Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Brooks Question

So I am trying to decide between the B17 Narrow, Swift or Team Pro. All would be approx me the same price for me. Yes i have searched and done some research, but i am a small guy (5'7") with a small heine and narrow hips. I know everyone sits differently, but are there any smaller guys out there who can give me some advice. The bike is my main form of transportation, altho i also plan on some longer rides in the near future.

Yes i have searched and am leaning towards the B17, especially since the one is the imperial model with the vent hole in it, whereas the others dont. Would help prevent major cases of swampass. I have a charge spoon saddle, and the size of it seems to fit me decently. Is one of the brooks similar in size to it?

Bike in question:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/prcarmic/Bikes/CIMG3232.jpg

It's not a vent hole.

You can't go wrong with a B17.

A Stussy special edition Brooks Swift would look nice!

If you can afford it.

Not really going for looks, more for functionality.

If it is about functionality, I would stick with a modern-styled saddle. Brooks are hell to break-in, and I do not consider them to be the best in weather-resistance.

in that case get some lycra padded cycling shorts.

cheaper and will be WAY more comfortable

If it is about functionality, I would stick with a modern-styled saddle. Brooks are hell to break-in, and I do not consider them to be the best in weather-resistance.

I've always thought the break-in period was greatly exaggerated, by Brooks was comfy immediately. However, they do have NO weather resistance, and are theft magnets. Both pretty major disadvantages for a daily rider.

I would not go w/ a Brooks if I were you. You have a decent amount of saddle to bar drop and need to stick w/ a more modern saddle to prevent perineal pressure. Brooks (especially B17) is really bad about perineal pressure w/ setups like yours. I have a VERY similar setup and I rode a Brooks for a few months, getting sore balls after every long ride.

Maybe a swift or professional would be better about it, but I don't know. The one w/ the hole in it might help...

I bought a Terry Fly...best saddle I've ever used.

I donno, I have way more saddle/bar drop and am comfy with a B-15...

I ride a team pro and it is very comfortable with a decent saddle-to-bar drop. it did take about a year of daily riding to reach this point comfort, however, because the leather is much more thicker than the b17. maintenance is not that bad -- proofide every 3-6 months and covering it with a plastic bag when it's wet out. I do keep it secured with a cable when locking up.

the b17 is definitely wider than the charge spoon. I'd go with the b17 narrow or team pro or swift if you have narrow sitbones -- just dont expect the team pro or swift to be comfortable right away.

You'll probably be fine regarding saddle to bar drop if you get a swift. B-17 will probably give you some numbness with that setup though. I've got a lot more s-t-b drop than you, and I'm pretty fine with my Swift. I did experience some numbness with the Team Pro I had before. The break-in period is way over-rated. Most comfortable saddle I've ever had.

As far as theft here in berlin there are a ton of brooks on bikes here, so im not worried about. I sat on my friends and really enjoyed the feel of the leather. As far as breaking it in, not a problem for me, no different then getting super sore from breaking in new snowboarding equipment. From what i read im leaning away from the b17, more along the lines of a swift or swallow. Are there any modern saddles that are leather like the brooks?

I have a swift and love it. My saddle to bar drop is also more than what you have pictured.

I could not seem to get my B-17 Brooks right after a bunch of couple mile rides on my vintage Univega geared bike. Do you guys find that you have to fiddle with saddles regardless to get the right fit?

I had to fiddle in order to keep from sliding around. ESPECIALLY with lycra riding shorts. Essentially, it seemed good for riding in the drops, but when I sat up, I slid forward. I would adjust it, and then it would be uncomfortable when in the drops. After some time doing fine adjustments, and wearing some dimples into the seat... it felt perfect.

B17N, laced slightly after getting really wet once :(

Here's a rough idea of saddle to bar drop (though, it's a little different on the bike with drop bars that I originally had it on)
http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album371/DSCN0575.sized.jpg

I could not seem to get my B-17 Brooks right after a bunch of couple mile rides on my vintage Univega geared bike. Do you guys find that you have to fiddle with saddles regardless to get the right fit?

A little more forward, a little bit lower and tilt the nose up.

Yeah I am going to start taking an allen wrench with me on rides and adjust it then.

If it is about functionality, I would stick with a modern-styled saddle. Brooks are hell to break-in, and I do not consider them to be the best in weather-resistance.

They're not bad at all in severe (read wet and snowy) weather if you treat them once a year ( I use Sno*Seal) and cover them with a plastic bag when locked up outside. I've been using them for over 15 years on my commuter, including all winter in wet, snowy, Riga. I have yet to have any problem with Brooks saddles due to the weather.

I got stuck in ONE storm with my Brooks. It was a down pour, soaking wet. The saddle folded like wet cardboard. After the ride, I tried to hand shape it back out of hammock shape before it dried. I ended up lacing it bring back some of the firmness. It was treated with a very heavy coat of wax sealer (don't remember the exact product used, i did a review of it on here at the time).

I got stuck in ONE storm with my Brooks. It was a down pour, soaking wet. The saddle folded like wet cardboard. After the ride, I tried to hand shape it back out of hammock shape before it dried. I ended up lacing it bring back some of the firmness. It was treated with a very heavy coat of wax sealer (don't remember the exact product used, i did a review of it on here at the time).

Did you leave the saddle uncovered? Or does your bike not have fenders and you didn't treat the underside?

Get some neatsfoot oil and break in the leather saddle. And maintain it once a while, it's awesome.
Few rains never really damaged my saddle. Haven't been in a storm yet tho..

It was treated inside and out.
The saddle got soaked before I could cover it (it was a group ride, and we thought it would clear quickly)... stopped at the first covered area, and I bagged it. It was ~1/4mi of wet riding.
No fenders.

I'm just saying they CAN work for all weather... but they must be covered and not get wet. Many people make it sound like they do just fine getting wet.

EDIT: BTW, I still LOVE the saddle... wouldn't trade it for anything, and am very happy. But be prepared to keep it dry.

Get some neatsfoot oil and break in the leather saddle. And maintain it once a while, it's awesome.
Few rains never really damaged my saddle. Haven't been in a storm yet tho..

Not Neatsfoot oil. Pet peeve of mine, but I hate seeing this one being recommended. Neatsfoot oil oxidizes over time and leaves the leather brittle and prone to cracking. Additionally, using an oil to speed the break-in process can lead to premature hammocking of the leather by over softening it.

Sno-Seal, Obenauf's LP, or Proofide. Before you even put the saddle on the bike, give it a good rubbing of any of those compounds, especially the underside where it will soak in and help weatherproof the saddle. Buff the top with an old t-shirt when the coat goes dull, then install it.
The saddle shouldn't require break-in time to be comfortable, that's just ridiculous to think that you need to suffer for 300 - 400 miles before the saddle is comfy. It will get more comfortable as you break it in and it molds to your sit bones, but it should be comfortable right out of the box.
The biggest fit issue I had was a cheap seatpost. I couldn't get the right tilt on the saddle because one notch of the microadjust was too far forward, the next one was too far back. I bought a 2 bolt post and solved that problem.
As for weatherproofing, if you're already commited to dropping $90 or more on a saddle, spend the extra $8 and get a Velox saddle cover. It's form fitted and fully waterproof.
I've got either a B-17 or a B-17 Imperial on all three of my bikes. Wouldn't change them out for anything.

Not Neatsfoot oil. Pet peeve of mine, but I hate seeing this one being recommended. Neatsfoot oil oxidizes over time and leaves the leather brittle and prone to cracking. Additionally, using an oil to speed the break-in process can lead to premature hammocking of the leather by over softening it.

Sno-Seal, Obenauf's LP, or Proofide. Before you even put the saddle on the bike, give it a good rubbing of any of those compounds, especially the underside where it will soak in and help weatherproof the saddle.

Ha. Always thought neatsfoot worked. Read it on Sheldon Brown i think. Ah well. Learn something new everyday :thumb:

@OP: I was in a similar situation as you; however, i was torn between a rolls and a b.17, both can be found anywhere in the $60-$80 range. I ended up going with the brooks and when it arrived I was astonished at how firm it was. It didn't make sense to how this very solid piece of leather could be comfortable at all.
Anyways, it's been a week or so and I've put about 50 miles on it and I could not be happier. My setup is just like yours with pursuit bars and almost identical saddle to bar ratio. I would highly recommend the b.17, simply based on one week of riding on it. When people say that the best part about a Brooks is that you can't feel it, they aren't exaggerating. The main (and only) bad part I can think of is my thighs are still getting used to a slightly wider saddle, but like most things, only time will fix that.

I have a B17 and a Ti Swift.

The B17 has some sort of air holes or ventilation holes in it, along the centerline of the saddle, and the Ti Swift has perfectly smooth leather.

I prefer the smoothness of the Swift.

In my experience, the Brooks has a zero-time break-in if the rider finds the right fore-and-aft, height and tilt positions.

A person with narrow sit bones should adjust the saddle a little further back than would a person with wider sit bones, and this will put the narrow sit bone person on a narrower portion of the saddle.

Further, the Brooks perfectly conforms to the perineum, and initially this can cause the kind of chafing we call "saddle sores" in horseback riding.

I find it helps to take short rides for the first few days as the tender skin of the perineum toughens up a little.

If one wants to start right out with long rides, I recommend Bag Balm, a lanolin-enriched skin grease that farmers use for treating cow's udders and which bicyclists use for treating the tender skin between their legs.

For me, three days of shorter rides and I don't notice any discomfort on the Ti Swift.

With the B17 I feel the holes through my shorts.

Once accustomed to the saddle, I don't use a chamois or any other padding, and I ride in regular street clothes.

I ride my Brooks 365 days a year in the worst and wettest weather imagineable.

However, I have WAY over-treated the leather by other people's standards.

For the first few days I have had my new Brooks saddles, I have not put them on their respective bikes, but have heavily greased them underneath and on top with Brooks's grease and Obenaufs.

I also lightly oil them with neets foot oil in between greasings, in order to get the grease to penetrate more deeply.

After I put them on the bike, I grease them about twice a year.

They look brand new after over two years of riding and regular exposure to sun, rain and snow.

I consider the Ti Swift terribly over-priced, but it looks so much nicer than the B17 when one compares them side by side.

However, when considered on its own, not in comparison to a Swift, the B17 looks and works great, except for those little holes in the top.

I have noticed that people who report liking their Brooks also tend to adjust the tilt so that the saddle looks a little nose-up compared to most saddles.

Think of the Brooks as a hammock, and adust the tilt so that a straight edge laid across the nose and the butt of the saddle will have a level bubble (this will appear to the casual eye as slightly nose-up.

If it feels too wide, slide it back; and, if it feels too narrow, slide it forward and sit on the wider portion of the saddle.

A properly adusted Brooks feels as comfortble as my most comfortable high-tech saddle, and costs a lot less.

The Brooks also looks nice on a bike, but weighs too much for the weight-conscious.

Yeah i just ordered my swift today. Gotta super sweet deal on it, thanks to working at bike rental place. Cant wait for it to arrive.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

the swift is definitely a nice saddle. good choice.

Good move. Get some proofide and take care of it and it should take care of you for years. I proofided mine 5 or 6 times in the first month, now I do it on the day the seasons change (mar 21, July 21 etc).

maybe my sit bones are just really wide, but the b17 narrow ain't doing it for me. i'm sitting on the bolts.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs090.snc1/5099_523077601584_45301947_31211933_2685581_n.jpg

if you look between the two outer most bolts on each side, you can see a definite raised portion. and from that raised portion, you can see where my sit bones have molded the saddle. so, just keep that in mind.

also: i don't take very good care of mine. oops.

**** behind the times.

An interesting and informative picture from conor.

It really shows the holes.

I've never seen a B17 Narrow before, nor ridden one.

Although the Swift looks narrower than my normal B17, it feels the same, except for the holes.

Theft magnet? I'd only laugh at the poor fool who stole my Brooks after countless thousands of miles of sweaty rides. It used to be British racing green with copper plating!! Now... not so much.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/onepalecow/IMG_0511.jpg


When they're new, use a length of bike chain wrapped in old tube cut and sewn to fit. Methheads don't have chain tools.

tell me about your saddlebag. I'm thinking of going to an army surplus store and picking up something to repurpose for holding tools/cellphone/crap. is this what you did?

tell me about your saddlebag. I'm thinking of going to an army surplus store and picking up something to repurpose for holding tools/cellphone/crap. is this what you did?

Yep, with some old toe straps to secure it. Price was sub $3, and it's waterproof duck canvas.

nice.

Yeah I ordered the proofide with it. Hopefully it will be here by the end of the week, so i can ride it before going to spain for 10 days.

You should ride it to Spain, that would be a sweet break-in.

That would be insane, we are going to an island. Would have to rig up some floats and a paddle wheel. I was looking to take the bike with me, but none of my friends have a flight case. Found a place that will rent me a Cannondale CAAD though. Going to have to make a trip across the island and back.

Mine has the SAME issue with dimples and bolts as conor's saddle does. I think I fell into the assumption that I weigh 125-130lbs, so my butt must be small.

Since some said they hadn't seen a B17N, here's mine. I trimmed the side flaps so they didn't stick down so far, and I laced it after it got wet (so it wouldn't sag anymore). Excuse the non-symetrical lacing... the stamp is non-symetrical :(

http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album371/DSCN0334.sized.jpg
http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album371/DSCN0350.sized.jpg
http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album371/DSCN0683.sized.jpg
http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album371/DSCN0685.sized.jpg

yeah, it's weird. i haven't seen that sort of thing on any other brooks, though most of my experience is with b17s and team pros.

Just came today and i put it on at work. Soooooo much better than the charge saddle. Its still hard and needs to be broken in, but i proofided it up. and will be taking it for a longer ride tomorrow. Man it fits my but so much better than the charge saddle.

Congratulations! I remember how happy I was the day I got my first Brooks.

Just came today and i put it on at work. Soooooo much better than the charge saddle. Its still hard and needs to be broken in, but i proofided it up. and will be taking it for a longer ride tomorrow. Man it fits my but so much better than the charge saddle.

just so you know... it'll always be hard. It will form, but never get softer. If it's more comfortable now than previous saddle, thats good.... it'll only get better.