roadfix

They're ok. People either love em or hate em... I've got a set of these bars on my fixed gear and love em. But this is the first time I've mounted Ergo levers on them, thinking the shift levers will be in awkward positions but I found out not to be the case. Even raising as much as I could, the drops were still too low on this bike so I decided to get rid of them.

garysol1 

So true.........I think I am leaning towards the Selle Atomica butchered Brooks

daytonian

What color Selle Atomica are you leaning towards?

garysol1 

I think just the black Robusto LD model. They emailed me that as long as I dont do a custom color that they would take it back for a refund if it did not work out for me. Otherwise the blue

steppinthefunk 

make sure you post some pics and a review once you get it...

v1nce

+ 1 on that. I would love a review on those saddles. I love the fact that some people decided to try and make a great thing even better. I am also wondering if all the motion the leather 'flaps' make when pedalling result in a loss of efficiency though even if they do i am guessing it is very minimal. Also wonder how these saddles stack up to a standard Brooks in terms of comfort and durability.

Once you get your saddle,.. any chance you could measure the cut out or possibly even trace it or a post a full size picture? That way some of the Brooks enthousiast could maybe make their own cut outs.. Hmm how about a Brooks with the sideskirts chopped AND a cut out.. that might placate the weight weenies but it may also not be firm enough, but if you lace it up though...

garysol1 

I will take some pics for sure. At this point in my saddle search I really dont care if the saddle is a little heavier or I lose some effeciancy......I just want a habby butt.

v1nce

Well i am thinking you will have a very 'habby' butt with this choice almost for sure!

garysol1 

Habby....happy.....whatever.....I am just giddy with the thought

antiquebiker

Helmets save - is that mud I see on your rear tire? For a demonstration picture???

antiquebiker

ACK! It looks like the two sides would "cut" what ever is bulging into the slot (we are not told if this is male or female anatomy).

These are Brooks saddles that are cut up?

garysol1 

I have to take there word for it that it does not cut up the "boys" I don't think the slot is wide enough for much more than some fabric and a bit of pad to protrude through. From the voice of the tester...it is definatly a guy.

Warblade

I personally LOVE my San Marco aspide ti saddle. It looks like it would be hard but its really quite comfy.

rider tom

You're best served buying a saddle that fits your body. That is not necessarily the same saddle that works for someone with your skeletal size and body weight. The key is a critical section of your ischial tuberosities, sit bones, that is ideally suited to this weight bearing. The marriage of bike saddles and the pelvic basin region is a delicate one. With the most suitable width (at the wide weight bearing section of a given design) you still need an anatomic relief mechanism that allows you to adjust the saddle position for ideal core weight balance. The beauty of Brooks is that the leather will eventually form itself to your particular anatomic peculiarities. The beast in the Brooks is that there is no anatomic relief mechanism. I happen to be the Patent Holder, principal designer, and 10,000 mile per year development rider of the Selle An-Atomica saddles mentioned elsewhere in this discussion. One of our customers mentioned this discussion a short while ago. Thought I would try to help.
Consider the saddles you've tried, one of them may have been most comfortable, not causing painful aches deep inside your pelvic region, which suggests the saddle is too narrow. If a saddle is too wide and ridden long enough or hard enough, you can damage your ham string attachments, which eventually leave you feeling like you're sitting on a half walnut shell. If you don't have a suitable saddle to measure, try the sit bone measuring device at your local specialized dealer, or look online for an illustrated method that shows you how to locate and measure your sit bone width lying on the floor at home.
Good luck and keep trying until you get it right.

v1nce

@ Rider Tom, hey very nice to have you here!!

I really appreciate your product! Perhaps you can enlighten me as well. Earlier in this thread i posted some questions on the durability and such of the An-Atomica.. Any chance you could please answer those questions? I would very much appreciate that. Thank you.

NealH

So "rider tom", we measure our sit bones and then what's next? There are many variants of An-Atomica (whew, which to choose?) saddles offered but, there isn't instructions on matching the sit bones to the proper An Atomica saddle. Do we choose the saddle with a width figure closest to the sit bone measurement whether slightly wider or narrower or, do we always choose saddle width to be immediately wider than our sit bone width?

The age old argument that test driving is the best approach probably holds true for these saddles also but, at $25 restock + shipping.....well, I'll have to pass on this one.

biker7

There is no absolute science relating sit bone spacing to saddle width, but I believe that saddle width is the single most important ingredient to choosing the right saddle. You can use the Specialized metric...but believe this is even flawed. Why? Because I bought a Specialized Alias at 143mm based upon their recommendation. My sit bone spacing is 113mm or so. I have also tested narrower versions of Brooks and I feel best supported by the 170mm B.17. Because each of our anatomies' is relatively unique, I think trial and error is really the best if not most cumbersome measure. It also comes down to your definition of what is comfortable. You may think your Brooks isn't as comfortable as you would like...until you try a more narrow carbon a$$hatchet and are reminded that the Brooks is the most comfortable saddle out there. Lastly...not to disparage the An-Atomica...but I am not a fan of cutting a slot in a Brooks saddle and rebadging it under a different name and claiming it to be an alternative if not better mousetrap. No thanks.
George

rider tom

I have to apologize in that I can't find time on a scheduled or regualr basis to come to this website. Kept too busy with on going product R&D and email at our websites. A good leather saddle like this will outlast any other newer materials when properly cared for. For example, we have test models used specifically for winter rain ride tests with more than 8,000 miles logged and showing no signs or no hope of wearing out. We get rain all winter here in SF Bay Area and ride in it regualry for hours at a time to test various aspects of our designs and materials.
Tom

rider tom

I can do a better job answering the saddle width questions you ask through an email exchange which you can initiate at our website. With one year of sales behind us, we've only had three customers ask about returning saddles. None were width related (in part because among those how ask, we take the conversation exchange seriously), only one was comfort related, a customer who told us in advance he'd suffered eleven surgeries in his pelvic basin region for various problems over the years and was still struggling to find any saddle that allowed him to ride his bike. In all three cases we refunded all their $ save the merchant service fees. Our posted return policy is designed to compel folks to think and ask before making quick decisions.
Tom

Serpico

good point, even if you are ischi at a certain width--doesn't mean you necessarily distribute your weight in a way that can be measured

trial and error, trial and error

rider tom

pea brains