Originally Posted by Evolution-06
truely, what is the obsession with these saddles? I just dont understand.
Say a normal seat rides a 3 on a scale of 1-10, and you purchase a slight upgraded say 5 level saddle. say this one
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...080&spid=11959
what would you rate the brooks? and how does the size compare to the one above?
Don't know about the one you cited, but I replaced the stock saddle on my OCR with a Specialized Alias (155mm) and put about 1000 miles on it before removing it in favor of another Brooks B17 Champion Special. Compared the to stock brick they had on there (Selle Viper), the Alias was a dream, but compared to the Brooks, the Alias is just a seat trying to do a saddle's job. That is the best way I can describe the difference - Brooks are saddles, everything else is just a seat.
The B17 is about 20mm wider in the rear than the Alias, I believe, but the design of the Brooks is perfect for my okole. IMHO if you are a weight-obsessed racer with an aggressive riding position and style, the Alias and other racing saddles are probably the right tool for the job, but for the rest of us, nothing beats a Brooks.