Fifty Plus (50+) - Sprung or Unsprung?

I'm thinking about a Brooks saddle for The Diego, and it's not clear to me the pros and cons of a sprung vs. an unsprung version might be. Given that my bike is all aluminum and has no carbon anything, might a sprung version be better to absorb some of the road?

I started using those suspension seatposts a couple of years ago and now prefer them on all my rides. Occasionally I'll be riding a new project bike without seatpost suspension and I'll hit a road bump. It feels like something is kicking me hard in the ass. I think I'm a confirmed suspensionist.

Unsprung. Even with a taller stem I don't think you'll get enough of an upright position on that bike for a sprung seat to come into play. But you'll still get some buzz absorption from the leather hammock of an unsprung Brooks.

Occasionally I'll be riding a new project bike without seatpost suspension and I'll hit a road bump. It feels like something is kicking me hard in the ass.

Legs make better shocks than suspension seat posts. Lift your ass off the seat and it won't get kicked :)

This is a no lose proposition.

Buy the unsprung version. You'll know if a month or so if it's the wrong one for you. My bet is you'll like it fine.

If it is wrong, PM me and I'll trade you some other cool, can't live without, bike stuff for it and you can buy the sprung version to try.

My grandfather's tractor seat was sprung, but then he sat up straight and had to absorb every lurch, furrow, and levy that he jounced over.....not to mention a few crazy grandkids and ranchdogs he almost ran over.

A body forward road bike doesn't need them so much. And the penalty in weight is noticable. For normal road buzz you might try shock absorbing seat post, 28mm tires, and, as suggested, a leather saddle-- or just ignore it as part of riding. For cracks in the pavement and other real shocks, go with BluesDog and unweight your butt by lifting off the saddle a bit or just standing and pedaling for a short ways-- a nice break.

Legs make better shocks than suspension seat posts. Lift your ass off the seat and it won't get kicked :)

That only works for the ones you see in advance. And, btw, my biggest problems with bents is the inability to handle large bumps. I can bomb over a curb on a regular bike if I'm in the right position. On a bent, your butt is permanently planted.

I'm thinking about a Brooks saddle for The Diego, and it's not clear to me the pros and cons of a sprung vs. an unsprung version might be. Given that my bike is all aluminum and has no carbon anything, might a sprung version be better to absorb some of the road?

Buy it from Wall Bikes- if you don't like it, you've got 6 mos to exchange/return it. BTW, I ride failrly upright, and have a B67. You'd have to kill me to get it away from me...

My 2 cents: Stick with the saddle ya got for awhile. If it works for you, don't change. If ya need something else buy a Brooks B17 from www.wallbike.com. I think they've got a six month return policy and they're nice folks. But if you do buy the Brooks, be warned. Some love 'em right out of the box. Some butts never warm up to them.

Mine is sprung (Champion Flyer). When I got the sprung saddle, I got rid of the suspension seat post. It had a little left to right play that I never quite got used to. If you use a seat bag, a sprung Brooks presents, shall we say, special challenges.

My 2 cents: Stick with the saddle ya got for awhile. If it works for you, don't change. If ya need something else buy a Brooks B17 from www.wallbike.com. I think they've got a six month return policy and they're nice folks. But if you do buy the Brooks, be warned. Some love 'em right out of the box. Some butts never warm up to them.

I do plan to stick with my current saddle for a while. It's just that a Brookes is so cool, especially on an older bike. Then again, not too many folks have ostrich covered saddles, either. :)

If you're stretched out over a long top tube go with an un-sprung saddle. If your sitting upright on a cruiser, older MTB, Hybrid, or touring bike go for the sprung saddle.

I do plan to stick with my current saddle for a while. It's just that a Brookes is so cool, especially on an older bike. Then again, not too many folks have ostrich covered saddles, either. :)

Ok, it's for that old Trek you just bought. Do you like the bar tops set higher, or even with the saddle? If so, you might try the Flyer. It's a sprung B17. I personally use both B67's and the standard B17's. After very long day rides the 67's are noticeably more comfortable, but that's because they fit my sitbones better than the narrower 17's.

Hmm... I don't know about waiting to see if you'll get used to a saddle that hurts. I can tell in the first twenty miles of fiddling if it's going to work for the next twenty. After several mistakes, I found that the Brooks' really never hurt at all. Just some initial pressure that quickly went away as the leather heated and formed.

BTW: Love the hair.

I'm thinking about a Brooks saddle for The Diego, and it's not clear to me the pros and cons of a sprung vs. an unsprung version might be. Given that my bike is all aluminum and has no carbon anything, might a sprung version be better to absorb some of the road?

Gary,that silver ostrich seat does look zoot.Ostrich has been used in high fashion boots,belts,vests and other premium products.However when it came to mass produced seats,sometimes the manufacturer would use the backside section of ostrich skin to keep costs down.

My question to you is,does the seat ever emit a funny sound when you sit on the bike?

Gary,that silver ostrich seat does look zoot.Ostrich has been used in high fashion boots,belts,vests and other premium products.However when it came to mass produced seats,sometimes the manufacturer would use the backside section of ostrich skin to keep costs down.

My question to you is,does the seat ever emit a funny sound when you sit on the bike?

Why yes, it does. It's hard to hear it clearly, but it sounds like it's saying "Fred! Fred!"

And btw this seat doesn't hurt, so far, but then I've barely put any miles on the bike. Five at a time, so far, with my bum knee.

Preserve the seat with some Mink Oil.This with protect it from rain or weather.I have lots of time to polish seats till this crap around here melts.

I was gonna suggest you get a bell to go with that ostrich seat but you've already got a rhino horn.

I'll second what I said in another thread on your bike, and what dbg said above, I'd put a suspension seat post on the bike. I love mine. Never had one on a bike until 3 months ago.

On a road bike with enough of an upright seating position to warrant some sort of seat suspension (which I have my doubts that DG's 1500 will be) I would much prefer a sprung saddle over a suspension post.
Completely different story on a hardtail mountain bike (one actually being used offroad). I love the Thudbuster on my Rockhopper.

Used a Rock Shox suspension seatpost for a while on the MTB. Think I had a problem with the distance to the pedals changing all the time. The bike would get a little bouncy when pushing hard while seated. Changed to a different saddle and removed the seatpost and now the bike seems more comfortable and faster.
The kid loves it though.