uncle uncle

I noticed on a fall ride that an older gentleman's (I'm guessing, by I would say he was in his late 60's) was riding a vintage bicycle (Trek) with drop bars and what I can only guess was a sprung Brooks saddle. I didn't know him from Adam, so I didn't feel right asking about his saddle setup. But now, as I've scanned some of the C&V posts, that some here use that same setup. I was wondering if you could share your reasoning for your setup, and the pro's and con's of using a spring saddle with a drop bar setup... thanks in advance.

nlerner

I have used that setup with a couple of sprung Brooks saddles, but ultimately felt that the saddle wasn't any more comfortable than a non-sprung version, and I didn't want to pay the weight penalty.

beech333

I have three Flyers that I like quite a bit. The springs give me just a bit of extra comfort. It definitely isn't much, but it helps when you are riding 50+ miles in a day. If you aren't going more than 30-40, I probably wouldn't recommend it.

bikemig 

Some people use these on gravel/dirt bikes. I have a B72 (which is more of a mattress style saddle with springs) which I use on my townie bike with upright bars. It's comfy.

steelbikeguy

I ran a Brooks Flyer on my commuting bike for a number of years. It definitely took the edge off of the rough roads! In fact, it muted the bumps so well that it was just like riding on a severely underinflated tire. In fact, it made it much harder for me to even notice when my rear tire flatted!

The extra weight is probably the biggest downside of a sprung saddle. In addition to the significant weight of the springs, there is essentially a second saddle frame added... one goes on the top of the springs, and the second is below the springs. That's a lot of steel!

A second downside, which rarely becomes a problem, is that the springs are undamped. If you hit a really big bump, you can nearly get launched off the bike!

A third issue is that there is no pre-load for the springs. As such, it will behave differently for me (at 155 pounds) than for someone closer to 200 pounds.

For someone who has to deal with really rough roads, tires with a large cross-section are probably a better solution than a sprung saddle. If you can't (or don't want to) fit bigger tires to the bike, then a sprung saddle isn't a bad idea.


Steve in Peoria

edit: I thought I'd add a photo showing all of the steel structure of the Brooks Flyer...

ramzilla

I'm a really big advocate & supporter of saddles with steel springs. All of my upright hybrid, city bikes, & townie bikes have them. However, when I feel the need for speed and, I get on my drop bar road bike, then it's no springs on that that ride. Remember, on upright bar bike you rarely exceed 15mph. Springs are wonderful at that speed. On a racing bike you're doing 15 - 25mph. Maybe even 35mph on downhills. You can really start bouncing on a spring seat at those speeds. It's a little scary.

52telecaster

I used a flyer with drop bars... I have since switched to inverted moustache bars. My original reason was some pretty severe sciatica that was aggravated by unseen bumps. My condition is much better now but the flyer remains on my main commuter. The weight penalty is there but frankly I don't care.

AustinFitz

I just got myself a Flyer Special the other day. I read TONS comments about the springs being overly stiff and basically useless for anyone under 185 lbs. or so, and I'm only 125... I decided to get one anyway figuring that if they were too stiff I could swap the springs until I found some I liked. I'm not sure if maybe Brooks finally listened to everyone's complaints about the overly stiff springs or what, but at 125 lbs. I definitely notice the springs while riding, and can even slightly compress them with one hand by squeezing the rear of the saddle.

They seem to be perfect! Just stiff enough to where you don't get unwanted bouncing like on a department store sofa seat, but soft enough to dampen road imperfections and vibrations. I have yet to hit anything major without lifting from the saddle yet though. I've only done one 14 mile ride on it since getting it, but I love it so far!

I mainly chose the Flyer because I'm building a touring bike, and plan to do lots of longer rides on it. I live in Louisiana where the roads are mostly terrible, and a sprung saddle paired with slightly wider tires seemed to be the way to go for me.

cdmurphy

Uncle Uncle,

That was probably either the Flyer as mentioned previously (B17 top, with springs), or a Conquest (Professional top, with springs.). I have a Conquest on my rigid mountain bike. It does come with a weight penalty, but really takes the edge off bumps. It really isn't that noticeable when just riding along, but you can tell a real difference on cracks, bumps and potholes. Probably equivalent to switching from 25mm to 35mm or 38mm tires .

Personally, I wouldn't bother on a road bike. Just the normal leather saddle offers some spring, and most riders learn to "post" or take their weight off the saddle when hitting bumps. (I could see it being nice when you are exhausted at the end of a ride, or at night, where you might not see bumps well.)

clubman 

+1
I've owned most every model of Brooks and I've never been able to build a road bike with springs or an upright town bike without springs, that was comfortable. That's not to say it can't be done.

Lascauxcaveman 

I got a new-ish one cheap from a fellow forumite to try on my touring bikes; C-Dale ST600 and Peugeot Vagabond. At right around 200lbs, I can definitely feel the thing flexing and springing under me in the bumps. For just short rides and noodling around town, I could't tell if it helps at all, comfort-wise.

But then on my most recent 100-mile day, I rode the Vagabond w/the springer and it seems my fanny felt fresher than it usually does after a 60-mile day, so maybe there's something to it.

One must admit, it certainly looks the part on a vintage French (Canadian) touring bicycle, n'est-ce pas, (eh)?

thumpism 

I have a Brooks Conquest on a touring bike but not many miles on it. I also have a sprung B66 on a different touring bike. I would not say that springs make a big difference but they do not seem to be a liability.
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