Specifically a Brooks C17 (That's the vulcanized rubber, not B17 leather)
I just bought a new Trek Domane. The last few years, I've just done fairly short, 20-35 mile rides. I used to do longer rides. This new bike is very comfortable and has inspired me to ride 65 miles on my 65th coming up in November. Working toward that, I've ridden longer rides the past few weekends. (45, 27, 51, 30, 47, 35 miles)
Of course, new bikes come with essentially a "demo" saddle and the first few rides my sit bones are sore after 30 miles or so. I've looked at a Brooks Cambrium for the last couple years and decided to pull the trigger.
I first noted it is VERY hard with virtually no "give" like a Brooks leather saddle.
First ride this past Saturday was 47 miles. At about 30 I was feeling it on my sit bones. At 35 it was uncomfortable, at 40 the bones were complaining loudly and at 47 I bailed out, deciding not to continue to round it up to 50 miles.
I adjusted it nose up by 1/4", which with all my saddles seems to do better with me than level.
Two days later on Monday, my sit bones still a little sore, I rode it for 35 miles. It felt a little better I thought, but by 30 miles I was feeling it and at 35 I was getting pretty sore.
This may not make sense, but overall the ride is very comfortable with this saddle, it's just killing my sit bones and I have noted there is a VERY small "sweet spot" on the saddle.

One difference between now and say, 10 years ago when I routinely did long rides is, well for one, I'm 10 years older but more relevantly is in recent years I've dropped 25-30 lbs. I've never had a "meaty" rear-end and I feel there's not much meat at all over my sit bones.

So my question(s)... Do these rubber Brooks get any better or is this as good as it's going to be? I really can't envision a "break it" such as is normal with a leather saddle happening with vulcanized rubber. I'm debating whether to bail out and send it back while I can, or if two rides totalling a little over 80 miles a fair trial?

Just fyi: the part in bold makes no sense. It's contradictory.

I have tens of thousands of miles on Cambium saddles, and they do not "break in." If you dislike it now, you will continue to dislike it.

Yes I realize it seems contradictory and I guess it is in a way. Just seems to "fit" my body for my riding style, whether on the flats or drops, cruising or climbing and in that respect it feels comfortable. It's just that it is killing my sit bones on longer (beyond 35 mile) rides, which of course, is uncomfortable. So yes, it is contradictory. If it just didn't feel good overall, I'd have no question. But I think I have come to the conclusion you state, if I don't like it now, I'm probably not going to.

I guess I'm looking for: Get rid of the &#%$ thing now! -or- Keep it, you'll grow to love it! (Yeah, I know)

Can't speak about Brooks, beyond me spending 2 long seasons on a B17 in '71-'72 on my then bike PX-10...
If you have sore sitzbones, but otherwise 'comfortable', the question would be how often you ride?
I have no real butt, and I do get sore, over time, not miles... Usually after 5 1/2, 6 hrs saddle time, I'm ready to get off.
How often do you ride?
I find 3 days a week is absolute min. for 'butt burn' to not set in...
Your 'position'/posture on the bike?
Some bike shops offer to have you try/buy a saddle and then swap or try another, to find the best one (if t he shop has a reasonable extensive selection).
just some suggestions...
and yes, aging is an adventure... with increasingly daily surprises...
Ride On
Yuri

Currently I only ride two days a week as I still work full time. I agree, 3 days is necessary for building endurance as well as "butt training". Maybe that's just it.
I guess a reasonable experiment would be to pull out an older saddle I've had some success on (years ago) ride it for 40+ miles and compare.

I think the weight loss is significant and testing your "old" saddle paramount. I've lost 20 pounds (inexplicably, since I wasn't "dieting") over the last couple of years and it made a difference in comfort with the same bike, same saddle.

Yeah that's sort of my story. Intentionally changed diet the last few years and dropped about 15-20 lbs+/- This past January went to ER with classic signs, long story short, eventually diagnosed with GERD. Modified diet, biggest change being dropping alcohol and immediately dropped another 10-15 lbs.
The old saddle I had reasonably good luck on, I'm going to mount it in the same position as the current C17 and try it this weekend. If I get the same results, well, I'll go from there.

I liked the idea, but neither the C15 or C17 worked for me. Too hard. I do much better with the very pedestrian Jones spec saddle.

Otto

I’ve got one, and mine is very supple, it’s almost hammock like when riding it. I did get mine from a friend whom I don’t think put too many miles on it as he thought it was uncomfortable which is why he gave it to me, but I don’t ever remember this saddle feeling hard. I’d say keep it giving it some time and it’ll break in. Once I found the right adjustment to it, it became one of my favorite saddles.

My guess is OP means the saddle is positioned such that it is very comfortable for his riding posture(s) but the structure and/or material of the saddle make it very uncomfortable for his sit bones after 30 miles?

Saddle comfort has as much to do with your backside as the saddle design itself. How long have you been riding with the new saddle? How many miles? I usually find it takes my butt (mainly my sit bones) a month of regular riding to fully adjust to a new saddle. By "fully adjust" I mean feeling no pain or discomfort during/after a 100km ride. I hate wearing padded cycling shorts, and changed to B17 saddles on my 5 or so bikes over the last 15 years. I normally ride 5 or more hours per day when I can.

It's not that I don't beleive the 'ya-gotta-get-used-to-it' folks, because that's true, too. But especially with saddles made from materials without any give, the shape must be right for the crotch and butt involved. Saddles with holes or slots for one's crotch distribute pressure along the length of the ischial tuberosities better. A similar solution could even out the pressure on the sit-bone points themselves. If you don't want to be a pioneer yourself, send it back because it won't get better. Or, use a brace and bit to drill a couple of precisely-spaced 1.25" holes for your sit-bone points, taking the place of the generous padding that a saddle like the SMP TRK places there.

SMP got four patents for the design of their seats. You could beat them to a fifth and sixth patent, yourself. Look for two-hole and even three-hole saddles to join clipless pedals and brifters in cycling's future contact-point evolution. Who will be the first manufacturer of them?

This. You get it. When I first got on it and started my ride I thought, "Oh yeah, this is it." (Though I did note it has a very small "sweet spot".) I started realizing the hardness after a while, but no biggie. After about 30 miles I felt I was sitting on a brick. I rode 47 miles total and couldn't have gone another 5. Next ride was 35 miles with same results.

This saddle is vulcanized rubber and HARD, with very little flex. I have a Brooks B17 leather on my touring bike. Most would initially think it is hard as there is no padding there. The magic of Brooks leather (after break in) is it "gives" underneath your sit bones as your pelvis rocks with the pedal stroke. So it acts like a shock absorber. I cannot see hard vulcanized rubber getting softer and more supple with age. It's moulded. vulcanized, man made. Why would it change like leather or wear like foam? Hard moulded rubber items are not designed to change. Are they? Maybe I'm wrong.
Ergonomically, it's great. Material wise, it's very hard.
I'm like a lot of older men, I got and overdose of "no-ass-a-tall". No meat back there and very little tissue over my sit bones. I did well years back on another bike with a Selle Italia gel SLR. I dug it out and mounted it in the same position as the Brooks and I'll give it a try this weekend. If my sit bones do better (or not) that will tell me a lot.
I'm still in an open refund/return window right now with the Brooks C17 and my dilemma is, I don't want to get weeks down the road trying/hoping it will work and find out it won't.

The vulcanized rubber does flex -- you can see that if you simply press down, hard, on the portion of the saddle where your sit bones would rest. (And bear in mind that it is going to flex MORE under your body weight while you are riding.) However, it seems like it does not flex enough for you, and you are correct that it will not mould to your anatomy -- you will never see those two dimples where your sitbones rest on it that you would see on a broken-in leather saddle.

If you're really concerned about the money, my advice would be to return it while you can and try something different.

I also tried a C 17 and thought they were superb . . . Until 20 miles, when like many of you my behind and the saddle disagreed. A B-17 also does not fit me well, but the Pro saddle is very comfortable. My conclusion is that for my posture on a bike, I need a narrower saddle. I suspect the C 15 would be a better choice for me.

In short, it may not be the saddle material that is causing the problem. Lots of variables out there in choosing the best saddle for the job!

Yeah I've pressed on it and was surprised at the stiffness compared to a leather. If it was just a little thinner or if I were 30 lbs heavier. Regardless, the info I highlighted in your response above I believe is my answer and very helpful confirmation.
And realistically, it isn't a very expensive saddle so not so much about the money, but it IS money that can be applied to another option and I won't end up with another one lying around unused.

this just occurred to me: I’ve never used one, but apparently the Cambium versions with cut-outs do flex a little more, just because they’re missing that extra bit of material in the middle. So if you like the shape and just need more flex, it’s something to consider.

WNCGoater: You mentioned an older saddle. What is it? How wide is it compared to the new Brooks B17? See what Aubergine said above in post #15.

I have a C15 (no cutout) on my primary commuter bike and it's by far the most comfortable saddle I have (other bikes have a Prologo Scratch and a Giant Fleet SL). I can ride it up to 50km without issue without a chamois, and all day with proper bibs (have ridden it 300km in a day with absolutely zero saddle discomfort).

Final words (maybe) and follow-up:
Back a few years, I had a lot of luck with a Selle Italia SLR saddle. Rode a couple of centuries on it. I dug that out of the box wondering why I switched. I could actually see two "dimples" where my sit bones were and remembered feeling I had worn it out, as the comfort was diminishing.
I replaced it at the time, with a Selle Anatomica leather which was very comfortable and I've ridden it for the past number of years. So why not put that on my new bike? Well honestly, it's big, heavy and ugly. I know, if it's fairly comfortable who cares? Call it vanity...guilty as charged.

So anyway, I revisited the Selle Italia and did a bit of "Googling Research", mainly reading reviews.
I decided to try a Selle Italia, Novus Boost EVO, Endurance, with a carbon fiber frame and padding. I rode it 51 miles Saturday and 35 miles the following Monday. And yeah, at 51 miles my rear end was getting a bit sore but it wasn't excruciating and feeling like I was literally bruising my sit bones like the Brooks C-17 made me feel. I was able to focus on riding, breathing, cadence, without my butt becoming the focal point of the whole ride. It also allowed some shifting around and forward shift did not cause bother to soft tissue areas. Fair disclosure, I also had on a brand new pair of The Black Bibs Ultimate Adventure Shorts. (Which I was very impressed with and ordered another pair)

I thought of keeping the Brooks, maybe mounting it on my Gravel Bike, though I have no complaints with the saddle on it. I'd rarely ride it more than 25-30 miles max on gravel and heck, most any saddle will work for those distances.

So the Brooks has been returned. I believe it to be a very well made, quality product and it looks great on the bike. It simply doesn't work for me unfortunately.

I have a Domane too. Same experience as you with the stock saddle. It's not BAD, but on a rougher road and with less thick chamois pads, it's no good for more than 20 miles.

I tried a WTB Volt saddle; no better than the stock Trek or Bontrager saddle.

I can't see the C17 getting any softer.

The one I ended up with on my Domane is the Selle Anatomica X-2. It's kind of in the Brooks leather style, but with a big perineal (prostate) cutout and with a leather preparation method that makes it softer from the beginning than Brooks. We adjust the softness by adjusting tension with a bolt under the nose. It's like a hammock. I like mine nice & soft, so my under parts are suspended just above the top of my seat post. I find the leather treatments they sell are not needed. The skin oil and sweat soak into the leather and form a waterproof oil finish in time. Just try to avoid it getting rained on until that happens. (just a few really sweaty rides is all it takes, hehehe)

I have a Selle Anatomica X on my gravel bike. It's not quite as good as the X-2, but better than Brooks.

I have a Brooks B67 (like a B17, but with rear springs) on my 20" wheeled folding bike. It's 10 years old with a lot of miles on it, but still harder than either Selle. It does help with the bumps in the road, though. I miss the cutout. I tried to sell it, but can't get a decent buck for it, so I guess I'm stuck with it for life, hehehe.

Here's a good shot of the B67 on my Tern Vektron. I give it an 8.



Not a good top view, so you can't see the cut-out, but here's my Selle Anatomica X-2 on my Domane. 10. I'll post again if I find a good top shot. It was more of a honey color when new, now it's more medium brown. I ride 40-50 miles with no pain and after a century, I'm just a little sore the next day.