B33 vs B66
 

Has anyone ridden a Brooks B33 saddle here? How does it compare in riding to the B66? I've been thinking about adding one to my Christmas list, but haven't ever seen a B33 in person. I ride in an upright position and with all my winter riding gear (heavy clothing, jacket etc) run about 160 lbs. Would a B33 be appropriate?

A B-66. B-33 is more suitable for a Clydesdale or Athena rider. If you're 150 lbs like me, a B-66 is more than enough for seated suspension.

The B.66 should do you quite well.

While I have not had any experience with the B.33, I can say that the B.73 should be avoided; it has very little lateral rigidity, since the saddle and upper frame are suspended at all points by springs, and it has a distinct tendency to bounce.

-Kurt

I see-- I'm in the 150-160 range, so perhaps I'll add a new B66 to my list instead. It's cheaper and more appropriate for period work up anyway. I set my bars a good 2-3 inches higher than the saddle and ride pretty upright.

As for the B-73-- it's the only saddle I see produced new with 3 coil springs. I suppose they were more common many years ago, but given how coil springs on saddles work it would seem you're right about that lateral motion issue.

The B-73 is better suited for a roadster or a longtail cargo bike. Otherwise stick with the B-66.

Consider a Brooks B-135. Co-worker has one on his cruiser and finds it sized right and rides good w/o being bouncy. ~8" or 210 wide is pretty much the comfort zone for most upright riders...not too narrow or wide for men or women and could be used on a road bike.

Interesting-- the reason I ask is that on my current B66 (which I got some years back) the front vertical bolt is a bit loose. I'm not sure if that's supposed to happen or not. There seems to be no way to tighten it. My fear was that my riding position had caused too much weight on the saddle itself and damaged that front bolt. Is this a common thing or is it a problem with the saddle?

The saddle will have a traditional Raleigh type saddle bag attached. I'm not sure if the large double action springs on some of these prevent that.

Both my B66 saddles (1972 and 1983) have bag loops installed from the factory.

Be aware that the B66 has special clamp that only works with straight seatpost (unless you buy an adapter. The B67 is the same saddle, but is a 2-rail design that works with standard seatposts.