How sick is this!
 

:cry:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brooks-Stussy-Ra...QQcmdZViewItem

not 400 dollars sick.

If I had the spare cash it would be like $600.00 sick, but thats just me ;)

Sorry, but I think that Brooks may be a bit overrated..not to dis them- but Brooks seats aren't for everyone

0 feedback
a bunch of bids
...sounds....fishy

I'm glad someone has already broached the subject. Not to hijack the thread, but what is it about a Brooks saddle that is so special that people fork over good money for them? Is it a nostalgia thing? Hell, they're just a piece of tooled leather on a rather cheap looking seat frame. Am I just not getting it? Or are they really very comfortable, after a break-in period?

Inquiring minds want to know!

geek

geekrunner...People fork over good money on Brooks because the quality is superior to any other seat on the market. It is not a fashion statement it is a heritage of quality goods.

The basic model Brooks can be had for 60-75$ if you shop around. The main advantage of leather is that it breaks in to your bones. There is nothing quite like broken in saddle. Plastic saddles with foam/leather covers don't make any indents of the sit bones.

Those who don't like Brooks probably didn't spend enough time breaking in the saddle. Nor did they get the nose angle right. It is a 500-1200 mile commitment before the saddle is broken in. Leather thickness varies so break in times will be different.

The cause is global warming.

If the Brooks is cheap looking, I need to see what high quality looks like.

That does make sense, I sorta thought that was the case, but I maybe was pickin' a fight :fight: :D

geek

ya but $400.00 worth of great seat? I mean many of our vintage bikes don't cost that much.

Damn! That would give an almost OEM look to my '88 Specialized Sirrus. :love:

According to Andreamen (he posts here, is head of Brooks marketing) the white swallow saddle
was supposed to be limited edition given out to bike shops and not for normal sales.
So what is a not for sale limited edition saddle worth? alot.

Marty

The seller states he is from Florida, the state that gave us Lambo's with white leather interiors too. Better find some white cycling shorts to ride on it.

If I'm paying $400 to sit on something......we won't go there.

^^^ I'm with Robbie on this one. :roflmao2:

And honestly, for that kind of money I expect Titanium rails.

It does rather resemble something Mrs./Mr. Garrison, from South Park, would use as a body-sponge.

The B17 is worth every bit of the $80 I spent, especially after a couple hundred miles. The "newer" Brooks like the Swallow and Swift just didn't do it for my seat bones. I'd rather spend 1/3 as much on a white Selle San Marcos limited team edition than a white Brooks Swift.

I think with Brooks, their earlier traditional saddles, and their homage remake versions, are the real deal. The new, slim profile racing models don't really carry the sought-after traits and comfort found in the B17 or B68 and the likes... at least no more than many other quality modern racing saddles for slightly less cost.

"The Swallow is the legendary cutaway Brooks sport saddle.

It may be the most uncomfortable-looking saddle ever, but is surprisingly comfortable in practice! The cutaway sides make this a particularly good choice for cyclists with large thighs who have a chafing problem with conventional saddles. The Swallow is most appropriate for vigorous cyclists who set their handlebars somewhat lower than their saddles."

http://www.wallbike.com/swallowclassic.html

Or for cyclists who wish to be thought of as vigorous and having large thighs.

or for cyclist who just want a Brooks Swallow. Just like everything else, its not for everyone to like. ;)

Yep, you might just not be getting it, although you have plenty of company. I've now tried a number of saddles and routinely trade off between the Brooks Team Pro, the San Marco Regal, and a few San Marco SuperCorsas. Now the Supercorsa is not a known comfort-ship, but it's a classic saddle that saw a lot of use. I love the looks and ride under 40m. The Regal, on the other hand, is highly regarded, still used by pros, and has been around for a while. Bring in ye olde Brooks Team Pro and where does it rate? Weight wise, it's a beast and a heavy one at that; it's not going to win a weight watchers award. It's one of the thickest leather Brooks and takes a good while to break-in; indeed, a good while might be to the tune of over 500 miles or more. Many sell before they've gotten over the hump, thinking that's where it's going to end. I got my latest one just from such a soul.

All that being said, and with the classic Regal side by side, I have to rate the Brooks as the most comfortable, best made saddle for spirited long distance riding I've ever used. It's built more for bars lower than seat effort (vs the more stately Brooks) and it molds to your living loving rump better than anything out there. I love the Regal as well, some saying it was a take of the Pro, but there is ultimately no contest, comfort-wise, once the leather is taken on your shape. Sadly, it looks positively idiotic (IMO) on something like the De Rosa. I had it on for a really long ride and just couldn't take the aesthetic nightmare. The San Marco pair look right at home and are lighter to boot, especially the Ti Regal, which is what sits on that Italian ride most of the time. But the Brooks Team Pro wins hands down in the build and comfort department, even if it looks rather out of place on some bikes. It's far more than a fashion statement to some.

Agreed. The Brooks 'Team Pro' (or any Brooks for that matter) does look rather out of place on some bikes, although the term 'idiotic' may be stretching it a bit. Brooks are definitely 'old school' and their 'cult following' is unrivaled by any other saddle ever made. Realistically speaking, there is probably no other single bike component manufacturer that can make that claim. Thousands upon thousands of people worldwide adamantly adore Brooks saddles, that goes way beyond just simply 'liking it'. Some people seem to have trouble understanding that, when really, its not at all hard to understand. Just 'open your eyes'.

For me, I'm not the sort who 'crows negatively' about something I've never tried. I was a bit sceptical too, at first, not wanting to give up my cool SI 'turbomatic 3', which was very light and looked fast on my bike, but otherwise 'killed' my arse on long rides. After much research I 'bought into' the hype of a Brooks saddle and bought a 'Team Pro' back in early 2004. Out of the box the saddle was....well it was rather ugly. I didnt like the honey color, and it was heavy, but there was no mistaking the quality of it. Absolutely nothing about it was cheap. The chrome rails, the 'peened' copper rivets, the shaped and formed thick leather, was a masterpiece of old world craftsmanship. It actually looked like something that was handcrafted meticulously by an old man in a dirty shop apron.

.......but it was still ugly, and twice as heavy as my Selle Italia 'look at me' saddle. My first impression was to send it back, but my arse pulled rank and said "let it speak". Today I have 10,000 miles on that saddle, and is the most comfortable saddle I've EVER had. The smooth leather is still smooth leather, but after about six months the ugly 'honey' color started to darken, and the more I rode it the darker it got. Now its a dark brown 'silky' color on top, that seems to fade into a lighter, but still 'silky' milk chocolate color on the saddle skirts and nose. The saddle is a beauty to behold now, as is permanent on my beloved 'Tommasini' go-fast bike. :D


~ btw......I swoon over that beautiful Raleigh 'Professional' you have,...its gorgeous.

For years I thought just like you. I was too cheap to buy a genuine Brooks. So, I did the next best thing, at least I though I did. I went out a bought a Japanese "Belt" leather saddle. It was so bad I couldn't bring myself to use leather for another 20+ years. I finally bit the bullet and got a genuine Brooks. It is the most comfortable saddle I've ridden on ever.

Other than being a little slippery when new, it was good to go out of the box. My 2 Brooks really didn't need any break in.

With that said, they're not for everyone. My brother said they're like riding on wood. My son says the same thing. I guess you're going to have try one out and decide yourself. Good luck

I think Brooks saddles tend to be lumped together too often. Over the decades, they really were made for rather distinct purposes - even among the un-sprung models. So, the relative comfort is often mis-understood and also found disappointing when a saddle is used for a purpose other than the style of riding (and type of bike) for which it may have been designed. We (the general public) now tend to view "road" bikes in a narrower view - typically, modern roadies ride bikes with more modern [as in post-1980] "racing" geometry. And this may not be best served by classic Brooks saddles.

Regarding the White Swallow... I was pleased to see they based it on the B-17 style frame - with saddle bag loops and also with the flat rails rather than the forward up-sloping rails of the Professional frame. I do agree that saddle is more for a wall-hanger vintage bike than a everyday user. Not that it would be uncomfortable, just that the white leather will soon no longer be... white (in my greasy fingered experience, anyway).

I tend to like the feel and the leather quality of the Pro. I use them (usually older ones) on several bikes. The newer B-17s I find oddly too "stiff" - yet, ironically, they have slightly thinner leather, and it is this model which has the reputation for being THE most comfortable saddles made. This rigid feel is probably the result of the much longer side skirts which were originally intended to help better retain the shape of the standard B-17 saddle when used on touring bikes - which might be ridden in a somewhat more upright position by the average cyclist.

A few years back there was a version with a "pre-aged" finish - a matt brown, rather than the standard factory-polished style leather. This could be the ultimate in comfort and could even offer somewhat less break-in time. It would definitely "age" in color tone very quickly - right after the first dose of Proofide, I would suspect. Unfortunately, they were/are only available with black rails. :(

The B-17 "Narrow" model is really more geared to a (vintage, of course) "racing" bike and intended for lower handlebars (and thus less weight on the saddle) as well as massive tree-trunk racer's thighs.

The limited edition reproduction of the "Sprinter" must have been like sitting on a narrow wooden rail. The original model was intended for track racing, so comfort was not a real concern. I do wonder how many of that limited run actually sold... and how many are actually ridden? (Ouch!)

I sold a LTD Ed. Swallow earlier this year. It was simply soooo beautiful I simply could not bring myself to ever consider riding on it. I would (will?) probably fork over the cash for a chrome railed Swallow - and actually use it. When you are considering the final weight of a TI railed but thick leather topped saddle, 350 grams is comparable to a really cheap chromo railed modern saddle. I would prefer the flashy chrome and accept the additional 150 grams weight, since weight savings will NEVER be the prime concern for any Brooks, anyway... and... well, I just really like the look of chrome in an otherwise all-too-hi-tech world. :innocent:

Each to his own taste... and aesthetics... and comfort requirements. For me, nyet! on the white Swallow.

But, I do hope they some day offer a Swallow... with chrome B-17 rails... and, in a dull brown "pre-aged" leather... I'm ready to buy one! :thumb:

FWIW: I'm typing this while sitting on an unpadded wooden stool... What does that say about my personal saddle preferences? :rolleyes: