Breaking in Brooks
12-04-20, 12:26 PM
#26
Zip tie Karen
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Posts: 7,006
Bikes: '13 Motobecane Fantom29 HT, '16 Motobecane Turino Pro Disc, '18 Velobuild VB-R-022, '21 Tsunami SNM-100
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I will say that I like and prefer leather slung suspension saddles. But I can ride on anything as long as it is (a) flat, (b) firm, and (c) of correct narrowness.
The new B-17 uses an extremely thin leather that breaks in much too quickly for me. I prefer the Team Pro.
The Taiwanese reproductions with the bonded synthetic under-layer are more like what the B-17 used to be. I have one on my tourer (Cardiff Cornwall) and one on my commuter (the trimmed and laced skirt version of the B-17, maybe Gyes GS-17A?). These are good saddles with many thousands of miles on each.
The Japanese copies (Fujita) were quite thick (like the Brooks Pro), and I've had dozens of them. I always sell them with period-correct bikes, because I believe that's how it should be done. I had a Fujita Professional on a Fuji America that was a really, really fine saddle. I was sorry to sell that bike, but it didn't have a unique place in my lineup.
I have an Ideale 80 on my Jeunet. It was used but not broken. I've found it to be comfortable so far, but I haven't been on it for more than 90 minutes or so. This one requires a bit more nose-up than most.
I ride a B-17N on my Peugeot, which has a more aggressive posture. I hade to lace its skirts, since the leather on it was rather thin. It's quite comfortable, and I enjoy it. I rode an Ideale 90 back in the late 70's to mid-80s. It never became "comfortable" for me, although I rode it for many thousands of hours.
EDIT: Of course, these saddles are not appropriate for a racing bike or a mountain bike. For technical, aggressive riding, something different is needed. As I said, if it's flat, firm, and narrow enough, I'm set. For performance bikes, it must be light(er) weight, too. But this is obvious.
The new B-17 uses an extremely thin leather that breaks in much too quickly for me. I prefer the Team Pro.
The Taiwanese reproductions with the bonded synthetic under-layer are more like what the B-17 used to be. I have one on my tourer (Cardiff Cornwall) and one on my commuter (the trimmed and laced skirt version of the B-17, maybe Gyes GS-17A?). These are good saddles with many thousands of miles on each.
The Japanese copies (Fujita) were quite thick (like the Brooks Pro), and I've had dozens of them. I always sell them with period-correct bikes, because I believe that's how it should be done. I had a Fujita Professional on a Fuji America that was a really, really fine saddle. I was sorry to sell that bike, but it didn't have a unique place in my lineup.
I have an Ideale 80 on my Jeunet. It was used but not broken. I've found it to be comfortable so far, but I haven't been on it for more than 90 minutes or so. This one requires a bit more nose-up than most.
I ride a B-17N on my Peugeot, which has a more aggressive posture. I hade to lace its skirts, since the leather on it was rather thin. It's quite comfortable, and I enjoy it. I rode an Ideale 90 back in the late 70's to mid-80s. It never became "comfortable" for me, although I rode it for many thousands of hours.
EDIT: Of course, these saddles are not appropriate for a racing bike or a mountain bike. For technical, aggressive riding, something different is needed. As I said, if it's flat, firm, and narrow enough, I'm set. For performance bikes, it must be light(er) weight, too. But this is obvious.
Last edited by Phil_gretz; 12-04-20 at 12:31 PM.
