highre

Will a Brooks saddle really break-in and be the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden?

ctyler

I did for me. In fact there was no "break in" period. Once I got the saddle adjusted properly, it was comfortable from day 1. I have Brooks on all three of my bikes; the B17 on my touring bike and on my around town bike and a B17 narrow on my road bike. For me the Brooks is the BEST saddle ever!

stokessd

Yes...

They are amazing, heavy and not trendy at all, but the best feeling saddle I have ever tried, bar none.

Sheldon

Cosmoline

I recently got a B66 for my utility riding. I've experienced no break in problems. The trick was adjusting it and the handlebars properly. The B66 changed my posture quite a bit and required me to raise the bars several inches. I suspect a B17 would mandate a lowering of the bars.

JoeB14

I got a B-17 about three weeks ago, after trying several other saddles. It was hard out of the box, and after a few hundred miles, is still hard to the touch. But to my butt, it is the most comfortable saddle I have been on. I don't experience any soreness to the sit bones, or numbness to the......
I definitely recommend it. And if you buy it at wallbike.com, you have six months to return it.

goldfishin

my b17 complies with the requirements of my prostate now. it's the only saddle i've had that didn't either smash my prostate or try to rip the skin of my ass off.

Allen

In my experience they have been the most comfortable of the saddles I've ridden. They have impressed me enough that I keep them on all my bikes.

rickyaustin

I just rode over two hours on one and feel pretty darned good. Without this forum I would have never known about them, and definately not tried one when I saw it in store. Mine has broken in in less than 200 miles... it helps that I'm 315lbs and can bend the leather alot quicker than you lightweights.

The wallbike suggestion with 6 month return policy is prob the way to go. No risk... but I bet that you won't be returning it

thebankman

The brooks b17 is awesome with high end bibs or cheap shorts. The chamois and seat combo is perfect

Skipper

Once you get past the fact that a Brooks saddle is probably always going to feel like a brick wrapped in leather, you'll find it is a very comfortable saddle. I have three Bricks saddles and every one of them was comfortable right out of the box. The break-in period is exactly the same length of time required to tweak it into the proper position atop your seatpost.

Just follow the instructions provided with the saddle when it comes to conditioning the leather. If you discover you have a butt that just is not meant to ride a Brooks, you will still have a saddle someone else may be willing to buy from you.

IronMac

I have over 600 miles on my Brooks B17 and I can't tell if there is any sort of break-in. But it does not feel any worse than my old Specialized Body Geometry saddle.

jcm

Just check my sig. Many, many happy centuries on leather - no creams, salves, unquents, butt-waxes required. And, no saddle sores. Go easy on the leather conditioners. Brooks saddles should always remain hard to the hand, formed to the butt.

donnamb 

Mine is worth every penny I paid.

Wino Ryder

If you're thinking about buying one, tell us what kind of riding position you have, the kind of bike you have (road, hybrid, MTB) and the relative distance from your bars to saddle nose. There are many different Brooks saddles for different riding styles, and maybe we can help you choose which one is best for you.

That said, I use to ride around on a Selle Italia 'turbomatic 3 (remember them), which at that point was the best saddle I tried until I started going on 30 and 40 mile rides. I was halfway into a 65 mile ride when I got the saddle sore from "HELL" in the middle of nowhere. It was a bloodfest of midevil torture, inflaming my whole lower body with numbwracking agonizing pain. I actually wound up walking my bike a few miles it was so bad, squishing in my blood soaked bike shorts. I could'nt call anybody because I was way out in the country, so I suffered all the way home. It was a week before I could even ride again after that.

I had heard of Brooks, and in my research learned they were favored by many of the long distance boys that do the "RAAM" races (Race Across America), so I decided to give one a try. February 2004 I bought a Brooks "Professional" on-line from 'Branford Bike' when they were still in Connecticut (before they moved to Montana and subquently burned down). The saddle was hard as a rock, but you could'nt convince my butt of that. Right out of the green box my crotch and taint area seemed to flow smoothly and flat against the smooth rounded thick leather of the saddle, completely eliminating any chaffing or pinched skin that is the start of saddle sores. I rode to the bike shop and back, 5 miles up, 5 miles back, and it was the most comfortable saddle I ever rode. It brought my bike riding to a new level, and weeks later I did the same 65 mile ride to my mom's house and back. Except for just a little soreness in my sit bones (which went away and never came back), it was still the most comfortable saddle I ever rode. I will not ride nothing else.

davidmcowan

It's like ridin' on a cloud.

Mariner Fan

For me, yes!

I have a Team Pro on my commuter and a Swift on my roadie.

aadhils

Sometimes I think my butt is numb cause I can't feel my sit bones while actually it's just that the saddle is so comfortable that there isn't any pain...