beicster 

I am a Brooks B17 guy. They just work for me. I recently bought the Cardiff Harlech Leather saddle sold through Soma (They had a big sale) and it is basically an Asian made copy of the Brooks. It claims to use Italian leather. After some fits and starts and fiddling with the tension, i think I have it sorted. I would like to try one of the Cambiums but I am reluctant to spend the money on a gamble when the B17's work so well.

tcs

Early adopter Brooks C17 Cambium Special with the organic cotton top on the BikeFriday tikit. Like all the cotton top Cambiums, the fabric has started to fray.



Oh yeah, and don't buy a white saddle unless you enjoy regular scrubbing/cleaning.

P!N20

Applies to white knicks as well.

15fsport_350

I tried to post a picture and it won’t let me. I’m too new here lol. I have nearly 100 with close to 50 being limited brooks

RCMoeur

Let's see... if you start with describing the first one, by #9 or #10 you could start posting pictures.

Some people might advise you to create a photo album and link it, but as I recall, that runs into the same restrictions as photos in general; i.e. you can create the album, but you can't link to it until 10 posts.

15fsport_350

So I should put my answer with single words in posts lol

15fsport_350

or we can just talk about the weather where we are currently lol

RCMoeur

I take it this doesn't count...?

Andy_K 

My favorite saddle is the Specialized Phenom. I've collected a fair variety of them in recent years.









Also available in black




In a pinch, a Specialized Toupe will do




Once in a while I branch out into leather

RCMoeur

I've ridden everything from Avocet to Brooks to Persons to Selle Italia to the bucket seat on my recumbent to whatever, and my hiney has let me know what it likes and what it doesn't like, both for short neighborhood trips and for solo unsupported 24 hour endurance rides (the old Arizona Challenge). And the first thing I noticed is that a seat can have oodles of padding, but if it has a hard non-flexible pan, it's not gonna be all that great as the miles pile up. Whereas something that at first glance looks uncomfortable but flexes under you (such as a Unicanitor or similar) feels much better in the long term.

After I let my USCF license lapse (yes, that long ago) I decided that unless it's a bike built for pure speed then I wanted some cushy for my tushy. And then this type of saddle appeared on the market, and my butt said "yeah, this works". A moderate amount of padding, but more important a very flexible sprung pan augmented with springs on the rails. Soaks up road shock even better than 43 mm tires.






And so I have this type of saddle on nearly all my bikes - the chrome cruiser, the aluminum cruiser, the commuto-cruiser, the tandem, the fixie, the boingy bike, and even the Friday. It's a bit heavy for the racer, so on the Raleigh Pro I use a Unicanitor with a thin Grab-On pad I bought nearly 40 years ago that provides just enough thin cushioning.

I volunteer at a couple of non-profits fixing bicycles. At the one serving foster kids, the rule on saddles is "it has to look like new", even if that means taking a used, beat-up, yet comfortable seat off and replacing it with a shiny new abomination saddle. But that's the way it is.


And they tell me to toss out that old ugly seat, and so it ends up safely stored in my Strategic Saddle Stockpile (it's "curating", not hoarding).


And with a new seat cover, it'll work just like new. And given that new versions of my favorite saddle now go for nearly $70 retail, I'm happy to have a few salvaged spares.

RCMoeur

That's quite a Concor-dance.

1989Pre

Hyphens are under-rated.

Bianchigirll 

That’s not a saddle it’s patio furniture! Nice recumbent, what is it? I kinda want an old school long wheelbase with under the seat steering

15fsport_350

I can post pictures now! Here’s some of the collection

jdawginsc 

No wonder Brooks prices are so high...someone has cornered the market...

What are the Grateful Dead saddles?

15fsport_350

hahahaha, I might be guilty. Those are from State Bike Co. They did a collab. There’s actually a Grateful Dead Klunker too. SUPER GOOD guy and reasonably priced

jdawginsc 

Love the pallet wall...

darkmoon

Another wonder and surprise of American cycling and cyclists

Surprising collection!

It takes my words away!

Thanks, pix!

xiaoman1 

Nice collection.....when will you show us the bicycles that the reside on?
BTW, When you have a moment.....Please consider making an appointment with this man.


Best, Ben

Kabuki12

I really am with my people, what a collection of saddles, 15fsport_350!

15fsport_350

I will be adding some of the bikes over the next few weeks. I just got the ability to post pictures and it’s like Christmas came early! Hahahaha. I don’t want to highjack this post

Drillium Dude

Damn, 15fsport_350 - you broke the thread!

Biggest collection of Flites I've ever seen, even an original Evolution (my fave rider). And I see you were one of the few early testers of the Brooks Cambium, too. A very impressive collection. May I ask, what led to your obsession with collecting saddles specifically?

Awesome contribution

DD

RCMoeur

You are indeed a master of de-seat.

RCMoeur

It's a Rans Nimbus I bought back in December 1983. And for patio furniture, it goes much faster on descents than any of my other outdoor chairs.

I did the 1984 Arizona Challenge 24-hour endurance ride on it. Didn't set any speed records, especially with 10,000+ ft of climbing. Comfort-wise, it was like sitting in an office chair for a day & a night. On that ride, I was eventually laid low by a tag on the back of my shorts that moved a very tiny bit every leg stroke with my back pressure on it. Multiply by nearly 24 hours and a couple hundred plus miles, and what was unnoticeable on training rides became an ugly red welt. But hey, no saddle soreness!

It's been a good reliable bike. I had it fully chromed in the 1980s, the fork broke about 30 years ago (and was repaired under warranty by Rans), and the original handlebars suddenly snapped from fatigue about a decade ago on a ride. They were long out of production, so I've had to substitute Sunlite hi-riser bars instead, which work adequately well.

15fsport_350

Appreciate it! So I’m new here, my name is Bill from CT. Ive been a rider for about 30 years. I have 3 obsessions in life, my family, saddles, and cannondales. Flite was always my saddle of choice but my father was huge into Brooks. As a kid, I thought I have to get a brooks because my dad knows all hahahaha. It started with 1 and the story, the craftsmanship, the beauty and honestly what’s written right on the test Saddle says it all and took 1 into just shy of 100 in total now.
Everyone has their preference in saddle, however when you go bananas, you can pick a design that speaks you. I still add to the collection and from time to time, sell as well.