Brooks is NOT for me~!
08-04-10, 04:44 AM
#26
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wallbike.com has a 6 month return policy on Books saddles. They sell the returned ones on Ebay.
08-04-10, 09:57 PM
#27
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I sat on one of those Ass-O-Meters too and it had me at 130mm
That puts me on a 143 saddle for bent over and lean forward sport bikes, and for an upright position I should be on a 155.
I have a 143 on my Stump Jumper and it's not too bad, I would like to try a 155.
BTW...I'm 53, 6'03" @ 300lb
I just picked up a Brooks Pro. Ti that I'm going to try on my new bike, From reading on the Vintage Forums they say to soak it in oil for an hour and then start riding.
The number one thing they say about not loving the Brooks is that people give up too soon, it is said to be very hard from the get go, but gets better every ride.
I'll know pretty soon as I just bought two old bikes that have Brooks from 1972 and 1979 on them.
The 72" has many miles on it, the 79" has about 100.
I'm hoping!!!
That puts me on a 143 saddle for bent over and lean forward sport bikes, and for an upright position I should be on a 155.
I have a 143 on my Stump Jumper and it's not too bad, I would like to try a 155.
BTW...I'm 53, 6'03" @ 300lb
I just picked up a Brooks Pro. Ti that I'm going to try on my new bike, From reading on the Vintage Forums they say to soak it in oil for an hour and then start riding.
The number one thing they say about not loving the Brooks is that people give up too soon, it is said to be very hard from the get go, but gets better every ride.
I'll know pretty soon as I just bought two old bikes that have Brooks from 1972 and 1979 on them.
The 72" has many miles on it, the 79" has about 100.
I'm hoping!!!
08-05-10, 05:22 AM
#28
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I've heard that "You either have a Brooks butt or you don't." I don't. After trying one on my road bike, I went completely numb in areas that contacted the saddle and stayed that way for nearly two weeks. It was a bit scary - back to the Axiom 612 for me.
08-05-10, 07:45 AM
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I had a Brooks Team Pro (with the large copper rivets) on a touring Sakai back in the late '70s and after about 500 miles I gave up on it. I never tried treating it in any way - maybe that was my problem. Whatever it was, it never did break in or even think about comforming to my butt. After that, my go-to was always the old Hinault-signature style of the Selle Italia Turbo, a saddle that looks downright old-fashioned nowadays. The only other saddle I've spent an appreciable amount of time on is the one that came stock on my Fisher Marlin, and I think it's just a generic OEM Bontrager. It seems fine to me.
08-05-10, 09:04 AM
#30
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For what this is worth . . . I have been where most of you have been regarding saddles. I now have a Hobson Easy Seat II on my Trek. Best seat I've had yet! The width is adjustable, and for the guys, there is a gap to help with the soft parts. Yes, I wrote "seat" and not "saddle," as on this bike, one sits ON the seat, and does not straddle it. You do have to ride it a few times to get used to the lack of a nose. I've been looking at getting a Hobson Pro Hub X2 for another project I'm working on, which is a converted Trek MTB.
I've looked at Brooks saddles before as well. Might purchase one someday, as I love the look of them. Of course, I know that it will take some time to break it in.
Another saddle I've been meaning to try is the Selle Royal Respiro. The build of the saddle is "supposed" to remedy many of the heat issues that can arise on saddles like the C9 or other "comfort" saddles.
I've looked at Brooks saddles before as well. Might purchase one someday, as I love the look of them. Of course, I know that it will take some time to break it in.
Another saddle I've been meaning to try is the Selle Royal Respiro. The build of the saddle is "supposed" to remedy many of the heat issues that can arise on saddles like the C9 or other "comfort" saddles.
08-05-10, 09:13 AM
#31
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https://www.esande.net/features/newbrooks.html
From the same source:
The single most important thing about any bicycle saddle is fit. This may seem obvious, but there are an awful lot of people riding around out there on saddles that just plain don't. Fit generally means that the ischial tuberosities (sit bones) are supported by the part of the saddle that's meant to support them, and that the perineal region is not subjected to pressure.
The usual fit issue is a saddle that's either too narrow or is too heavily padded. Either of these singly can be a problem, and in combination they can produce a TRULY uncomfortable experience! Occasionally a saddle can be too wide, which will manifest itself as chafing on the inner thighs.
Assuming that your saddle fits correctly, but is a new Brooks, you may find it a little hard at first. There may be a little pain in the area under your sit bones. This is all you should feel, if you have numbness you might want to look at saddle position (start out with the neck of the saddle close to level, the Brooks saddles and most others flare upward in the rear a bit). This is truly trial and error, what you want to end up with is a saddle positioned such that you don't slide forward, but which doesn't press on your vital parts...
So, you've got it set up right but it's still hard as a rock, what is it that makes this such a great saddle? Over time, the leather under your sit bones will stretch and conform to your particular "configuration". This is what people refer to as "break-in".
You can see this on a Brooks that's been ridden a while, there will be two dimples in the leather at the contact points.
People have different thoughts on how long it takes to break in a Brooks. In my experience if the saddle is the right width, and the position is correct, it's initially comfortable and just gets more so over time. After a few hundred miles it's gonna be there, but some have said it takes a thousand miles (I think they may be riding a different sort of Brooks saddle than I have, though).
Note that if the saddle is too narrow for you in the first place, it will NEVER be comfortable. The B.17 is a good one to start with, it's the least expensive (in the "Standard" model) and seems to fit the widest variety of cyclists.
The usual fit issue is a saddle that's either too narrow or is too heavily padded. Either of these singly can be a problem, and in combination they can produce a TRULY uncomfortable experience! Occasionally a saddle can be too wide, which will manifest itself as chafing on the inner thighs.
Assuming that your saddle fits correctly, but is a new Brooks, you may find it a little hard at first. There may be a little pain in the area under your sit bones. This is all you should feel, if you have numbness you might want to look at saddle position (start out with the neck of the saddle close to level, the Brooks saddles and most others flare upward in the rear a bit). This is truly trial and error, what you want to end up with is a saddle positioned such that you don't slide forward, but which doesn't press on your vital parts...
So, you've got it set up right but it's still hard as a rock, what is it that makes this such a great saddle? Over time, the leather under your sit bones will stretch and conform to your particular "configuration". This is what people refer to as "break-in".
You can see this on a Brooks that's been ridden a while, there will be two dimples in the leather at the contact points.
People have different thoughts on how long it takes to break in a Brooks. In my experience if the saddle is the right width, and the position is correct, it's initially comfortable and just gets more so over time. After a few hundred miles it's gonna be there, but some have said it takes a thousand miles (I think they may be riding a different sort of Brooks saddle than I have, though).
Note that if the saddle is too narrow for you in the first place, it will NEVER be comfortable. The B.17 is a good one to start with, it's the least expensive (in the "Standard" model) and seems to fit the widest variety of cyclists.
08-05-10, 09:56 PM
#32
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Nashbar had the the basic B17 for $67.50 with sale price and discount code the last two weeks of July(plus shipping and tax). If you watch those places you can find a deal like that. Also watch ebay under "buy it now" and "time-newly listed" and you should be able to pick up a new B17 for $75 shipped. I spent $80 on ebay for a slightly used upgraded B17 with the big copper rivets and copper colored rails.
08-07-10, 07:42 PM
#33
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned the b66. it's the same saddle with springs. I'm not sure if you're rocking the stock handlebars, but if you are, you'd definitely be better off with a sprung saddle. also, it might be an issue of fore-aft positioning, if the majority of your weight it too far to the front of the seat, it would concentrate all the pressure on, well, an uncomfortable place, which would explain the bruising.
I had the same issue on my first road bike, the first time I put more than 20 miles on it, I bruised up so bad I couldn't ride for a few days afterword, once I moved the seat forward about an inch, I never had the same problem again.
I ride on a b17 now, it's by far the best saddle I've ever owned. Brooks saddles are the yardstick for a reason, I wouldn't give up on them quite yet.
I had the same issue on my first road bike, the first time I put more than 20 miles on it, I bruised up so bad I couldn't ride for a few days afterword, once I moved the seat forward about an inch, I never had the same problem again.
I ride on a b17 now, it's by far the best saddle I've ever owned. Brooks saddles are the yardstick for a reason, I wouldn't give up on them quite yet.
08-08-10, 12:38 PM
#34
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I got a new B17 from ebay last year for $78 shipped. My experience is that it's not so much about a break-in period as it is about going through the process of riding and finding the right position for the saddle. I probably spent a month riding the saddle, but stopping every 10 miles or so tweaking the position (fore/aft, height, tilt). It was a pain, but now it's very comfortable. I did have to swap seatposts to a dual bolt design to keep the tilt adjustment from slipping.
No, it's not like sitting in an easy chair, but when I get tired on a ride, it's not because my rear is having any problems!
No, it's not like sitting in an easy chair, but when I get tired on a ride, it's not because my rear is having any problems!
08-08-10, 03:30 PM
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I've only had my brooks a short time. I found it comfortable the first time I sat on it, what I did find I had to work on was the seat tilt angle. It seemed the leather is more slippery than I have on my other saddles and my riding bibs cause me to slid forward more. Once I had the angle adjusted properly the problem has gone away.
08-09-10, 09:42 AM
#36
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Go with a Brooks sprung saddle - wider seat area, and drinks up the jolting and jouncing very nicely. A unsprung Brooks may not have enough "give" for heavier riders, especially on a pedal-forward bike.
08-09-10, 10:04 AM
#37
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I've been a pretty staunch supporter of the Brooks saddle, but this weekend's ride has me questioning if I need a different saddle, or different shorts.
Granted, this was a complete taint-hammer of a ride: 300km, 3 mountain passes totalling about 70mi of climbing, 12,000' of gain, 10mi of loose washboard gravel (7 ascending, 3 descending). The problem is that even with multiple applications of chamois creme I ended up chafing myself raw over most of my saddle contact region.
Brooks B17 Imperial, Assos FI.Mille bibs, Assos creme, and I still ran into problems that I'm just starting to heal up from 2 days later.
I've got about 18,000 miles on my Imperial, and I think the issue might be that the shape is changing poorly over time. The center around the cutout feels as though it is "peaking" when I put my weight on the saddle. I've never had this problem with my traditional B17 Champ. Std., so maybe it's time to swap back to that one.
On the suggestion of another rando, I'm also going to try a Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flow. It seems to have a wide enough (144mm) profile as well as not being highly peaked like the Selle SMP Pro I tried a while back.
Granted, this was a complete taint-hammer of a ride: 300km, 3 mountain passes totalling about 70mi of climbing, 12,000' of gain, 10mi of loose washboard gravel (7 ascending, 3 descending). The problem is that even with multiple applications of chamois creme I ended up chafing myself raw over most of my saddle contact region.
Brooks B17 Imperial, Assos FI.Mille bibs, Assos creme, and I still ran into problems that I'm just starting to heal up from 2 days later.
I've got about 18,000 miles on my Imperial, and I think the issue might be that the shape is changing poorly over time. The center around the cutout feels as though it is "peaking" when I put my weight on the saddle. I've never had this problem with my traditional B17 Champ. Std., so maybe it's time to swap back to that one.
On the suggestion of another rando, I'm also going to try a Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flow. It seems to have a wide enough (144mm) profile as well as not being highly peaked like the Selle SMP Pro I tried a while back.
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08-09-10, 04:53 PM
#38
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Has it gotten wet or been oiled or anything? That allows the leather to stretch and can result in unpleasant wear patterns from what I understand.
08-10-10, 08:24 AM
#39
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I'm surprised that the seat is getting less comfortable, mine only seems to get better each time I ride on it, but then again, I've got a std B17, I don't know how the cutout would behave.
Has it gotten wet or been oiled or anything? That allows the leather to stretch and can result in unpleasant wear patterns from what I understand.
Has it gotten wet or been oiled or anything? That allows the leather to stretch and can result in unpleasant wear patterns from what I understand.
I sat on a Selle Italia Prolink at the LBS last night and it felt pretty good. I'm also going to see if they have a Max Flite and a Fizik Aliante I can try out. I'm half tempted to try a Selle Italia Diva (160mm width) just to see how that compares to the Max Flite (150mm) and the Aliante (153mm). I'd love to get a new Turbomatic, but they only make 'em with carbon rails.
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08-11-10, 10:27 AM
#40
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You might try binding that saddle to get the edges of the cutout to go back down. I can see that being a wear issue, though.
You could probably sell that brooks on ebay and make enough for a majority of a new turbomatic off of it.
You could probably sell that brooks on ebay and make enough for a majority of a new turbomatic off of it.
08-12-10, 09:36 AM
#41
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Price isn't the issue with the Turbomatic. The real issue is that they only brought it back as a full carbon rail, so I can't clamp my Bagman support on there to use my Carradice Pendle.
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08-12-10, 07:26 PM
#42
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I don't know a thin plastic rail with a little carbon fibre in it, I can't see how that would be on the list of Clyde Approved® bicycle componentry. I'm 93kg, and I wouldn't trust a saddle with CF rails, I'd like to see how it would work for some of my 150kg+ brethren here....
08-13-10, 08:47 AM
#43
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It's probably not, but the really pressing concern for me is that Carradice support. Either way, it's not on my list.
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08-20-10, 07:57 PM
#44
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I know this is an anti-Brooks thread, but I just got my 2nd B17 today, so I have one on each bike available to me at my apartment. I also have a line on a 3rd one for my geared roadie that currently lives at my parents house.
Can't get enough of these things, I must just have the right anatomy for 'em.
Can't get enough of these things, I must just have the right anatomy for 'em.
08-21-10, 08:17 AM
#45
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I know this is an anti-Brooks thread, but I just got my 2nd B17 today, so I have one on each bike available to me at my apartment. I also have a line on a 3rd one for my geared roadie that currently lives at my parents house.
Can't get enough of these things, I must just have the right anatomy for 'em.
Can't get enough of these things, I must just have the right anatomy for 'em.
Sadly, I am still using the Cloud Nine, which is good for bout 20 miles at a stretch. I sorta think that I simply need to find a slightly smally and less cushioned saddle and suffer through my butt getting adjusted to it...
But, I dearly wish Brooks was for me, as I think they are wonderful saddles~!
08-21-10, 08:39 AM
#46
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It's not an anti-Brooks thread~! I so wish the Brooks would have been for me~!!! The quality of the saddle is perfect in my book. It was simply my take on trying to change seats, and what happened when I *tried* a Brooks for *one* ride. Due (I think) to my uber-clydeness, I had bruises (multiple) that took 4 or 5 days to recover from.
Sadly, I am still using the Cloud Nine, which is good for bout 20 miles at a stretch. I sorta think that I simply need to find a slightly smally and less cushioned saddle and suffer through my butt getting adjusted to it...
But, I dearly wish Brooks was for me, as I think they are wonderful saddles~!
Sadly, I am still using the Cloud Nine, which is good for bout 20 miles at a stretch. I sorta think that I simply need to find a slightly smally and less cushioned saddle and suffer through my butt getting adjusted to it...
But, I dearly wish Brooks was for me, as I think they are wonderful saddles~!
08-21-10, 09:01 AM
#47
I am the Snail~!
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The B68 *was* the Brooks that I tried... to my knowledge, the widest seat they make?
08-21-10, 09:25 AM
#48
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Try pointing the saddle nose up (sounds crazy) and move it towards the front or back. Are you using clipless? Try changing the binders to a more rear position. The best cycling choice I have ever made was to go in for a bike fitting. As a side note most shops I tried would look at me and say “it looks like a good fit” and that is not a fitting.
08-21-10, 10:21 AM
#49
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08-22-10, 12:19 PM
#50
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Just ordered in a B-17 for my wife from Slane Cycles, Ireland. Took about a week to get and was a standard $15.60 in shipping. I combined it with some other stuff so delivered it was $73.00 delivered.
I put it on last night for her and she took her bike for a spin and seemed to love it.
I know I love mine and can feel the indentations in the leather now.
I used glove oil (Neets foot) the day before every ride I did for about a year and it just seemed to work. I really think the key is just use some sort of good leather type oil to keep your Brooks treated and protected.
I put it on last night for her and she took her bike for a spin and seemed to love it.
I know I love mine and can feel the indentations in the leather now.
I used glove oil (Neets foot) the day before every ride I did for about a year and it just seemed to work. I really think the key is just use some sort of good leather type oil to keep your Brooks treated and protected.
