I've got a one owner 1976 Schwinn Super Le Tour 12.2 that is in exceptional condition. I don't ride it anymore but I've had the strange motivation to put a new Brook saddle on it. It really doesn't need a new seat. The seat that's on it is in very good condition. I just thought about dressing the bike up a bit. I don't normally spend money unnecessarily but it seems the old bike needs a little sprucing up.

Anyhow, I thought I would get a few opinions as to which of the Brook model seats would you guys and gals recommend? It probably won't add to the value much if any at all since this Schwinn was made in Japan. I thought a vintage Brooks seat would help. I would like to find a really nice Brook saddle about the same age as the bike maybe.

Do you think you'll ride it more with a new saddle? If not, I wouldn't spend the cash.

Does the bike fit you like that? The saddle seems really low and forward.

+1 Seat post is backwards, and saddle is bottomed out. If that is the way you need it, frame is way too big. I would not put a penny into that bike. Sell it and get one your size.

+1

If the bike does fit you and you want a Brooks, I'd start with a B17 Standard.

I know what you're saying and I agree that if this is how the seat needs to be set for someone to ride this bike it's not the right size. However, the saddle clamp position (fore or aft) is a function of saddle and seat tube angle. Having the saddle clamp in front of the post does not make it wrong.

And, OP, Japanese Schwinn's aren't "devalued" because they're made in Japan. Some of Schwinn's greatest bikes were made in Japan.

I bought the bike new while stationed in Germany in the US Army in late 1976. I didn't ride it as often as I thought I would and ended up hauling it around with me everywhere I moved. It got a bent rim here and a broken spoke there just being moved around and being stored. The bike has maybe 20 hours on it all of it's life. I'm not sure why but I grew some attachment to the bike and just couldn’t get rid of it. I have over the past few years installed new stainless spokes and mounted new tires. I did realize the seat post was backwards and has been recently changed. I was only looking for something to do with a new seat. Not for any particular reason.

I agree with the Colonel, a B-17 Standard would be your best bet. Since you don't ride much and since it is in near showroom condition, a new one would be appropriate.

My suggestion would be the black model with chrome rivets and rails.



But recently Brooks has released the B17 in a range of colors. A blue one might work well on yours.



Check ebay for availability. For come reason these don't show up on the Brooks website.

I think a new Brooks B-17 would complement the looks of this bike perfectly.
I would not bother looking for an old one because (a) old saddles are not cheap if they are in good condition and (b) depending on how they were treated, may not be in good condition, and (c) the new saddles are made in the same way as the old ones.

The best deals I have seen have been on eBay. (The exchange rate has made the prices more attractive, so it is a good time to buy (if you have the change!)

Looking at the bike, I cannot necessarily say that it is too big for you, because some people set their road bikes up as if they were sitting in a church pew. This is what Sheldon Brown had to say about saddle height:

"Most bicyclists have their saddles too low, so that their knees are excessively bent as they pedal. This makes cycling much more tiring for a given speed, and is likely to cause harm to the knees.

A common reason for keeping the saddle set too low is that most bicyclists have never learned the proper technique for mounting and dismounting, so they find it convenient to be able to put a foot down to steady the bicycle while they are stopped...

This is a habit left over from childhood, because growing children almost always have their saddles too low for efficient pedaling. First they have it low for security while they are learning to balance, then, even once they have mastered balancing, their growth rate tends to keep them ahead of their saddle adjustment.

If you always ride with your saddle too low, you get used to it, and don't realize that there is a problem...but there is. Riding with the saddle too low is like walking with your knees bent (as Groucho Marx often did for comedic effect.) If you walked that way all the time, you'd also get used to that, but you'd think that half a mile was a long walk. The way the human leg is made, it is strongest when it is nearly straight."