Ive always loved the aesthetics of a Brooks saddle, but thought they just looked uncomfortable. Id read some things about them being rock-hard and no good until years after they've broken in. But, I got a good deal on a lightly used B66 Champion ($70) so I thought Id give it a go. After some adjustments, Im pleased to say its WAY more comfy than I previously thought. Im sitting semi-upright on my Trek and its firm but not unpleasantly so. Plus, it looks so damn classic!

Welcome aboard, no proper C+V is correct without a Brooks, IMO.

Very nice.

Most of the complaints I've heard about Brooks saddles and comfort (or lack thereof) has been directed at their unsprung models (B-15, B-17, Professional). The sprung saddles are the epitome of luxury.

I rode a while in B17’s. Mostly comfortable. I did find the width would cause rubbing where the outer edge of chamois was sewed onto the lycra of the shorts I was using, would cause a sore to develop. I tried non-padded lycra or just regular shorts, that wasn’t great. As well, the saddle rails are shorter then typical and it was hard to get the setback I needed. Ended up abandoning Brooks.

I have a B67 (same as yours but single wire) and if you think its good now just wait a few miles. Its on my Humber and one day I was out riding and realized that I hadn't even noticed the saddle at all. I think that was when it finally completely broke in (maybe a couple of hundred miles) and its been very good since.

I also have a number of bikes with B17/15s on them and I find they took a lot longer to break in but are great once that happens too. My favourite I bought used and the PO must have a butt similar in proportion to my own as it was comfortable almost immediately.

it really depends on the style of bike and how upright you are as a rider. I don't fit a B17 at all on my drop bar bikes, but I do well with a Professional on my Paramount. On an upright bike I had, a B68 (like the OP's B67 but no springs) fit me very nicely.

I became a convert several years ago. My "go fast" bikes (them, not me) are mostly Brooks Pro or Ideale 80 or 90 at this point. I have a Swallow on my Monti Special and a B17 narrow something on one bike. Regular B17 didn't suit me on such bikes because of the flatter cantle plate. It was only good for 25 miles or so. I suspect that might have been the major motivation behind many so-called saddle butchers like Ottusi.

I have a B72 on my Dawes Galaxy (upright bars, like OP). It seems fine if I'm wearing bike kit, but not street clothes. The seams on my blue jeans are in all the wrong places. Maybe I'll give a B66 or B67 a try. Edit: Or maybe a B17 would work better in a more upright setting.

I have dominantly Brooks on my bikes, including one from 1971. It is a fact that there are two surfaces that need to be broken in at the interface.
The oldest one does not make itself known during a ride.

Brooks Professional is the best for me although I can still ride the B17 . I don’t know if a saddle with springs would work for me , never tried .

I also find the Swallow to be comfortable and is a little more compliant.

I must have an English back side because every modern saddle I try is a torture device but almost any Brooks and I am a happy boy. I swapped out the original saddle on my All-City with a Brooks B17 (new) and the difference was immediate and very appreciated.

I want to try a B17 because it looks less bulky and weighs less.

I didn't mind a B17 or Pro, but I am much more content with the C17, especially the carved. Maybe a Swallow would work for me. I only use Brooks Pros on bikes that demand the look now.

The reality of riding leather saddles like the Brooks is, you don't only have to break in the saddle. You also have to break in your butt to tolerate the firmer ride. I was also reluctant to try the Brooks saddle for many years because of my fear of having too much pain when I ride to break them in. To my surprise, I did not feel any pain at all.when I got and rode my first Brooks Pro saddle. It just felt firmer, but no debilitating pain. I figured, all those years riding (Since the 80's.) thinly padded and narrow Concor Supercorsas had broken in my butt to be tolerant to new and hard leather saddles......

Very Nice!

If it feels good now wait until you’ve got a few hundred miles on it and it really starts to form to your bottom. A very common (and surprising to me, considering they are leather) mistake people make is judging them before they’ve even had the chance to work as intended, which is not going to be right out of the box for many people.

I have always found the narrower Brooks saddles (B-17 narrow and similar profiles such as Imperial or even B-15) to be comfortable right out of the box and only get better with age. The surface, texture, and moisture interaction have as much to do with it as the shape.

I absolutely hate Cambium. I do not understand how anybody could find the woody shape or texture or any other aspect of the saddle to be beneficial in any way.

It is different for everybody.

I rode my first Brooks Pro this year. I'd had it on a shelf for a couple years, it was hard as a rock, couldn't flex or bend any part of it, so I never used it, having heard all the horror tales of un-broken-in Brooks saddles.

Last month, needed a Pro for a period-correct rebuild, put it on and did 12 miles on it. Hardly noticed any difference from my well-worn Ideale.

To my honest opinion after trying different Brooks and Ideale saddle.I think Ideale Saddle are superior. Better quality for the leather and so better comfort. But just my opinion.

You can buy brand-new handmade Ideale 90's. $275 base plus shipping and/or custom options for leather thickness and rail material.
https://sellesideale.fr/en/

Yes !

You can also possibly buy a vintage one and ask Frederic ( in charge of manufacturing the saddle ) to change the leather for you. He did that for one of mine and it is perfect.

I only have one Brooks, a slotted B17, and I have to admit I bought it mostly for the look. I probably haven’t ridden it enough to call it broken in, but I’ve never found it uncomfortable, only slippery. I have the front of it canted up more than on other saddles to keep me from sliding forward on it. For those who have found them uncomfortable, I wonder if they’ve tried messing with the stretcher and the laces to change the shape. Adjustability seems like it could be one of their strong suits. I’ve keep that in mind to try on mine but haven’t felt the need to tweak it yet.

I haven't tried that on a Brooks, but I did that on a rock-hard Ideale. I loosened the bolt until I had about 1/8th of an inch of space behind the nut, then rode it for about 12 miles. That flexed the leather enough that it did a fair job of softening it up. Then I tightened the nut back up to just barely snug. It's my favorite saddle, now.

And I find the Cambium perfect: flex like a well broken in leather saddle, but not slippery, better in the rain and lighter to boot.

I agree with Chombi1 that we break in our butts, not our saddles. It takes time. Now I prefer Brooks to all other saddles. I have some B17's and a C17.