BluesDawg

My only caveat to this approach is that his previous bike (at least the one listed in his signature line) is a Sequoia, which is a comfort road bike. He may be looking for a more aggressive position with this new bike, so while I would definitely take the old bike's dimensions into account, I may or may not want to replicate them. I definitely wouldn't want to stray very far from what was comfortable on the other bike. The cockpit of my all purpose road bike is about 1/2" shorter than on my fast road/century bike and the handlebars are about 1" higher. I wouldn't change either one. They have different dimensions appropriate for their different purposes.

Road Fan

Yes, and this is one place where personal taste comes in, strongly.

billydonn

Thanks for all the interesting input and discussion everyone. A few points:

1. Rest assured, I will NOT be trying any of the more aggressive Brooks break-in procedures for the forseeable future, if ever...least of all motor oil. This is not because of resale value factor (though that point is well-taken) or health risks, but more due to my interest in the "natural" requirements of the B-17. I do look forward to some warmer weather to see what that might bring into the equation.
2. The Sequoia has super-relaxed geometry while the LeMond is merely somewhat relaxed.... but their overall dimensions are pretty similar. I originally set up the LeMond to replicate the Sequoia's dimensions, like bar height etc. The saddle has been removed from the Sequoia seatpost so the exact settings were lost. BUT I DID measure from front of saddle to center of stem topcap (stems are same length) on the Sequoia and replicate it in the seat installation on the LeMond. The seat height will differ a bit because the crank arm length is different on the two bikes.
3. As I dial in the B-17 seat location, and I am getting pretty close, I plan to keep it on its own dedicated seatpost. With a mark on it for height, I can then reinstall the Brooks at any time and not have to hunt for the adjustment again. (Bought another Thomson Elite post at the LBS today for use with any comparison saddle I might want to try... remember that my objective for the B-17 was for use as a long-distance saddle. It may or may not end up as my main "daily cruiser" saddle.)

Enjoyed reading all your thoughts... today's ride post on the Brooks experience is forthcoming.

Road Fan

Amazing how much good science can cost, isn't it!

billydonn

Episode seven- 18.1 miles.
Dear Diary: Rode a lakeside route with quite a bit of climbing and speed changes today. I was standing for short intervals quite often. Nose of the B-17 was way too high so I changed that. I think I am getting close to the sweet spot for positoning. The saddle seems to be loostening up a bit but a longer ride in cruise mode will tell me more. I hope to do that tomorrow.

Total B-17 riding time: 11 1/2 hours.

GP

I bought a Brooks Pro for my commuter in early December. It took numerous little tweaks to get it right. My latest one was 3 weeks ago but now I think it's as close to perfect as it gets. Don't give up.

FloridaBoy

I sent a B-17 to https://www.mcmwin.com/saddle%20shop%20new.htm and had it cut out. Perfect There is no right or wrong with saddles....you have to find the right one through trial and error. I carried a wrench to make adjustments during rides untill I got it right.

billydonn

Episode eight- 12 miles.
Dear Diary: Wind 25-35 mph today, so not a long ride. The B-17 did not give me any trouble at all but my attention was on surival, not saddle comfort. Note to Pres. Obama: a single wind generator by the Omaha MUP would assure national energy independence for years to come! Possible snow tonight so there may be no report for awhile. I remain hopeful of the bliss and comfort that lies ahead.

Total B-17 riding time: 12 1/2 hours.
FloridaBoy: your modification option is duly noted as a future possibility.

dave-j

I have to say, I don't get it. if you want a Brooks style ride without all the nonsense of break in, Selle Anatomica should have been considered. It starts out as pliant as you want it (easy to adjust) and then you actually tighten it as time passes. Comfy right from the start. This is where the traditionalist part of biking has me scratching my head.

Road Fan

Tradition is strong, but some of the early reports on the Anatomicas were not that positive. BF members spoke of frequent tightening, and fear of early wearout. The comfort benefits were not always an offset in the posters' minds.

Cone Wrench

What makes you assume that your old saddle will be unsatisfactory? If it has been fine so far, why not use it? It seems to me you should be worried more about getting in shape to ride five 60-mile days. Have you ridden one 60-mile day, yet?
There is not magic saddle that will get you through that without some training.

billydonn

Here's a quote from the very first post of the thread, italics added:

Strategy: As I ride longer in preparation for the June trip I am auditioning saddles and this riding is a good time to break in one of those fabled Brooks thingies that send so many (but clearly not all) riders into rhapsodic celebrations.

Never said I expected to do no training... there is a plan for that and ample time to do it as my work schedule drops off in late April. Thanks for your concern though. As to the saddle, it is my judgment that I can possibly do better than the old saddle. I don't see why that needs extensive justification here.

FloridaBoy

I already had the Brooks and there were some issues reported with the older Selle A's. I will say that after having the Brooks cut out *I* had no issues.The saddle was a lot more comfortable from the start with the cut out. Springy but firm. Yes, you still have to put time in the saddle to get conditioned but the cut out, for me, made things a lot easier. It still took some time to get it properly adjusted. The fact is that some riders are more sensitve in the bag 'o beans and frank area than others. Selle A does have a 30 day return option on their saddles and they really care about your comfort.

a77impala

I have two Brooks B17's and two others that are more narrow but I don't know the model as they were shot when I got them and I replaced the leather myself using leather I got from a saddle shop.
I love them, I only have one road bike that doesn't have one and I don't ride it much.
Stick with it you will be glad you did.

dave-j

I hear what people are saying about the early Selle Anatomicas. Got mine last year after serious displeasure with the Toupe that came on my bike. For the record, it has a little over 3000 miles on it and have not had to tighten it at all after the first 300. Everybody's different, but my only point was that I couldn't see putting the time into breaking in a B17 with this alternative available. Been very happy with it.

BluesDawg

Two B-17s and a Flyer in my stable. I don't recall ever feeling like I was having to break them in. I just put them on and rode. The only transition period was getting the location and angle dialed in. I guess I just have a Brooks butt.

Road Fan

No tightening! Sounds like they've improved it, good!

chinarider

Can I ask your size & what type of riding you do? I'm debating between the Selle Anatomica & the Brooks B17 Imperial narrow. I ride a Trek Pilot 1.2 which is a relaxed geometry road bike. When the season gets going, I generally ride 4-5 days a week, 20-50 miles per ride, with occasional rides of 60+. While I don't race, I do push the pace & spend a lot of time in the drops. I'm relatively small, 5'4', 150 lbs. The width of the Selle scares me a little. I also like the laces on the Brooks (and the 6 mo return policy), but don't look forward to the extended break in period. I do like the additional waterproofing on the Selle. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Dan

ecrider

I have two Selle An Atomicas. If you opt for one, I would recommend the watershed. Also, even if you are slightly under 180 pounds, I'd still recommend the Clydesdale model. Ebay seems to have some good prices on these expensive saddles. You might check them out.

Before buying my second Selle, I asked forum members about the B17 and the consensus was that if the Selle works (and it does) why invest in something that might not work for me. That helped me regain my senses and order the Selle.

If you have questions, visit their site https://www.mcmwin.com/

Skipper

Ditto.

billydonn

Episode nine- 20.4 miles.
Dear Diary: Wind not significant today! Still cool though. Alas, still not a very long ride due to work constraints. The B-17 did not give me any trouble at all today. May be making progress, but I know the real test will come with longer and more frequent rides as work slacks off and weather improves.

Looks like this whole thing has been a waste of time as the Selle Anatomica is clearly a far superior saddle... guess I will discontinue this post at this point.

Total B-17 riding time: about 14 hours.

Tom Bombadil

Don't own a Brooks, likely never will. Have testridden a few times.

However there is no way you can say the above with any level of confidence. There are thousands upon thousands of extremely happy Brooks riders. I've seen survey responses where people rated saddles on a 1 to 5 scale, where Brooks racked up extremely high overall scores.

jgjulio

Be careful with the Selle Anatomica. Their customer service is atrocious. If the saddle works then no problem, but if you have a problem you will get blamed for the problem.

I had a very bad experience with this company and after weeks of trying to get them to honor my return I got a money order with $60 shorted from the price I paid. No explanation, no reason.

Just be careful!

grinningfool

Pretty sure billydonn was being facetious here.

BluesDawg

You are so right. Send that piece of junk B-17 to me and I'll properly dispose of it for you.