Kommisar89

OK, a lot of folks post questions asking about Brooks saddles. I just ordered two from wallbike.com and they arrived today so I decided to start this thread detailing my experiences for any who are interested.

First a little background - like most of us I've ridden many saddles over the years. Currently I have a Terry Liberator Race, a Terry Fly Ti, a Cinelli Unica leather covered, no padding, an old San Marco Rolls, a Specialized Body Geometry, and a San Marco Azoto. Of these, I'd rate the Linerator Race, the Rolls, and the Specialized Body Geometry as very comfortable, the Unica as comfortable but hard as a rock, and the Fly Ti and Azoto as what someone very colorfully described in another recent thread as crotch hatchets. The Fly and Azoto measure 130mm wide and all the others measured 140mm wide give or take. That probably indicates that I have a wide, er, sit bones.

A few of months ago I picked up an '88 Panasonic PT-3500 touring bike for $30 at a pawn shop and it had a very well worn Brooks B-17N (150mm wide). I sat on that thing, the first Brooks I ever sat on, and it was the most comfortable saddle ever. But it was in bad shape and a few weeks after I got the bike the leather cover split in half. And that's what lead to my buying the new Brooks: a Champion Flyer (170mm wide) for the Panasonic and a Team Professional (160mm wide) for my Bottecchia Giro d'Italia.

The Bottecchia is in the shop so I threw the Champion Flyer on the Panasonic and took it around the block. No I didn't put the Proofide on yet or anything else. I just bolted it on, slightly nose up and off I went. The first thing I noticed was that my seat hight was now much too high. The Champion is a sprung saddle and it sits up high so I moved the seat tube a half inch lower and set out again. It's hard - real hard. Very much like the Unica plastic shell. And not at all like the worn old B17N the bike came with. That one was supple and felt like suede. It was well broken in I guess. But the Champion is not uncomfortable. Tomorrow I'll put the Proofide on and take it out for a 25-30 mile ride and report back.

John E

Brooks saddles are like leather shoes -- you have to break them in. As some of you have read, I got my Professional 35 years ago for $5, when the first owner gave up on it after one week. My Team Pro was presumably pre-softened and already nicely broken in by the first owner; I bought it on eBay at its prime, and it continues to serve me splendidly. It also looks fabulous on my Schwinn.

Lamplight

The first time I tried a Brooks I also noticed how hard it felt. It wasn't all that comfortable then, but I noticed that after riding 15 or so miles it hadn't gotten any less comfortable. It felt exactly the same as it did at the start of the ride. All other saddles I've used continually get worse and worse throughout the ride, even when they seemed comfortable at first. I have also found that my B17s and Flyer aren't comfortable on bikes with a very upright seating position. They seem to be best when I'm leaning over just a bit. I guess that's what the wider Brooks seats are for.

ilikebikes

"you have to break them in!"

jcm

There's alot of descriptors regarding how a Brooks saddle feels. As you begin to use it, it'll take your form over some hundreds of miles, but it should never become soft or supple. Ever sit in one of those marvelous wooden antebellum porch rockers with the leather? I'm talking about one with the leather that covers the big cut-out in the seat. Total leather suspension. You can stay in one of those all day long, sippin' mint julips. Why? Because there are no high or low spots. The leather feels hard to the touch, but immediately stretches as soon as you sit on it.

It's the same with a Brooks saddle. Rap on it with your knuckle, and you're sure you've made a mistake. But, get on and the leather will suspend you right away - more so as you wear it in. Test this by riding on a Brooks, then switch as soon as you get home and take off again. It can be a brand new Brooks - it doesn't matter. I'm just starting on my fifth, and it's as great a ride out of the box as the previous four.

A couple tips that have served me well:
1) Maintain the slickness. It is part of the reason leather saddles sre so cool in warm weather as it allows air to get in between the saddle and rider as you move. I apply a little clear boot polish about every two weeks. It really brings out the honey color, too. On the black ones, it makes 'em shine like steel.

2) Avoid the "if a little is good, then alot must be better" paradigm. Go easy with the Proofide or any other conditioner or softener. Oils and tallows can keep on softening long after you have applied them - sometimes too long after.

Have fun with that Panasonic.

Kommisar89

Update: It took judicious use of a dremel grinder on the seatpost adjustment slot to get the range of adjustment needed for the Champion Flyer on the Panasonic but it's quite comfortable now though still not broken in. The Bottecchia is back from the shop so I mounted the Professional and road that today for 30-miles. That one required a trip to Sears to pick up a hex-bit socket set. For some reason the seatpost would not hold the proper angle of adjustment that the Professional needed when tightened with my small multi-tool. It kept slipping nose down. Now that it's snugged up with a proper tool it's holding fine. It wasn't extremely comfortable on its first ride but no worse than the Unica. I'm sure it will get better.

Kommisar89

Hence why that original B17N split in half a few weeks after I got the bike no doubt.

Kommisar89

I can definately feel that with the Champion Flyer. I can feel the leather flexing slightly under me as I ride over bumps. Can't feel it with the Profession yet. It's hard as a rock.

Fred Smedley

Keep us updated, I have relatively few miles on my Swift mounted on my Bianchi with fairly a aggressive drop for a old fart. I have to say it is becoming the most comfortable saddle I have ever owned. It even works ok without bike shorts for short rides. To bad I did not buy another while they were cheap as my Bridgestone MTB is crying out for a swift also.

sonatageek

Well I just started my first Brooks experience with a used good condition B-17 that I picked up for $10.00. It is mounted on what will be my primary ride the the time being (road bike and I had an accident this past Wednesday and it absorbed the brunt of it) which is an older Raleigh M60 mountain bike.

Took my first 20 mile ride on it today and while it was hard, I had the same experience as Lamplight -- it did not get less comfortable as the ride progressed.

Any suggestions as to what is a good cheap leather conditioner to use on it?

greybeard87

Brooks Proofhide or Obernauf's LP. Use it sparingly and one of those little tins will last you for years.

Sixty Fiver

I have a number of Brooks saddles, an English Wright's that dates to the late 30's, a vintage Ideale track saddle, and one really nice leather saddle I cannot identify due to the fact all it's markings have completely worn off.

I'll never part with any of them and have to say the Wright's is by far, the most comfortable saddle I own with my B17 coming in as a close 2nd.

I'm still breaking in my "new" B66 and it is approaching that state of utter perfection.

Bikedued

The first time I rode on my B-17 I thought for sure it would take forever to break in. It felt like one of those plastic bmx seats from the 80's. Consider yourself lucky if you've never ridden a bike with a hard plastic saddle, lol Anyway, about a mile or two into the ride I stopped for a drink at a convenience store. I hopped back on the bike, and the seat was suddenly more comfortable. It had been breaking in during the ride, but I only felt the stiffness. Since then it has very quickly become a favorite. I had a tendency to slide forward on on it even with the nose up. I borrowed a leather punch from work, and laced it up. No more sliding, but the comfort is still there.

I recently got a broken in professional. It's not bad either. I actually rode on it today for a 4-5 mile round trip to work. No pain at all, and was a pleasant ride. Completely different feel than the B-17 though.,,,,BD

Kommisar89

So I took the Bottecchia with the Team Professional out for another 25 miles today. The saddle seems to have improved some but it rubbed me kinda funny yesterday and caused some chaffing so I was a bit sore today. I used lots of Chamois Butt'r today and that helped. Should have done that yesterday. That all might have more to do with the lack of saddle time I put in this summer that the Brooks. Well, back to work tomorrow so the Panasonic with the Champion Flyer will get some use on my commute.

Lamplight

Another odd thing I've noticed: My brown and honey Brooks seats seem to be less flexible than the black ones. Almost like they're made from thicker leather. Anyone else have a similar experience?

jcm

Yes. I'm in the "training" process with a new honey 17 right now, although I'm not sure at this point whether it's the saddle being trained, or me. I've measured the leather - it is nominally the same as my black ones.

kk4df

I've never had the black one, only the honey one. Mine took about 1000 miles to really break in well, and it continues to get better now with about 4000 miles on it. I picked it up right after Christmas this year. I think it breaks in better during the warmer, summer days and higher humidity. It seemed to stay rock hard during most of the winter. It's fabulous now. I'm building a lighter weight bike, but my Brooks will move over. I'm not a weight weenie with my Brooks.