i have the Serfas rx 921v road bike seat. I have a handful of 80's and 90's steel framed bikes i got used, and have been riding about 5 months, up to about 100 miles a week. All the used bikes i got came with seats. One of them fell apart and i got the Serfas seat new. The "V" is the vinyl model, i got it instead of the "L lycra model because user reviews online said it is more durable. I have never ridden a Brooks, but i didnt want a Brooks out of concern about theft and also it costs more (about $100 v. $50). The Serfas has excellent user reviews online and a bike store employee told me he likes it. I like it better than any of the rag tag collection of used old cheap seats on my other bikes. I have no complaints with the Serfas, it is comfortable to me for rides i have done up to 35+ miles. Also with the cut out in the middle from what i read it is designed to prevent loss of blood flow ie impotence so i feel safe using it-- most of the brooks dont have the cutout (but one or 2 of the brooks models do but they arent so popular.)

brooks brooks brooks broooks broooks

After a few more rides I think it was the Brooks (on the numbness/discomfort) so I will go with an Imperial, but not sure if it will be a B17 or B68.

Edit: asked the LBS (which is actually not local at 100 miles away) to order me a B17 Imperial in honey. Should be here before Thanksgiving.

Went ahead a traded in the Pre-aged for a B17 Imperial (in black). Mounted it tonight after dousing it with Proofide. Will buff it out in the morning and ride it to work to start the breaking in. I was just getting the aged to start breaking in and now I will start over. Oh well, a year from now I won't even remember the break in period!

Proofide goes on the underside , unlike shoe-polish.

The instructions for the Pre Aged agree with you feitbob, but the B17 Imperial takes it on both sides at first. They then suggest you buff it off (after it sets/dries a bit) before you ride.

By the way, it was comfortable right from the start this morning. Really think it will get better with age and time in the saddle.

A coat on both sides (of any Brooks) shouldn't hurt anything, but I wouldn't douse it frequently in order to soften it up.

They really ought to be comfortable (at least not painful) from the get-go. I'm thinking that the whole "break-in" thing is overblown by people who get the wrong one, or never adjust them properly. Here's to many more happy miles!

- Scott

That's encouraging. I did try a brooks B-17 due to all the comments on this board but it gave too much numbness when the saddle wasn't pointed downwards - and riding in the drops was completely uncomfortable. My 2 bikes now currently have 2 different specialized saddles, and if those ever wear out maybe I'll try the imperial.

B17s work best when the bars are close to level with the saddle. If you've got a large saddle/bar drop, then the recommended/necessary nose-up position won't be very "friendly."

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Perhaps to get some moisture resistant wax in the raw cut out slot..

I used Brooks' Pros on my drop bar bikes.

I made sure I got the edges and the cut out part good.

I read the instructions a little closer and they say coat the bottom if you don't have fenders to protect from spray. I did even though I do have fenders. Buffed out the top before the ride but did still got a little grey on my jeans (yes, i ride in jeans). Minor and looks like it will easily wash out.

Update on the Imperial part (cut out) of the B17. I would normally have a little "discomfort" (I have referred to it as numbness in earlier posts, but it is really just shy of actual pain) later in the evening after riding to and from work - in the place that you don't want it. Tonight I have none and that is after my first 10 miles on the new saddle. I did stop on the way home and bump the front up a little more so as to help me find the "sweet spot" for my sit bones (doing this seems to drop you in just the right place). On the Pre Aged this would have caused the saddle to have more direct and firm contact on my perineal area. On the Imperial it does not have any discernible pressure there. It may change as the saddle changes, but I see not only the sit bone area (the wide part) softening, but the wings next to the cut out softening as well - all acting to drop to the same level, where the center part of the Pre Aged would likely remain higher and harder for the life of the saddle.

Also, I really like the looks of the black even though I didn't think I would. Even better than the honey from the Pre Aged. The honey color was getting dark even after 1.5 months (starting to look cool, but still not as clean looking as the black).

Lastly, i got the Pre Aged n the first place because I thought the rougher finish would not be as slippery as the B17. Actually, I don't find the B17 slippery at all after all! Go figure. It is smoother, but not slippery.

Anyhow the A Vs B, the synthetic covered foam padded nylon base saddles, have their place,
and that is when left out and caught in a shower, there is no damage done.

My 2 bikes that get the most use, of late, have Fi'zi:k Vitesse saddles on them..

though, a late adopter , when I saw one of the earlier versions, with a Leather cover
I was covetous..

Covetous is a cool word. Somewhat romantic/desirous meaning in there somewhere. I was interested in setting this new bike up the way I always thought I would like one to be set up and a Brooks matched that idea. In the past I would never considered a heavy leather saddle on my lightweight carbon fiber road bike. Never on my dual susp mtn bike (still won't), or my lightweight hybrid. I guess I just don't care about ounces anymore. I just enjoy the beauty of a good ride. Also, I will have the Vaya in the office shortly and love looking at it.

BTW - just got a waterproof cover for it from Rivbike and will store it under the seat for those rainy rides.

All this reminds me of a conversation I had with a tourist coming through Daytona Beach back in the late 70s. I loved the idea of touring (and the day after I graduated from HS I left town and rode to Savanna, GA over the next four days), but was into high tech. I asked him how much something or other on his bike weighed and he said he didn't know and he didn't seem to care (I obviously thought he should)! Then he added, in what I now recognize as an experienced voice, that if he simply "added so much as an orange to his panniers" it would make up all the difference in weight that I was referring to.