Just got it today from the Chinese version of eBay, called Taobao.

I was on my commute home when I got a call to come and pick it up. Got home, took the other one off, kept my rear light and reflector down low on my seatpost, and went for a ride to try and find some sno-seal.

Given the language difficulties I have here, I managed to convey what I wanted and they all seemed to understand, but nobody had any.

At first I found the swaying motion a little wierd, but am starting to like it.

It seems a tad higher than the standard Giant seat, but I was thinking of lifting it a tad anyway.

I did stop and slide it backward twice, and now find it comfortable.

Will see what happens as I put my km on it. I added at 4500km on this bike.

z

You should have scraped it on the road and slathered it with mud so it matches your bike. It's too nice and clean. LOL!

Congrats! I can't wait to finally get a B17.

Yeah, the roads here are pretty dirty, and we have had a bit of rain of late. I have been looking for some mudguards that will stop that muck but no luck so far.

The saddle I took off was pretty clean though, my arse keeps it that way

z

Make sure you put a good coat of Proofide, especially on the underside of your new Brooks.

it looks like it is pointing down too much. Brooks seem to work better if you point it up a little, or keep it level. Since they are not as sticky as non leather seats, this helps you from slipping forward on declarations.

Level maybe, but pointing it up will come at the peril of your perineum.

I'm looking to buy one for my hardtail but haven't found any good deals recently. I bought a Brooks flyer pre-aged a little while ago for about $68 without shipping if memory serves me correctly.

I had perineal problems until I got a brooks, and mine is pointed up just above level.

Bottom line: experiment with tilt as well as front-back adjustment.

I had to play with it quite a bit. I resisted pointing it up because every time I tried it I went too far up. Tilt it up farther than you think you need. If it's uncomfortable, tilt it back down in small increments until it is comfortable. Most likely, you will stop before it gets to the level position.

Not for everyone. Mine's angled pretty far up and I've done a few 300k and 400k events without problems.

Riding my Brooks point slightly up was most comfy for me too. Having a micro-adjustable seatpost made it very easy to dial it by making small changes until I found the spot.

Azesty - Don't listen to these jokers. Real Commuters such as yourself have a hard time keeping the bike clean.

I have a question though: Does all the dirt seem to cut down the life of your chains or derailleurs? Seems like an internal geared hub and full chain case might be a good idea for the next bike.

Well aren't you just special!

Maybe everybody's $200 seat isn't fabricated level...

Kidding aside, seat angle depends on anatomy and rider position... for most men in most situations a slight downward angle is the most comfortable. Having said that i'm talking 5-7 degrees max up or down.

I disagree! I find that a seat tipped down is usually a sign that the seat is raised too high.

Looking at a racer's bike can be instructive, because they do a lot of fine tweaking. Most of them have their seats level or tipped slightly up.

And I find that Brooks feel better when tipped up, especially if I'm slightly upright, such as with upright handlebars.

How many miles are there on yours? Didn't you have it more level at first and then angle it up after a while?

Mine's level, and I was happy with it after adjusting it the first time. I hope it stays that way.


I looked at mine the other day, and realized it's tipped up slightly at the front, about like yours is. Guess I hadn't noticed the angle much after I got it dialed in.

Glad you disagree. I don't think it makes any sense anatomically to tip the saddle up. Most guys I've seen have the saddle level or down. Maybe it is what you've come to be comfortable with, but the fact is that you're sitting on your hips. As long as ones don't slide backwards or forwards or compress/sit on your perineum(much easier when the saddle is tilted up) then you'll be ok.

I should something that is very obvious... and that is that not every saddle fits the same.

I feel all three bones on the saddle with what feels like equal pressure. If I tip my seat down, it puts too little weight on the pubic bone and too much on the handlebars. I fall forward.

Thanks for all the advice about tilt. I generally ride with a bit of a down tilt, as I dont mind the pressure on my arms until I have been there for more than an hour or two. I will, however start experimenting with tilt. It might be worth trying all the way both ways, heading back to the middle. I think the seat stem has a fair number of locking slots on the adjustment.

Jeremyz, I have been riding here since July last year. I have a fairly brutal method, I just pour bottled WD40 on the chain. I do this at least every time the chain is well soaked with water and grit.

There are street sweepers here, in the hundreds, dressed in orange, using long brooms made of plants. It is a little incongrous at times. They keep it very clean of bits and pieces. Using standard tyres I have had only one puncture in over 4000k of riding. But these guys dont remove the grit the comes from everywhere. So far I have replaced the rear derailleur when I bent it in a crash. The rest is original. It doesnt change as smoothly as it did

I am planning on doing something about this when I get to 5000km

z

tilt arguments already and now WD40, this is gonna get ugly.

Congrats, azesty.

I am looking at the same saddle and wonder if it's worth to go for the 'aged'. Any opinions?

Thanks.

I tried that and decided it would be better to keep it level... round about the time I started singing soprano.

JPprivate, I have never held an aged saddle, let alone sat on one, I am not qualified to answer

z

I did have it just above level to start. I've been tilting it back as I put more miles on it, up to about 7000 miles when things seemd to even out with it at the position it's in. I think I have around 10,000 miles on that saddle now.

That saddle is special, actually. It's a pre-production B-17 Imperial, and I got it as part of the rider beta testing about 3 years ago. Paid for it in sweat and reviews. (The company quoted me along with about 10 or 15 other testers in The Brooks Bugle.)

Most of the randonneurs I know have their Brooks saddles angled slightly up, within the tolerance you mention. But with the position we tend to have (more upright with bars closer to level with the saddle) and spending long hours (20+) in the saddle for a single ride, it's a more comfortable position. Not many of us are leaned far forward in a racing tuck for any significant amount of time.

A slight upward tilt on a Brooks is the same as level on an upholstered saddle. Your bones don't sink into a Brooks like they do a padded plastic saddle.

Ah, helpful.