It is expensive and tedious to search for a good saddle, so when I tried a Brooks B-17 and discovered how well it suited me, I stopped looking. I am sure that somewhere there is a lightweight saddle that fits me just as fine, but I can't be bothered to spend the money or endure the pain to find it.

But there is more to a saddle than a good fit: One thing I really like about my Brooks B-17 saddles are the fact that I in all likelihood can buy the exact same B-17 model ten years from now. For marketing reasons saddle makers replace their models with regular intervals, and historically that have often meant that the new saddle versions differed so much that it didn't fit many who liked its predecessor. (Turbomatic series comes to mind), or the model is simply scrapped. In both cases one has to start an entire new search for a replacement saddle, or really stock up of the model you like before it is too late.

Several years ago at while I was at my LBS, a Euro Pro rider from Team CSC came into the shop with a huge bag of sponsor saddles; it turned out that that years new saddle models didn't suit him at all, so he wanted to exchange them for old models. My LBS happily obliged since they had the old model in stock. He was lucky that there still was old stock to be had.

I also find that my Brook B-17 saddles are cheap over the long run, since they are so durable: My Selle Italia Turbomatic and my San Marco Rolls saddle didn't last that long: When the foam gets too compressed the saddle is done for. A thin "leather" cover also gets worn to pieces at some point. I also like that they have no chafing stitches or painted on logos that gets worn and looks ugly after a while.

Here in the EU, a Brooks B-17 is also priced competitively compared to many entry level brand name saddles from Fizik, Selle Italia etc. All in all the B-17 is good value, long lasting, very comfortable, good looking even when used a lot, and the model has been in production a long time, and probably will be in the future too.

There are also things I don't like with my Brooks B-17's; they start to creak sometimes, their rails are very short, so I need seat posts with lots of setback to sit correctly. You can destroy one by riding in heavy downpour for many hours (the water, pressure and heat can cause it to become an "ass hatchet" as Jobst Brandt so poetically described it.), they stained my khaki shorts (a new black B-17, I don't know if it is something they stop doing when used), they are somewhat heavy.

OTHO, I never had any problems with "breaking it in" They fitted me from the start, and only improved by use.

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Regards