Now, please be nice, I am new to biking.

I bought Trek 7.2, and I am not so sure about the saddle. It makes my butt sore, but is it because I don't wear biking shorts? Does the seat suck, I am not sure.

So I have been looking at Brooks saddles, and read reviews, and read the threads here in the bike forums. All impressive reviews by the way.

I cruised down to the Local bike shop and looked at a brooks saddle myself, and well, I question even more now then before whether I should shell out the dough.

I mean, this thing was harder then a brick. If I get jumped while riding my bike I could just take off the saddle and knock some heads with it, lol.

Do Brooks saddles really feel that much better on the buttocks? Seriously, this thing was hard as hell...

Well they start off that way.But if you use Proofide on it.It helps to break it in but you have to give it time don't do like I did and sell it.I then had to go get my self a new Brooks Saddle again.Take your time to set it up right you may also like to take it to your LBS and have them to do a bike fit so you can get your Brooks Saddle set up for you the tilt and height and front to back plays a lot on how good your saddle feels to you.It took me some time to get mine set right for my self but am so glad I did.Its the best seat to me to use when and if this seat goes I'll have to order a new one again.All I can say some of us likes them and some of us don't.Maybe not what you want to hear but thats life.Hope this helps you a little.

I have a 7.2FX, and the first thing I did to it was to replace the saddle. Yes, the ones that come with that bike really stink. As for the Brooks Saddle, it is definitely worth the investment. I got one last spring, and it now has about 1200 miles on it, and I wouldn't ride anything else, at least not very far. I think the having a comfortable seat on your bike is about as important as having a bike that fits properly.

That being said, mine has not "softened up" at all since I have got it. It has got considerably more comfortable, but it is still hard. Follow the directions that come with it, regarding proof-hide application, and you will not be disappointed. It does take some break-in time, but once you get about 50 miles on it, it will feel like its been yours for a while.

Good luck,
D

My Sojourn came with a Brooks saddle. Yes, it was hard as a brick. On the other hand, it was shaped right for sitting on, so it's worked out okay. One thing I have learned here, though, is that people's saddle preferences vary greatly, so what I like doesn't mean much for you.

If your stock saddle is anything like the one that came on my old Trek 7100, you'd do well to replace it!! It was horrible! I have a Brooks now and really like it.

Have you ever felt a horse saddle? Padded saddles are for wussy.

That is the biggest first change you can make to save yourself a lot of pain and torment.

We pretty much all wear them knowing the benefits they provide for longer rides, and it doesn't have to be that long.

It shouldn't "soften up" to the feel of a standard padded shell saddle. Ever. It's a suspended sling of stiff leather meant to support (in some of our cases) upwards of 300 or more pounds; for the sake of durability and proper comfort, it's going to feel hard to the fingers. You'll never put the same amount of pressure on it with your fingers as you will with your sit bones, which is what it's meant to hammock for you.

I've got over 10,000 miles on by B-17 Imperial and it still sounds like rapping your knuckles on a school desk if you knock on it. However, the leather is visibly broken in and conforms to my bone structure when I sit on it.
Use Proofide, Sno-Seal or Obenauf's LP to treat it and you won't be disappointed*.

*Disclaimer: There are people who find that Brooks saddles are just impossible to fit properly. Either due to width, fore/aft adjustment on the short Brooks rails necessitating a lay-back seatpost, or saddle angle (for which the only solution is often a 2-bolt post.) Saddles are very individualized decisions. If you can't make it comfortable right from the box, don't suffer on it thinking it will get better.
Addendum to disclaimer: For the love of Merckx, don't put Neatsfoot Oil, silicone compound, motor oil, or other manner of garage alchemy solutions on your Brooks to "break it in" faster.

A few things to note:

If you have relatively few miles, it's possible that your rear just hasn't toughened up yet.

Saddle adjustment can make a huge difference: for-aft tilt, up down height, and for-aft distance all combine to make a significant difference.

Saddle shape has to fit your backside

Bar height and reach can affect how much weight is actually on the seat

If your Brooks softens up, throw it away cuz you f*cked it up. It should feel hard when you rap it w/ your knuckles. But when you put your full body weight on it, it will give. When you distribute your weight properly over the entire saddle, it will be firm, but not hard, supportive, but not rock hard. BTW, I don't wear bike shorts and I have Brooks saddles on all my bikes. Most of the bike riding world doesn't wear bike shorts (think India, China, Europe, South America, Africa, etc.)

By the way, I've done three 200k+ rides now on that Brooks saddle, wearing jeans.

Isn't that what the wrench is for, to tighten it back up if it gets too slack?

The spanner is there for tightening up a saddle which has some mild sag to it, but it won't solve things if the leather actually goes soft. It the leather is soft, it has been treated improperly (oiled, most likely) which ages it prematurely by breaking the fibrous structure and making it overly pliable.

For the umpteenth billion time: Proofide is a sealant and protectant. It does nothing to aid in softening the saddle. Apply anything to soften the leather is the quickest way to destroying the saddle.

The best thing about my B 17 is that I frequently forget it's there. I will never use any other type of saddle...although this one will probably outlast me. But as others have said saddle adjustment is stii very important. You'd be surprised what a couple of mm can do for comfort.

By the time you need to use the wrench, you'll have probably lost it. You shouldn't need to tighten up any sag for the first 15-20 years.

i purchased a team pro and weigh 315lb. i still do not have a lot of miles on it yet and do not have it agjusted quite right due to needing a offset seat tube. the first few rides i wasnt sure if i was going to like this new seat. my sit bones sure could tell there was something different. i rode again last weekend and did 35 miles around nashville over a lot of hills. i was sore when i finished due to great exercise but i didnt pay my seat any attention on the ride. kinda forgot the seat was there. i havnt put enough miles on the saddle yet to praise it to the heavens but i like where it is headed.

if you havnt put many miles on the saddle you have there is a chance that proper adjustment may correct your pains. also it took a long time for my a$$ to get used to riding a bike after several years off. you may just need time.

I have 2 brooks a b17 and b17 n Imperial.

The B17 I use on my utility short commuter bike (pretty upright position, looks like an english 3 spd) For me it was completely comfortable from day one. I did need to do some tweaking, mostly with seat angle, if the nose pointed down at a I sliipped forward. Basically the saddle is level tip to tail, which makes it look like the nose is tilted up a bit. Bottom line fantastic.

I am still dialing in the B17 n Imperial, which I use on a road bike. My position is not too agressive.... the stem is only a little bit lower then the seat post and I really have not used the bike much since i got the saddle, but it is taking a whole lot more fiddling to try to find the perfect spot, enough that I am considering going back to the original sella italia turbo ('89 miyata) or looking for a brook team pro.

So lesson for me: fit is very individual and varies bike to bike, person to person, you may need to systematicall fiddle to get good results, but when the fit is on, the brooks is just amazing

and no matter what....for longer rides, use bike shorts (and yes you wear them commando style)

Well... you can spring for it now, or spring for it later. Most people that have been doing long distance rides or touring for a number of years have bought and tried a brooks saddle. Most people that buy the brooks and break it in, love the saddle.

My brooks is still just as hard as the day I bought it (Jan 2007.) It is very comfortable. It does it's job - I don't think about my butt or saddle when I ride with my brooks. Mine took about 700 miles to break in but it wasn't uncomfortable during the break in period either.

How long has this saddle been around? They must be doing something right.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the comments. I will be purchasing the Brooks B17 Special Honey Top Saddle, thanks for all the replies!

My only regret, regarding the B-17, is that I didn't get the honey colored one. Black goes with my black bike; but, the honey one is gorgeous.