Leather Saddles
 

Really interested in getting a leather saddle.

Anyone have opinions on the All-City Gonzo or Fyxation saddles? ... seeing that both are $100 cheaper than a Brooks bad boy. Are they going to be as good, or is this one of those to-good-to-be-true situations?

http://allcitycycles.com/products/components/gonzo/

http://www.fyxation.com/blog/fyxation-saddles-are-here

Those are leather *covered*, just like the majority of saddles on the market.
They are not comparable to Brooks, which is a solid piece of leather.

Also, a $50-65 saddle isn't much cheaper than a Brooks - the LBS two blocks from my apartment sells a new B-17 for $80 right now. Much cheaper than a fancy Brooks, yes - but fancier doesn't mean more comfortable. And I've picked up NOS (or close to it) Brooks B5Ns on Ebay in the last two years for $40-60, which live on my touring bike and my fixed gear/ss.

When most of us think of leather saddles, we think of tensioned leather - Brooks, Wrights, Ideale, VO, etc. And yeah, you should try one.

I have a trek in my garage that I bought on craigslist for $40. When I decided it needed a new saddle I spent the money on a Brooks. Didn't even think twice. It's a no brainer.

I bought an imitation Brooks from Nashbar. It's an alright saddle. I use it on my 'beater', but there is a reason why Brooks saddles come so highly recommended. The Nashbar saddle feels great on smooth roads or short rides, while the Brooks can handle any type of road and very long rides without a problem.

Sold my nicely broken in Brooks B-17 some years back. Can't believe how stupid I can be sometimes.

If you want to try a cheap Broks imitation you could try one of these from rideable replicas. Its the small antique style saddle on this parts list. They are 19.95 plus $10 or so for shipping. I might order a couple and see how they are. For that price I can just put them on a something vintage that needs a saddle and ask a few buck more for the bike if I don't like it.

http://www.hiwheel.com/parts/index.htm

I paid $ 80 for a Brooks B17 a month ago.

My 2 1/2¢ :

http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com...onspiracy.html

Marc

THose actually don't look too bad.
I bought a old ADGA leather seat off ebay for 20bucks the leather is nearly shot but it was a good way to see if my butt and traditional leather saddle were going to play well with each other.

So no leather on his winter bike? Winter is 9 months out of the year here. I'm probably going to ride in the rain today.

I'm no longer a fan of gel saddles, too much squish and rub. I like the slick hard leather of my Brooks, and I'm also not fond of any sprung versions of a saddle or stem due to the varying saddle height.

I'm riding a Brooks knockoff by Origin8. It's pretty nice, and I've had no problems with it. It's most similar to the swift/swallow, and was only $90 MSRP (though the LBS knocked off a good $20 or so).

I paid 80 for a Brooks b17 as well...dont' really see a reason for a substitute

That was a good dime, don't sell yourself short.

the origin 8 knock off looks decent... Can you compare the b-17 to the swift... is there are LARGE difference?

Love my Selle-Anatomica, but if you balk at Brooks, you'll balk at it. VO Leather Saddles are fairly good quality.

You know, if the price difference between a Brooks and a VO (or some other competitor) are so minor that I think you should stick with the tried and true. Sure, you might save 30 bucks or so going with a competitor, but when you consider the fact that it might be a saddle that last you DECADES, the savings seem minor for what could be an inferior product. You save 20 bucks buying a cheaper saddle, but ride it for 20 years, well congratulations, you've just saved a dollar a year! Whoop dee do.

Sometimes when you buy cheap you buy twice.

got a b-17 :) craigslist. $50 100miles on it.

That's a good deal! Plus it's not too broken in yet, so you'll get teh full custom ass-shaping!

I also got my brooks B-17 for $80, and returned it a week later for that same $80 because it just didn't work for me.

I got my Brooks B17 for $80, and now that I've had it for a few weeks, I can say it's so comfortable I would easily spend over $100 for it. (Don't tell Brooks, though ;))

Even poorly adjusted it was comfortable. Once I got the angle and saddle height properly dialed in after a ride or two, it became even better. And now that it's really getting broken in... aaah. Money well spent!

OP, do yourself a favor and spend the extra $15 for the Brooks if you're already looking at $65-ish saddles. If you still have some doubts, spend a tad more, buy it at wallbike.com and you can take advantage of their return policy if you're unhappy. Or find an LBS that would do the same.

I got a Brooks B-17 at my LBS for about $60 or $65. I am happy with it. I also have an used Ideale that is in very good condition I got for about $75 that is good too. Those old timey sort of saddles look interesting. I am thinking about a leather covered saddle too as mentioned in the first post. Search out Craig's list, or put a wanted ad there. ebay is a good idea too.

I've ridden 300-400 miles on my B67 Pre-Aged and I'm still up in the air about it. For the price I paid, I feel like I should be in love with it.

Any saddle that doesn't make me think about it is a saddle I love. Brooks flyer (sprung B-17) on the touring bike and B-17 Narrow on the road-bike. I just never think about them....hence, I love them.

Thanks,

Marc