I would request to be a tester for the Brooks Imperial saddle.

My own experience with Brooks saddles extends back about 25 years. In that time, I have ridden the B17, the Team Pro, the Swift, the Swallow, and the Flyer. In addition, I have ridden many saddles with cut-outs, including the Specialized Toupe, the Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow, and the Fizik Arione.

As a young racer, I rode primarily what our sponsors supplied us. The key characteristic was, of course, free, followed closely by light. Of course, developing numbness in the groin was a part of racing, and my younger self found easy relief in simply standing more.

On my own bike, however, I had a modified Team Pro, trimmed and laced at the edges. This was a gift from an "old time racer" friend, a Mr. Bob Bell, who had experience and a love of things both exotic and utilitarian. For a young man in Albany, Georgia in the 1980's, the Brooks saddle was both. This saddle was ridden nearly as much as all my racing saddles combined. For daily training on my "heavy" bike, it permitted me much more comfort, even on the "shake and bake" roads where we trained. Somehow, I didn't learn the lesson well enough.

As I aged, however, I found my added weight made a standard racing saddle uncomfortable. My first cutout saddle was a Specialized Alias. I had seen the Terry and other cutout saddles for years, but had ignored it, feeling that numbness was primarily an issue with position, and even so, was still to be some part of the sport.

Under the direction of a trusted friend, I was eventually "fit" for a Specialized BG saddle, the Alias. This saddle was terrible, as was its successor, the Toupe. After 2 hours, the saddle became exceedingly uncomfortable, most likely due to sag as the saddle edges flexed downward. Instead of numb genitals, I was generally left with burning sensations in my left foot--something I had heard of, but had never experienced. No amount of repositioning could alleviate this.

I finally returned to the Team Pro, then I discovered my favorite Brooks saddle, the Swallow. I have never looked back. With a few thousand miles on each of my Brooks saddles, they have become invisible. They allow me to position myself as I will, and support me firmly and without pressure. I have NEVER found a saddle that worked better. Now, I own 7, and each of my bikes is well-kitted in a Brooks of its own.

That said, I am very interested in a cutout Brooks saddle. The competing Anatomica cutout saddle has always seemed cheap and of poor quality--the leather sags and seems somehow limp and unsupportive. A cutout saddle of Brooks quality would be wonderful. DON'T disappoint me.

Thanks for the opportunity,

Michael Maddox