Brooks saddle on a cf road bike
11-19-10, 09:26 AM
#26
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Well, if it works, it works. Who cares what saddle you ride. I think only roadies look to each others saddle, and if they look at it while you're riding they will mainly see butt instead of saddle. That said; after spending a lot on saddles with a cut out; I am finally happy, riding on my sanmarco vintage regal without a cut out. The cheapest of all I tried and very comfy.
11-19-10, 10:07 AM
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Depends on the butt in question. Some people can ride on a bed of nails or even...a stock saddle with comfort. Others get along fine with any number of good plastic saddles, while still others can't tolerate anything but a Brooks.
The OP spent over $300 on saddles before settling on the Brooks. This is a common experience of Brooks devotees. That is why they are so highly rated. Because many of the people who end up owning one do so because they suffered on hundred of dollars of other saddles first. I had the same experience. I literally couldn't ride more than 45 minutes on any saddle(tried dozens) until I got my brooks. Now I can ride all day or even multi all day events. World of difference.
The OP spent over $300 on saddles before settling on the Brooks. This is a common experience of Brooks devotees. That is why they are so highly rated. Because many of the people who end up owning one do so because they suffered on hundred of dollars of other saddles first. I had the same experience. I literally couldn't ride more than 45 minutes on any saddle(tried dozens) until I got my brooks. Now I can ride all day or even multi all day events. World of difference.
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Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.
11-19-10, 10:13 AM
#28
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One reason you might not want to put a Brooks saddle on a CF racing bike is that Brooks saddles do not tend to be comfrtable for many people if they have a significant drop from the seat to the bars.
Brooks saddles were popular when bikes were typically set up with littel to no drop. And look at the pics of many brooks users on BF and you'll see a lot of them are set up with little drop.
So if you have a bike with racing geometry, and siginficant drop from seat to bars, Brooks may not be the best choice for reasons other than weight.
[ So of course Barrack posts the counter example while I was typing, so its not universally true, but I still think that Brooks tend to be more comfortable with little to no drop]
Brooks saddles were popular when bikes were typically set up with littel to no drop. And look at the pics of many brooks users on BF and you'll see a lot of them are set up with little drop.
So if you have a bike with racing geometry, and siginficant drop from seat to bars, Brooks may not be the best choice for reasons other than weight.
[ So of course Barrack posts the counter example while I was typing, so its not universally true, but I still think that Brooks tend to be more comfortable with little to no drop]
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11-19-10, 04:25 PM
#29
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As a Brooks user I can speak to this. I currently have saddle to bar drops of over 3 inches (off the top of my head) on both my steel road bikes. My standard B17 does put pressure on the "boys" when I'm in the drops. But I recently added a B17 Imperial (has the cutout) on my 2000 LeMond Zurich and it is 100% comfortable when I'm in the drops. This even with the saddle nose tilted up a tad due to my slippery winter tights. I'll put photos up tonight. I should have my CF 5.9 back finally today or tomorrow and can show a shot of that also.
I had the same experience with the as you. I tested the brooks B17 and B17 Imperial on my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket and B17 is noticeably more comfortable in the drops. So I'm ordering another B17 Imperial for the CR1 this weekend.
Edit - My bar drop is about 1-1.5 in
Last edited by KoYak; 11-19-10 at 04:29 PM.
11-19-10, 08:24 PM
#30
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LeMond Zurich drop with the Brooks B17 Imperial
Schwinn Circuit with the B17 special
Schwinn Circuit with the B17 special
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Steel is real...and comfy.
11-19-10, 08:54 PM
#31
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I had a Brooks Swift on my road bike. It was better than the previous Arione saddle but still was hard on the soft tissue. I used it for a couple of months and then replaced it with a Selle Anatomica which is similar to a Brooks B17. The Selle Antomica was the most comfortable saddle I have every tried on the sit bones, but on long rides it would give me numbness and sourness in the soft tissue. The Perineal Nerve, I think it is called. I replaced the Selle Antomica with an SMP saddle two years ago and initially the saddle seemed to be hard on the sit bones but easy on the Perineal. Over time it has become more comfortable. Now I can ride the SMP all day long without any discomfort at all. I don't think I could find a saddle that I like more than my SMP saddle.
Last edited by Carbon Unit; 11-19-10 at 09:01 PM.
11-19-10, 09:24 PM
#32
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Ya gotta do what feels right.
11-20-10, 09:56 PM
#33
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You could have at least tried a San Marco Regal.
Naw, just kidding. Who am I to come between your butt and what it sits on?
Naw, just kidding. Who am I to come between your butt and what it sits on?
11-20-10, 10:37 PM
#34
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OP just gave some information, didn't request opinions, but anyway...
I don't think a Brooks would look well on that bicycle. Just from an aesthetic point of view, nothing to do with weight issues. It's like putting an Aspide on a DL-1.
I don't think a Brooks would look well on that bicycle. Just from an aesthetic point of view, nothing to do with weight issues. It's like putting an Aspide on a DL-1.
11-20-10, 10:51 PM
#35
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My brooks B72 looks bad on my modern Alu/CF road bike. My butt loves it. Since I ride on my butt and not on my eyes, the butt's opinion wins.
11-21-10, 05:36 AM
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Just a note. The max flight is very comfortable but it made me sweat creating some bad saddle sores on every ride over 1.5 hours. And many of these rides were in 60 degree temps. I think it's the gel cushioning.
11-21-10, 10:01 AM
#37
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Glad I found this thread. I'm thinking of trying a Team Pro on my CAAD9. Any thoughts?
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11-21-10, 02:57 PM
#38
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Honest question about the Regal -- is it just suspended leather like a Brooks, or leather covering a plastic frame?
11-21-10, 03:15 PM
#40
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
11-21-10, 03:16 PM
#41
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I don't get this. Do you really notice or pay attention to the saddle somebody else is sitting-on while riding? People should use whatever gets them to ride more!
Last edited by njkayaker; 11-21-10 at 03:25 PM.
11-21-10, 04:14 PM
#42
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It's purely an aesthetic thing. Would you put green bar tape and a blue saddle on a red bicycle?
11-21-10, 04:16 PM
#43
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
11-21-10, 04:30 PM
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This is a silly argument. No one is talking about extreme and bizarre color choices.
11-21-10, 11:27 PM
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Christmas is coming and I can smell the fresh leather of a Brooks saddle. Can't decide between the B17 standard or narrow. Suggestions? I'm also conflicted about the black (which would match my black/red bike) or the classic brown...which is simply a work of art. My stock Fuji seat has to go.
11-21-10, 11:51 PM
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Did this thread just degrade into seat sniffing...?
But seriously folks, if its comfortable, its good. If its comfortable, you'll be fast.
I still think the classic Turbo shape is one of the best. Of course, back in the day, there wasn't 20 million different shapes to choose from.
-Z
But seriously folks, if its comfortable, its good. If its comfortable, you'll be fast.
I still think the classic Turbo shape is one of the best. Of course, back in the day, there wasn't 20 million different shapes to choose from.
-Z
11-22-10, 12:35 AM
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Quite honestly, the only seat I really really like riding is an original Selle Italia Ti Flite.
That said, I have a Brooks on my beater/commuter fixed gear and it's super comfy when I'm in my street pants.
That said, I have a Brooks on my beater/commuter fixed gear and it's super comfy when I'm in my street pants.
11-22-10, 01:50 AM
#49
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Quite a long-time Brooks user here. Have a Ti Swift on my Merlin C110 CF bike. It's taken a long-time to come to terms with my butt, and is narrower by a fair bit than the normal B17s I am used to on other bikes. But I think it will be fine.
Just a note: For seat-bar level at the same height or thereabouts, B17; for bar lower than seat, Team Pro.
I have a Team Pro initially on Fuji touring that was my randonnee/touring/commuting bike and I just didn't get it to feel right because my bars were level with the seat. The B17 was a comfortable saddle by comparison.
The Swift on the Merlin is at the same height as the bars.
I also have a new B17 just at break-in point on a tandem, but that frame is aluminium...
Just a note: For seat-bar level at the same height or thereabouts, B17; for bar lower than seat, Team Pro.
I have a Team Pro initially on Fuji touring that was my randonnee/touring/commuting bike and I just didn't get it to feel right because my bars were level with the seat. The B17 was a comfortable saddle by comparison.
The Swift on the Merlin is at the same height as the bars.
I also have a new B17 just at break-in point on a tandem, but that frame is aluminium...
11-22-10, 04:55 AM
#50
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I have a Swift with Ti rails on my CF road bike. The Ti keeps the weight down a bit, and I have no problem with a saddle-to-bars drop of about 6cm. Most comfortable saddle I ever had, by a wide margin.