Basic info on Brooks type saddles?
 

I just got a bike that came with a saddle that may or may not be a "Brooks", but at least looks like one (see pic). I'm used to a big, comfy gel-filled sprung cruiser saddle, but I'm curious about how a Brooks would compare, given all I've read about them. To do a fair comparison, I need to know more about them; like how they should be set up, what shape they should have, how much tension, etc. (ie. Should I be sticking laces through the holes on the side to pull them together, or is it fine as it is?) Can anyone point to a page with basic beginner info on a Brooks saddle perhaps, so I can maybe get a clue on how to set it up?

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...id/brooks1.jpg


http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...id/brooks2.jpg

Good questions. You may find some of our advice helpful but you will also find that when preferences vary a lot from person to person.

As far as I can tell, your saddle looks like it's in pretty decent shape. I would treat the leather with something like sno-seal or proofide but wouldn't worry about lacing it. As far as tensioning, if it feels firm enough I would let that go too. The holes in your saddle are interesting looking and the leather looks nice and thick. How does it feel now? Hard as a brick, or is there some give?

So far every leather saddle I have ridden felt best with the nose raised up a bit. Even when I set them level it felt like I was sliding forward.

This saddle angle has been comfortable for me:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/...093398c6_o.jpg

Great advice Matt.

Here's where the various difference begin. I like my Brooks and leather saddles level, or in some cases the nose down, but only so slightly that you need a level to realize it.

FWIIW, I find gel saddles hurt more then leather ones. After about 5 miles my sit bones ache beyond belief on a gel, even when it is on shock absorber seatpost and the saddle has springs. After 30 miles on an un-sprung Brooks, I barely know I've been sitting.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...B-15Side-1.jpg

Brooks for me...
 

I have Brooks saddles mounted on several of my bicycles and pretty much love them all, however; I have learned a thing or two about Brooks saddles. Actually, what I have learned can be applied to just about all suspended leather saddles that have come my way.

As a rule, a used saddle will be more uncomfortable than a new one when first put into your use. True, a saddle will conform to your particular shape after some use but for the first few hundred miles it mught prove to be unbearbely uncomfortable as was the case with a Brooks B15 that looked to be little used but proved to be the bain of my bum.

Most of the Brooks saddles that have been fitted and kept were purchased new and broken-in to my shape. Such saddles are priceless when comfort becomes the issue. Those saddles are so comfortable that I do not even think about them while riding, something that I rarely think when using other perches, even the famed Turbo which I do run on a couple of my bikes.

Treat your saddle leather regularly. Do not get it wet and leave it so. Use the stretch adjustment only if the saddle shows signs of sagging in the middle and stretch only a small bit at a time. You cannot unstretch a saddle so go slow.

I use Proofhide exclusively as my leather treatment and have had good luck with it. There are other leather conditioners out there and my guess is that many would work just fine also.

Other than that, take a chance and recondition your old saddle. Try it out and give it a fair try. It takes some time to prove a saddle's worth in my opinion. That said, if the saddle really hurts, stop using it and try something else. Sometimes you and a particular saddle will never become good friends.

The most popular Brooks is the B-17, which is what you appear to have, albeit yours has lacing holes punched in the skirt. Also comes in a narrow version and a short version.

The B-66 is wider and a bit shorter than the B-17 while the Swift, Swallow, and Team Professional are narrower. These are all unsprung saddles.

http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/standardsaddles.html

Since you've been riding on the big cushy gel saddle, my guess is you have an upright riding position.
You may want to consider the sprung saddles.

There's the Champion Flyer and the B-67
http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/singl...ngsaddles.html
The leather will still be rock hard as it should be but the springs will absorb road bumps, etc.

I got a B-17S for my wife's bike but she didn't like it so I use it on my Sprite. She likes her B-68S just fine.

Thanks for all the info. Yes, I have an upright riding position. At the moment, I am just looking to try the saddle and compare it to my cruiser saddle, so I don't know if buying a leather conditioner is necessary for that. But on the other hand, this is not a new saddle. It's maybe 25 years old, going by the bike, and it wasn't my bike. So that means the saddle was made to conform to someone else. Can it reshape itself to me, or does that ruin it?

The B17 seems to be a popular choice by people who ride upright. The saddle that I have pictured above is a B17 clone and I like it riding upright. That saddle was also well used before I bought it and I still find it very comfortable. The leather can dry out over time which may be the case with yours, it all depends on how the previous owner treated it.

This saddle should be a great affordable introduction to leather saddles. You will find that not all people like them so it is a very personal choice.

I think its not so much an issue of riding position, as it is time in the saddle.

If you are riding for hours at a time, then the pressure and rubbing of a soft saddle can be brutal. A firm saddle that will support your sit-bones yet does not rub against your naughty bits is a god-send. If you are not spending much time on the bike (and more so if you are fairly upright) then people seem to like cushy saddles.

Remember its a saddle, not a seat. You sit on a seat with all your weight. So, I want lots of cushion in my car seat. But a saddle is used as a place to sort of lean your butt. And since your legs are moving the whole time you really want it to interfere as little as possible in that motion. I want it firm and slick. Brooks are great in this way.

A Brooks is not wonderful to sit on. But it is, for a lot of people, wonderful to ride on.

jim

i find that the angle of the saddles that works best for me depends a lot on the riding position. i.e., the relationship between the height of the handlebar and the height of the seat. if i am bolt upright as i am on a raleigh 3-speed, i prefer to have the nose of the saddle angled up. if i am on a road bike and my hands are below the height of the seat, i prefer the nose of the saddle about level.

Good point. Brooks people do tend to generally angle their saddle nose up more than is usual.

Sometimes even to the point of looking odd.

This is simply because the hard leather is more slippery than other materials and you might tend to slip forward on the saddle. Your butt and legs are always moving and so slippery is good.

However, some people are apparently built so that they would have to angle it up so high that it is uncomfortable in other, more naughty, ways. Seems like you either love the saddle type or hate it.

j

I read and can agree that 300 miles is needed to break in a brooks. I have used them for decades and they are my preferred saddle.