eyes pealed for peadles but the brooks is staying.

What matters more to you: a sub 14-lbs bike (though that is likely an overstatement) or a bike with a saddle you find comfortable? You made the right choice, IMO.

As for the pedals, probikekit.com has a ripping good deal on Look Keo Carbons ($125 including shipping, almost half off of Performance).

if weight is a big concern and cost isn't, you can always get a ti railed Brooks Swift, Swallow or Team Pro - kinda like having your cake and eating it too. ;)

do clydes really car about the weight of their bike?
all of my commuter hav weighed no less than 35lbs
I'd ratherhave the weight off my ass than my bike

A friend loaned me an old Schwinn World Sport to try out. It had a well broken in B17 on it. The back of the seat felt great but the front about killed me. I couldn't find the right angle, if the front was up it hurt me, if the front was down I would keep sliding forward and it would hurt me. I road it about 35 miles altogether and ended up with a big sore where the sun don't shine. I have only found happiness on saddles with the cutout in the center.
That well broken in Brooks was well broken in for someone else's keister though!

I've used several Brooks saddles (at weights varying from 265 to 285). Within two weeks, all of them sagged to the point where they were useless with bowed-out side flaps. Tightening the tension, front-to-rear, only made a stress ridge down the center of the saddle, causing excessive pressure on the perineum. BOOOOOOOOO for Brooks from my perspective.

I prefer saddles with a perineal cutout and a slight bit of padding. Your bottom may disagree.

Brooks saddles are more popular than not, so my opinion is in the minority. My experience, however, is what it is.

[QUOTE=barba]What matters more to you: a sub 14-lbs bike (though that is likely an overstatement) or a bike with a saddle you find comfortable? You made the right choice, IMO.QUOTE]

that was kind of my point i would be much happer not being a member of this group than spending the cash on the upgrades (yes 14lbs is a overstatemnt) .. I bought the litespeed b/c it is comparable to carbon and longer lasting with the joy of a good steel bike. (and it rides so nice its like a rocketship compaired to my trek 2300)

More power to anyone who loves them, but I don't think I'm sold on them at the moment. I've got a Brooks B17N that I've switched on-and-off the bike for a little while... I may not have given it enough time to break in, but it bruises my sitbones after about an hour and I felt a bit like I was getting bucked off whenever I hit an unexpected bump.

Just bought a Ti railed Aliante off of ebay, and so far am loving it. Haven't taken it out for more than an hour or two at a time over the weekend, but it felt like a piece of alright to my nether regions. YMMV...

It's not worth getting rid of a comfortable saddle that fits you right simply to save a little bit of weight, but they may not work for everyone either. I'm not giving up on mine yet, but I'm also not going to ride on it today :)

More power to anyone who loves them, but I don't think I'm sold on them at the moment. I've got a Brooks B17N that I've switched on-and-off the bike for a little while... I may not have given it enough time to break in, but it bruises my sitbones after about an hour and I felt a bit like I was getting bucked off whenever I hit an unexpected bump.

Just bought a Ti railed Aliante off of ebay, and so far am loving it. Haven't taken it out for more than an hour or two at a time over the weekend, but it felt like a piece of alright to my nether regions. YMMV...

It's not worth getting rid of a comfortable saddle that fits you right simply to save a little bit of weight, but they may not work for everyone either. I'm not giving up on mine yet, but I'm also not going to ride on it today :)

Alot of short, five to ten mile rides and not too much proofhide will break in the leather properly. A leather saddle is simular to a pair of quality work boots......once they are broken in to your body, there is nothing quite as comfortable. Just don't rush the break in process and ruin the leather and don't ride it wet or leave it out in the rain, unprotected.

Right now I'm going to have a hard time taking the aliante off the bike, to be honest... but the plan was effectively to alternate until the brooks broke in.

I proofided it a couple of times when I got it, and have now left it completely alone. If I find the Fizik starts feeling lousy on long rides I'll commit myself more to breaking in the brooks but for the time being it's the happiest I've been with any saddle.

My Swift weighs 337g actual. What's that, 60-100g more than some of the others mentioned here? Keep in mind that a full 500ml water bottle weighs 1.5 lbs (about 680g).

If it doesn't work on the long road, it ain't worth diddly.

Might want to drop the people at Selle-Anatomica (http://www.selleanatomica.com/index.html)a email. They asked my "riding" weight before I ordered and my saddle is excellent! They put some extra support under the sides and the cutout is great. Mind you the leather saddle is going to be way cooler than a plastic saddle anyway. I know they have grown quite abit, but were very good to help with my needs. My butt is finally happy!:D

Best, John


I've used several Brooks saddles (at weights varying from 265 to 285). Within two weeks, all of them sagged to the point where they were useless with bowed-out side flaps. Tightening the tension, front-to-rear, only made a stress ridge down the center of the saddle, causing excessive pressure on the perineum. BOOOOOOOOO for Brooks from my perspective.
I prefer saddles with a perineal cutout and a slight bit of padding. Your bottom may disagree.
Brooks saddles are more popular than not, so my opinion is in the minority. My experience, however, is what it is.

Might want to drop the people at Selle-Anatomica (http://www.selleanatomica.com/index.html)a email. They asked my "riding" weight before I ordered and my saddle is excellent! They put some extra support under the sides and the cutout is great...Best, John

Thanks for the info, John! ANY company that will custom-build is worth checking out (especially for such an important part as the saddle!).

You can take my Brooks B17 when you pry it out of my cold dead....um.....cheeks.

I'm a huge fan of the Serfas Rx Saddles - first and only saddle that I didn't get numb on. Roughly $50 at my LBS.

The Brooks (obviously) has a huge following, reminds me of Apple.

Im not picky w/ saddles. Ive been able to ride on anything thats been on a bike w/o numbness or being uncomfortable, but I really REALLY want a brooks $wift

I've got a b17 narrow and love it.... Still not broken in, but I was wondering about chopping it.

Is chopping an option for 250+ riders?

Any clydes with a chopped brooks have feedback?

I've got a b17 narrow and love it.... Still not broken in, but I was wondering about chopping it.

Is chopping an option for 250+ riders?

Any clydes with a chopped brooks have feedback?

I'm around 195-200 lbs., and I once trimmed a Pro that turned out pretty nice. I didn't have any sagging probs with it, but I think this one happened to have thicker leather than most and when I first bought it, it was very dried out and hard apparently from sitting on the shelf for so long. (Had the older "BROOKS England" badge on the back instead of the newer "BROOKS")

Anyway, it was a great saddle and I should never have sold it. :( I also owned a B17N for a while but that didn't work out b/c it did sag quite a bit, and in the center the skirts would flare out. Probably the "Laced" version would have been good, or I could have laced it myself.

I wouldn't chop a B17N like I did the Pro unless I left enough room to lace it with.

I'm around 195-200 lbs., and I once trimmed a Pro that turned out pretty nice. I didn't have any sagging probs with it, but I think this one happened to have thicker leather than most and when I first bought it, it was very dried out and hard apparently from sitting on the shelf for so long. (Had the older "BROOKS England" badge on the back instead of the newer "BROOKS")

Anyway, it was a great saddle and I should never have sold it. :( I also owned a B17N for a while but that didn't work out b/c it did sag quite a bit, and in the center the skirts would flare out. Probably the "Laced" version would have been good, or I could have laced it myself.

I wouldn't chop a B17N like I did the Pro unless I left enough room to lace it with.

that was one sweet chop job...
I too have noticed a little flare in the skirts... I may end up lacing it regardless... but I don't see enough material to chop and lace without going through the logo. either way.



Thanks for your advice.

Good luck!

Hey, hang on! I've got both a Brooks and an Apple!!:eek:


The Brooks (obviously) has a huge following, reminds me of Apple.

I have tried a brooks two times once for a year nearly and then again for a few months. I hear good things about them, they are well loved by many, I hate em!

IMHO there are lots of really nice saddles out there. I have never been on a saddle that I did not adapt to quickly except the Brooks. My wife loves me (getting close to Valentines day and all) and my second hand Brooks, she has kept us both for a lot of years.

I've been doing well with a B17 on my "drop bar" bike (Jamis Nova), so am thinking of getting one for my upright bike (Trek 750). I'm debating a new B68 - Unsprung B67 (anyone tried one?) vs. a B67, or a Champion flyer (a B17 with springs - narrower then the 68 etc) With the understanding of differnt butts fit thing differently, & this is my first upright in years, any thoughts or experiences?

The more upright your riding position the wider you need your saddle to be. Any sprung saddle is better for ironing out bumps. in spite of the weight penalty.:D

Hi,

I am a big guy, 6'2' and 400 lbs and I am curious if the Brooks B135 or B33 saddle can handle a guy my size. I called Wallingford and the gentleman did not have any experience/information on how that saddle handles us large folk.

Can anyone share their experiences?

Thanks,
Ookiihito

Hi,

I am a big guy, 6'2' and 400 lbs and I am curious if the Brooks B135 or B33 saddle can handle a guy my size. I called Wallingford and the gentleman did not have any experience/information on how that saddle handles us large folk.

Can anyone share their experiences?

Thanks,
Ookiihito

I had a b-33, but I improperly installed it and broke one of the three rails. I've been on the B-67 for about 2,000 miles now. During that time my weight was 330-350# I've had no problems with it.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1062/919996600_31ef408cb0.jpg

I'm just about to put a brooks on myself for the first time. What exactly did you do wrong?

I had a b-67...

I ran a B73 on my Bridgestone Skyway 12, aka "The Plummer," at first:

http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/images/cc122-5Hound.jpg

The B73 looks to me like a B67 with a front spring. In any case, I liked it a lot.

Recently, I put on a hairpin saddle I got from India:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/363553687_52a8926fdb.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/107/363553680_9c6478b912.jpg

Which is about the same in terms of comfort, but a bit more fun and unique.

- FBB

I'm just about to put a brooks on myself for the first time. What exactly did you do wrong?

What model are you putting on?

The B-33? I ignored the special clamp you need for the modern post. I just laid the bottom-most rail of the three into the seat clamp and rode. Darn thing held up for awhile.

The B-67 is a single rail made for modern seatposts.

I installed a B-17 2 day ago and it goes on just like any other unsprung seat. I rode 26 miles straight on it today. It's a brick when new but still a heck of a lot better than the other saddles I've riden. I can't wait till it's broken in.

I installed a B-17 2 day ago and it goes on just like any other unsprung seat. I rode 26 miles straight on it today. It's a brick when new but still a heck of a lot better than the other saddles I've riden. I can't wait till it's broken in.

Just ride a few double centuries over the next couple weeks and you'll be all set...;)

- FBB

Hear hear! I have a B-17 with around 700 miles on it now. Today after I busted a spoke I grabbed my Hardrock for a nice long ride. An hour and a half later.. I had the strangest feeling.. my butt hurt! The saddle I previously thought was heaven - Specialized Rival - isn't! It just doesn't even compare to the B17.

So now I'll have another one soon, a black B-17 :)

Love my brooks saddles.. I like many of you went through about 6 saddles before getting a b17.. I was amazed at how good it was.. I have b17's on all my bikes except my road bike which has a team pro.. The team pro took a little longer to break in.. The one thing that turns many people off after they proofide there saddle is that it feels slippery..

You will learn to love slippery, slippery means no friction.. I had a selle rolls when I was first trying the brooks saddles out and learned how much friction regular saddles have..

The b17 for most is a good choice for a brooks saddle.. They are the least expensive and can be found on sale at times..

Just ride a few double centuries over the next couple weeks and you'll be all set...;)

- FBB

Do quarter centuries count?...:D:D

What model are you putting on?

The B-33? I ignored the special clamp you need for the modern post. I just laid the bottom-most rail of the three into the seat clamp and rode. Darn thing held up for awhile.

The B-67 is a single rail made for modern seatposts.

Nope, I like the B-17! This is my 3rd, and I have a woman's (B-18?) on one. I think I use the longer nose of the B-17 to balance with, because I miss it on my woman's saddle.

Do quarter centuries count?...:D:D

Only when you've ridden sixteen of them! :cry::cry:

But still, at that point your saddle will be oh-so-comfy!

Only when you've ridden sixteen of them! :cry::cry:

But still, at that point your saddle will be oh-so-comfy!

I'm hoping it won't take more than a week or two. Right now I'm averaging 80-100 miles a week. Actually in the first 26 miles that I rode on it today it already started to show signs of break it. It's starting to indent and scuff up.

Oh yeah, just take one long, or a couple sweaty rides.. that's all it takes. At least, that's what it was for me. 35 sweaty miles, and after that it's been buttah.

Since I'll be riding the MTB for a week or two, I may pick up a B17 for it tomorrow. Or move the B17 from the wanna-be-roadie to it for now. Like others have said, once you ride a Brooks, that's all you'll be able to ride :).

Have any of you tried the Brooks Swift? I love the B-17 but it won't position correctly, even with maximum offset seatpost. I understand that the Swift has longer seat rails so it may fit my cf bike. The B17 works great on my cross bike.

I have a friend who has both a swift and a B-17. He has said the Swift is downright brutal, while he loves his B-17. I know another with two swifts, he has one he adores, and one he hates :). Apparently break-in is a long and crucial process on the Swift.

Multiple short rides are the best way to break in a new Brooks. 5-10 miles over the course of a few months or you can just go and ride the thing and not worry about it. My Champion Flyer broke in in about 50 miles on one hot sweaty ride but the leather was thinner than my B-17's. After riding other brands of plastic saddles I will never go back to them. My solid leather saddles will break in rather than wear out and I know I will be riding the same saddle in five years while others will try in vain to stock up on their favorite brand.

Oh, and to add one quick thing, I tested the "plastic bag theory" today on my brooks. I grabbed a plastic bag as I headed out and put it on top of my saddle. Very rainy 37 miles today, and while I got soaked, the Brooks did fine. It got wet, in fact it got soaked.. but it's fine. I'm letting it dry out for a day or so before I Proofhide, then ride it again. So much for the theory that Brooks saddles "collapse" when wet! 360 pounds of chubby super biker didn't even make it "more broke in", let alone collapse it. Still looks the way it did when I left.. just wet.

Oh, and the plastic bag didn't sacrifice any comfort. I was as comfortable with it on there as I was without it.

[QUOTE=bdinger;4957451]Oh, and to add one quick thing, I tested the "plastic bag theory" today on my brooks. I grabbed a plastic bag as I headed out and put it on top of my saddle. Very rainy 37 miles today, and while I got soaked, the Brooks did fine. It got wet, in fact it got soaked.. but it's fine. I'm letting it dry out for a day or so before I Proofhide, then ride it again. So much for the theory that Brooks saddles "collapse" when wet! QUOTE]


Hmmm, never heard that theory before, but it sounds like something a moron would come up with. I tried the plastic bag thing once, but it wasn't so much as to protect it from the rain as it was that I just could'nt stand the thought of getting my beautiful Brooks Pro wet. :D

Since then, I've ridden in tropical storms and can always count on getting caught in the rain at least twice a week. Its funny though. The rain and butt sweat never collapsed my saddle, but it surely did darken it considerably, from its former honey colour to its present silky rich antique brown colour that is just simply gorgeous.

I love my Brooks Pro.

Oh, and to add one quick thing, I tested the "plastic bag theory" today on my brooks. I grabbed a plastic bag as I headed out and put it on top of my saddle. Very rainy 37 miles today, and while I got soaked, the Brooks did fine. It got wet, in fact it got soaked.. but it's fine. I'm letting it dry out for a day or so before I Proofhide, then ride it again. So much for the theory that Brooks saddles "collapse" when wet! 360 pounds of chubby super biker didn't even make it "more broke in", let alone collapse it. Still looks the way it did when I left.. just wet.

Oh, and the plastic bag didn't sacrifice any comfort. I was as comfortable with it on there as I was without it.

I've ridden in multiple rain storms and never had my saddle wet when using a cover.........do you have fenders on your bike? I always have fenders since they not only keep the rain and slop off they also keep small rocks from hitting your frame and chipping the paint.

I've got caught in a few good rains, and the Velox saddle cover I bought from Wallingford has worked great to keep my B-17 from any water damage. It's an elastic, form fitting cover and listed as waterproof, not just water resistant like the Brooks branded cover. I've seen plenty of people using shower caps, plastic bags, helmet covers, etc. but I think the loose material of such a cover would bunch up and get uncomfortable.
The only drawback to the Velox cover is that you lose the slickness of the leather when you put it on. It feels more like the covering on my old, cheap-o pleather covered plastic shell saddle. The saddle is still comfortable, but that distinctive slick feeling isn't there.

I just ordered the Swift model for my road bike. The fellow from Wallingford emailed me photos of the rails and it looks like that will work with the offset. To have a Brooks that fits on my roadie......fantastic