Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Brooks makes
the Imperial line of saddles with cutouts. They were making the Imperial line in the 1890s before the current fad of cutouts.
I would also say that the reality of genital numbness is a problem for
some people, not necessarily
a lot of people. Personally, if I want to put my equipment to sleep, nothing does a better job of it than a saddle with a cutout. For me, the cutout cuts off blood flow more effectively than a tourniquet would. I've never experienced numbness with a Brooks of any kind, although I haven't tried the Imperials.
Tried them both. Both make the junk go numb. It's likely the narrow nose Brooks saddles have that pushes inside the sitbones/rami and cuts off circulation. It's nice in terms of thigh clearance but I really hate the feeling of feeling nothing down there...