General Cycling Discussion - Should I let a friend try my Brooks B17?

I have a petite lady friend that has been riding for a couple of months now. I've been talking up the Brooks saddles cause she complains about the butt pain and I tell her it just takes time, but my personal preference is the leather saddles and I love my Brooks. I have a B17 that is sitting idle and I'd be happy to let her try it. What I'm wondering is since I have a couple thousand miles on the Brooks and it's already well broken in, might it give her a bad experience or you think she'd be OK?

Let her try it. I ride my to a well broken in state then give them to my wife to ride. :D

Aaron :)

Just give it to her, loaning something to a pretty lady friend and giving something to a pretty lady friend will cost you the same. (you won't get it back either way)

Just re read the op, petite and or pretty lady friend=same results.

I think it'll be o.k.
I am riding on a Brooks and I have no clue how old it is. It looks very worn, but it is just as comfy as my new one.

But just remember that Brooks makes a female version of the B17, which may be more suitable for her.

But just remember that Brooks makes a female version of the B17, which may be more suitable for her.

Only difference in "female" versions of most Brooks saddles is that they are a tad shorter, supposedly to keep from catching a skirt on the nose. In some cases they are a mm or so wider, not a huge difference.

Aaron :)

Just don't let her ride it wearing jeans.

...Should I let a friend try my Brooks B17?... lady friend ...

The whole point of breaking in a Brooks is that it's broken in to accomodate YOUR anatomy. You sweat into it for hundreds of miles making it produce a negative 3-D image of your dainty regions. Putting it under some elses butt [no matter how petite or lady-friend-like] adds little to her evaluation/appreciation of Brooks as a choice...unless of course you have an identical shape, long shot. Nah, a broken-in Brooks is a one-man ride, you may as well ask her to wear your Friut[s]-of-the-Loom. 'Course if that's what she wants, don't let this stand in the way. DO let us know how it goes.

The whole point of breaking in a Brooks is that it's broken in to accomodate YOUR anatomy. You sweat into it for hundreds of miles making it produce a negative 3-D image of your dainty regions. Putting it under some elses butt [no matter how petite or lady-friend-like] adds little to her evaluation/appreciation of Brooks as a choice...unless of course you have an identical shape, long shot. Nah, a broken-in Brooks is a one-man ride, you may as well ask her to wear your Friut[s]-of-the-Loom. 'Course if that's what she wants, don't let this stand in the way. DO let us know how it goes.That was my concern is that broken in to my butt may give her a bad experience.

The whole point of breaking in a Brooks is that it's broken in to accomodate YOUR anatomy. You sweat into it for hundreds of miles making it produce a negative 3-D image of your dainty regions. Putting it under some elses butt [no matter how petite or lady-friend-like] adds little to her evaluation/appreciation of Brooks as a choice...unless of course you have an identical shape, long shot. Nah, a broken-in Brooks is a one-man ride, you may as well ask her to wear your Friut[s]-of-the-Loom. 'Course if that's what she wants, don't let this stand in the way. DO let us know how it goes.

I'm not so sure. Back in the days when men were men and bike frames were steel, I heard that some of the top pro riders used to pay a domestique to break in their saddles for them.

Like I said, I ride an oooooold Brooks with someone elses break in marks on it, and it is just as comfy as my new Brooks.
Most noticeable to me on a Brooks is how smooth the saddle feels and how my clothes don't ride up when I ride 'em.

That may be enough for her.

Just throw her on the bike and give her a push, letting her know it is a man's saddle model and not broken in for her. But at least she can get an idea of what a leather saddle is like.

Lend it to her to show that Brooks saddle are good when broken in. But be wary of letting her ride on it a lot because issues may emerge because of differences between your sitbone and pelvic tilt. Having said that, she may be lucky that your sitbone widths are similar and the divots aren't particularly deep, and there won't be problems emerge, and the saddle will mould to her shap over time.

Lend it to her on the understanding that it is a test, and if things prove to be OK, encourage her to buy one of her own. Then make sure she understands that there will be a break-in period during which the Brooks may appear to be a weapon from hell -- or not.

A couple of other bits of advice. Ensure she knows about sitting on her sitbones, and has a good riding posture so she has her soft bits above the saddle. The adjustment period for a Brooks is critical to long-term comfort, as you know. In addition, ensure that if she is opting for a B17 that her handlebars are level or above her seat position. If they are well below, then a Brooks Pro or Swallow might be a better choice.

And from my personal experience, black Brooks saddles of any model for some reason take longer to break in than honey ones. I haven't had a brown one, so I can't comment there. But the several honey B17s I've had, including the one I am using right now on my tour bike, have broken in and have felt comfortable almost from first fitting.