Brooks saddle?
 

Hello all

I was thinking getting a brooks saddle for my Dad but i am not entirely convinced he will like it. If you own a brooks saddle could you please leave a quick review.

Thanks

I need a narrow saddle.
Riding 40,000 miles decided to spend the $$$ for a Brooks Swallow.

I found that one sits IN a Brooks saddle not On top of it.
I like to move around on a saddle. You cannot do that on a brooks.
Tried it for 400 miles. It remained very Stiff and Hard.
Had to take it off.

Brooks are not for everyone.

I've heard that the B17 is more likely to be liked fresh out of the box than other models, particularly the Pro. I don't know if that's true.

Buy your dad a B17 from Wallingford Bikes. They have a six month return policy. You can't lose. You can read review after review, but riding one is the only way to find out how it'll work for you (your dad).

Hmm, I don't know. I have a pro that I really loved out of the box. It was instantly comfortable.

Cant go wrong with the quality, it takes each saddle 3days to make.....Mine seems 2 be form fitting! Well iv never said to myself my arse hurts while rideing on it,lol

^^THIS^^

They are very easy to deal with!

Totaly agree. You can't go wrong.

My butt tells me that the Pro (as well as the Ideal 90) are a bit like sitting on a banister, they divide and conquer (or is it "lift and separate"). The B66 is nice for short runs but after a dozen miles the springy action starts to chafe. The B-17 feels really nice and supportive.
I don't put lots of miles on my bikes, though and most of them have their Northroads bars turned up, tourist style.

My B17 felt great when installed. I agree with the Colonel. I had a Team Pro in the 70's and another B17 later as did my wife. felt good right from the start and even better as they went along.

Billl

I like my B17 alot. I bought it used though so it was already broken in. I have found that real sof saddles, especially gel saddles, become less comfortable the longer you ride.

b67.

What kind of bike does Dad have? I run Brooks B66/67 on my upright bikes and Flyers or B-17's on my drop bar bikes. I also have one monster B33 that is for my DL-1 Roadster. I have never had a Brooks that I didn't like, however they are not all exactly the same out of the box, some have taken longer to break in than others, but they have all felt fine right out of the box and just gotten more comfortable as I ride them. Then there is the Imperial line which is a whole different animal. I don't have any of those.

Aaron :)

I like the team pro and the swift. The B17 was not comfortable to me. Guess it's not possible to recommend a saddle to someone else.

I have several Professionals and one B-17. I like them all. The B-17 is on a bike with with the hoods slightly higher than the saddle.

Don't be tempted by the Brooks wannabes like Gyes or Velo Orange. Get Brooks, I believe the quality is higher. (I bought a Gyes last time...it will be my last time.)

My personal favorite is the Champion Flyer, basically a B17 with springs in back. Every Brooks I have owned was better with gentle conditioning and about 500 miles. The only saddle I like more...is on my recumbent!

Humorously put, Sailor Ben!

+1 on the Wall Bike comments. I see no downside there. One can get some idea of what might work by measuring sit bones, but there is no substitute for getting a saddle and putting miles on it. Brooks does make a quality product, but there are variations, and it is not for everyone. I like Pros and Imperials - suspect I'd like B-17's, but will wait for spring for that call.

I put 10-12k miles a year on Brooks Pros. I've tried other saddles and always go back to the pro. I also lace them and keep them tensioned. I like a solid saddle. But, they are not for everyone! I know more riders who have tried pros and hated them than riders who use pros.

I have four Pro, two Swift and one B17. One thing I learned is the softer the saddle, the more it pushes up at my tender parts. A really firm Brooks keeps my weight on the sitzbones and off the soft parts. This lets me slide around for comfort and riding position. This is what makes a Brooks a Brooks and not a mattress. Nothing macho here. The notion of a Brooks needing to be broken in runs counter to my experience, but they do get more comfortable with mileage. My oldest Pro i bought new in '73 and is still hard and comfortable after many thousands. For me, the B17 is too soft right out of the box and I pray it doesn't get softer. But, every rider is different.

If you buy your dad a Brooks, try to match the saddle to the rider stance on the bike... Wider saddles for higher bars, narrower and longer for more aggressive position with the bars lower.
Just one opinion of many.

I have B-17s on two of my bikes and a B-66 on another. I really like them and felt they were very comfortable from the first ride. I can't imagine using anything else at this point. I have always read that they were extremely comfortable, but I'm...well, I'm frugal...and I didn't want to put out the cash for one. Now, I have three (even though I traded a friend a set of Brooks grips that I had $25 in for the brand new B-66).

To each his own. For me the most confortable saddles have been the B-17 and Ideale 2001. I've tried many others that looked like they should have been extremely comfortable, or that even felt like they ought to be (e.g. gel-foam models or saddles with springs), but for some reason these two saddles (which frankly looked like they would produce saddle soreness) were in fact much more comfortable than the rest. Your own mileage may vary.

I've sold three Brooks now. I'll never have another.

They made my willy go numb. They are beautiful and build a great 'art bike', however pressure on the perineum overtime causes permanent nerve damage. I need things to function as best they can down there.

There are a lot of really aggressive non-pressure perineum saddles that police officers who spend 20+ hours a week on bikes are going with. Think split more than an SMP.

I don't use C&V saddles. They just aren't medically safe in my opinion. I don't like having a non-responsive or numb willy.

For me the most comfortable saddle I've tried yet is the Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flow. I have 'em on every bike. Not a cheap saddle (~$125) but more comfortable than the Brooks by far, and less issues with the Willy. Will probably try the SMP saddles someday.

I've got Brooks saddles on 4 of my bikes and I wouldn't have anything else. The best in quality. It take some time to get a Brooks broken in to fit properly but other than that they are the greatest IMHO.

As the OP can tell, saddles can be like music. The number of opinions are only limited to the number of riders or listeners. Each person has a different experience. It is an impossible challenge to tell you what your Dad will find comfortable and like.

Mtnbke wants to free willy. I find traditional leather saddles so comfortable, either a Brooks, an Ideale, a Sprint, or a Wrights are on all my bikes. I find any gel saddle, as loose spoke mentions, to be very uncomfortable.

I ride several different models and find them all to be just as comfortable. Three of my favorites to ride this past year included the Brooks B5N, the Colt, and a Wrights W5N.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...1BrooksB5N.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...VioletSide.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...htsW3NLogo.jpg

I tried my first Brooks B17 recently. I'm glad I did.

To be honest I've not tried a lot of saddles BUT of the ones I have tried, this has to be the comfiest.

I use nothing but Brooks saddles and my willy is just fine, thank you.

That guy is really annoying!

Yes, GB, that post was kind of too much , but, if his willy is numb, he's bound to want to yell it to the world. Far be it from me to suggest but I recommend a proper pair of padded shorts. Some people's Fromunders just don't like the shape of a Brooks I guess.
Say, OP. How old is your father? Is he fit? Is he already a cyclist? The answers to these questions may influence which saddle you get him, but it's hard to go wrong with the B-17.

Can't say my B17 has ever given me numbness or loss of function in the ~1500 miles since I've owned it. (Shall I continue the TMI trend with some comments from my ladyfriend? :p)

Brooks-type saddles need more careful attention to setup, to keep the weight on your sit-bones. That said, if no amount of tweaking makes one work for you, by all means use something else.

- Scott

B-17s have always been comfortable for me right out of the box.

I've tried many other saddles in ther past 40 years, and the Brooks works best for me.

Buy him a saddle cover and Proofide as well.