superslomo

Everyone seems to strongly recommend these for long-distance and touring cycling. I'm willing to give it a day in court (or a couple of hundred miles in court, but whatever...) but need to get some recommendations as to which model Brooks to get.

I'm a reasonably big guy, 6'3, 211 lbs., don't ride aggressively in the drops that often. I'm currently using a Terry Liberator Gel, which is reasonably comfortable, but the slope from seat to nose is just too wide, and I end up getting chafed on the inner thighs after 40 miles, and it gets worse from there. I'm also experiencing some discomfort in the hamstrings from the pressure from the seat shape.

So, is the B17 likely to be too wide? I'm just trying to get a sense of it, in that I'm probably going to have to order one to be mailed to me. What do all the Brooks devotees around here use?

dobber

I don't think you can go wrong with a B17. I've got em on my road, track, fixed, touring and gentry bikes. I do have a Flyer (a sprung 17) on my XO3, like it but it has an annoying squeak at times.

Shorter (5-9) and a tad heavier (225), I've found them to be extremly comfortable even right out of the box with or without riding shorts. I've logged some 100 miles rides on them without complaint although the first couple times I did need to stop and fiddle with the positioning. I've got tree-trunk thighs and have no chafing problems.

brunop

i'm 5'8" and 127 lbs so this may not apply perfectly, but my b17 narrow is perfect. all broken in so i don't even wear a chamois. it was good from the get-go, but after about 400 miles you could see it shaped to my sitbones.

i have a team professional on my other bike. the leather on the pro is thicker and takes longer to break in, but it's almost as comfortable as the b17. i have about 1500 miles on it. i wear a chamois usually on it but for anything under 30 miles i'm fine without.

try a brooks. you can always sell it on ebay or craig's list if you don't like it.

but i wouldn't ride anything else.

thebulls

Suggest you talk with Bill Laine of Wallingford Bicycle Parts (www.wallbike.com). His prices on Brooks are decent, and he provides a 6 month unconditional satisfaction guarantee.

As to Brooks, well, I rode a well-worn in Champion Flyer (B17 with springs) on our last 600k (375 miles) and ended up with black and blue bruises on my butt. On somewhat shorter rides with my Brooks Pro, I've ended up with similar outcomes, including internal swelling around the sitbones. I think I just sit too far back on the Brooks and end up with a fair amount of weight on the metal frame. If I sit further forward, then I get numbness issues. So now I'm on a Specialized Avatar, which has been fine on events up to 330 miles. Hoping it'll be fine for longer events.

knobster

I bought a Brooks Team Professional this morning. I've had a hell of a time finding a seat that works for long distances. I'm 5'10" 180lbs and I've tried some seats like the Selle-Italia SLK, Terry Fly and the E3 Form and although they are OK, I want to not even think about the seat. Time to try a Brooks. Surprised by the weight, but I figure that I can just loose another 2 or 3 lbs.

Spudmeister

B.17 Champion Special - the leather's a bit softer & the saddle's a bit nicer than the standard B.17.

superslomo

Ended up getting a B17 Narrow, which one LBS in the city had in stock... took a test ride before proofide application to see how the size was, and I'm just wondering:

How long is it going to stay this slippery???

It was almost impossible to stay in one place, kept on feeling like I was sliding forwards. I've heard about the rock hard aspect of things (not too bad, actually, over a couple of miles) but hadn't heard that it was like sitting on an ice cube... how many miles before that changes?

BluesDawg

The slickness of the new saddle will gradually lessen over a couple hundred miles give or take. You may want to try raising the nose just a bit from what you would expect. I'm not saying point it at the sky, but maybe a click up from what looks level. When the nose is dead level, the rear area where you sit is actually sloping down. Most people seem to need a couple of adjustments before they find the right angle. As the surface gets less slick, as you find the best angle and as the sit bone depressions develop, the sliding around will go away.

fatall

I have just put on a new b17 on my bike 2 weeks ago and I havn't notice any sliding around? I did proofide the saddle first and I ride with nics.
This is my second brooks saddle and I love it

brunop

buttock sweat will lessen the sliding around problem!

superslomo

fatall: what are "nics"?

fatall

Nics=padded lycra shorts(Not sure if I spelt it right or that is what we call them in Australia?)
What do you call padded lycra shorts?

superslomo

Right on. I thought you might have meant knickers, meaning the bike shorts...

Not sure there's a nickname for them here (pun intended, I guess.) I was wearing those on the first non-proofided trip the other day... but hopefully a couple of coats of the proofide will help work it in.

pgoat

I have been using the swift on my fast road bike and I thought ut was too wide at first (it's about 155mm at its widest point; I am used to 145 or so). But now I love the width and the little skirt area I found annoying at first flexes quite nicely under pressure. After a coupla hundred miles it is still rock hard but I am loving it.

bmike

I've a Swallow, Team Pro, and a B17. The Swallow gets ridden the most.
I have a Swift on the way for my new ride - I'm hoping that extra bit of skirt and the fact that the Swift is not connected underneath like the Swallow makes it comfy after about 120 miles...