Initial shakedown impressions are as follows:

- Wow these things are slippery, but I have never used a brand spankin' new black brooks before.
- Presence of cutout is almost imperceptible
- I don't remember my new B17 champion special being this uncomfortable
- at least it's better than the B17N I tried.
- thoughts of butting it on my road bike with some handlebar drop were quickly squelched
- Perineal pressure was immediately apparent and uncomfortable. The cutout could be farther forward but in general a B17 seems to be too short for my personal geometry, the nose itself cause the discomfort.
- My ideale 92 is still top runner for next long distance tour, however I will continue to use and break in the brooks and hope things get better, I know the cutout may not seem to do anything right now but in the long run it may alloy flow in the soft tissues which ultimately prevents numbness... but I remain skeptical that this is an improvement.