I dissent from the dogma that Brooks saddles are uncomfortable until broken in. This may be true in many cases; but I think there's at least a sizable minority of people who find them comfortable from the start, or who do so after making positional adjustments. I have a B17 on my commuter that felt great out of the box, and a Swift on my racing bike that didn't. I assumed, in accordance with dogma, that the latter would remain uncomfortable until breaking in, but then I came to suspect that I was resting my sit bones too far forward of the saddle's broad end. I moved the saddle forward, and hey presto: from medieval torture device to Barcalounger. (At any rate, from distinctly unpleasant to distinctly pleasant.)

And as for weight penalties: sheesh. I can't say I agonize over the seconds I've added to the climbs.