To be honest I'm not sure where to source them anymore other than Ebay. Crow Cycle used to be my go to source for them but they seem to be gone now.

Bummer. My google search only turned up those two and a bunch of reviews.

Yep, Velo Orange used to sell them with their name also. Not sure why they aren't as distributed as they were. Maybe the Brooks "mystique" makes them unmarketable?

It's a shame they don't sell on the website.

I get it and am so glad the Brooks work for me, they epitomise C+V to my old brain and no bike is proper to me without one, gonna really suck if and when my backside changes its mind.

I love leather saddles and I almost always buy them used. Used ones look better, are more comfortable and are cheaper. I generally pay €20 - €50, depending on condition, at swap meets and online. The trick, I find, is to keep an eye out and buy them whenever they come up for sale, and not wait until you actually need them.

My favorite is probably this well-used Brooks Pro which came off a €60 donor bike ten years ago, and has been on various L'Eroica bikes since then. It has just the right color, shape and wear for me:



The only exceptions are the B17S Imperials mrs non-fixie has come to love. I've not been able to find them used so far, but at ~ €90 new, I think they're a pretty good investment.Come to think of it, buying anything mrs non-fixie likes has turned out to be a pretty good investment.

I'm glad to hear that Gyes saddles are good. But I still haven't regretted any of the Brooks saddles I've bought. When I came back to cycling and found bikeforums, I thought people sounded silly talking about how they loved Brooks. I thought, come on, the world has moved on, and we've invented better saddles. But then I came to realize that there's nothing I like as much.

I've bought more than I needed and now I have a stash of them. They may die of mold before I get to use them all. Come to think of it, I think I will take out of the barn and find space for them in a closet.

I see what you did there.

Wow, so many new replies! Thanks guys, much appreciated.

I found an old French saddle which would be pretty close to what my bike was originally sold with, but unfortunately pics provided by the seller show how the shiny black finish has crackled a lot, revealing brown leather underneath, and the sides have pulled up meaning it has lost its shape. For 20 €, I'm not sure if it's worth the go. Also keeping an eye on a couple of near-mint second hand Brooks examples, waiting for the seller to answer to my bargaining effort

Yeah, if there wasn't the setback issue I probably would never have looked past the Brooks. I think someone on here referred me to the Gyes.

I will say I find the Fizik Kurves to feel pretty close to the leather saddles with out they feel to my bum.

Not sure what that poster on YACF is going on about with the Lepper but I have two Lepper Tourer saddles on high mileage, wet weather, bikes right now and am considering buying a third before they run out. (The company has gone bankrupt in 2020 and the machines have been sold off)
The leather is thicker than Brooks and so is the frame.

I have the exact same complaint about a Brooks B17 Imperial. Sagging to the point of the leather hitting the frame with the additional issues of broken frames.

Sounds to me like he overstretched the leather so it is failing quicker than usual. Then again, YMMV
As others have said, leather saddles are a very personal item.

Do you have any experience with the Gilles Berthoud saddles (out of Montreal?) I bought mine exactly for the reasons you mention—Brooks were too short for all the positions you need for distance travelling. If these Gyes are long lasting and comparable to the Gilles maybe I can save $ on my next build. ....Gilles are spectacular though as that one “go to” saddle.

Do your research here before buying. Don't buy an ADGA saddle at any price. Sure I know someone may like them but they were a cauchemar for most of us.

Good saddle discussion. I'll try a Gyes if I see one.

Edit non-fixie nice B17S, I can ride that. Nice early tribute to Bunnie Wailer too.

That's why I have a spare B17. You have to admit, though, their bags look cool.
That was entirely unintended.

Jan Heine of BQ fame swears by them, the Gyes are considered inferior by comparison, ymmv.

Ben's cycle has good prices on Berthoud saddles.

Out of France

https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/
==
I bought my first about 6 weeks ago and and ordered another two days ago so I'm sold on them

I do not doubt that his endorsement is 100% honest and sincere, but I note he sells them.

Interesting that much more people are now coming out with positive reviews on the Gyes saddles.
I still remember how many quite hated the saddle, the first few years it was issued in the bike market, with the biggest complaint, being, the saddle was almost impossible to break in, because of the fabric reinforcing bonded to the bottom of the leather seemed to keep the leather rock hard, permanently.
How come I don't hear this mentioned on this thread? Did Gyes do something different to get rid of this problem??

Yeah, maybe that was speculation vs actual experience? I just use Proofhide on both my Brooks and Gyes. I don't really see a difference with either of them in terms of breaking in or comfort. In fact I tend to forget which is which brand on the bikes. The just seem the same to me.

I've got a Guv'nor on order that will be coming with a Brooks Ti railed saddle. In my mind I'm already wondering if I'll need to swap in the Gyes for no other reason than to get enough setback. I did go with the "larger" 22.5 Guv'nor based on common fit guidance so in this case the frame may work for me with a Brooks.

Awesome, good find!!!!!!!

Has anyone heard of/tried the Creme Cycles Speedy Saddle? I've only seen them at Mike's Bikes here in the U.S. but I think they're available from the Creme Cycles site in Europe and maybe the U.K.?

(Couldn't post the links because I'm a newbie)

eBay is always worth a look. I bought a decent looking "Ideale" saddle on there a few years ago for like $10. I use quotes because either the leather had been replaced or it was never an Ideale in the first place (No embossed logo/model on the leather, no nameplate on the back, etc).

It's a pretty comfortable saddle though!

Well of course he does, self fulfilling prophecy, retail acumen, etc. and one of the few that gets to have big fun while laughing all the way to the bank.

In the long run I just buy a Brooks that suits the bike and admire how good it feels and looks. I just tried a perfect looking Czech saddle recently and it will never be supportive or shaped the way I want. I almost always take them off before I sell a bike. I even bought a new B67 for my new Giant ebike.

"Some folks don't believe that the Taiwanese can make stuff as well as the British did, but there's no factual basis for that belief, and in many cases this attitude may be traced to racism." - Sheldon Brown