I'm going to be soon commuting (often) by train and will be using an upright folding bike to get to/from the station.

I have limited experience with (good) DF saddles, but I'm thinking (for now?) of going with Brooks. The question I now have is the B17 versus the C17.

The C17 has two advantages that I see: more comfort immediately and weather protection.

* In the long run, how much more comfortable should the B17 become than the C17. How long does the break-in period take?

* This will be a bike that won't be left outside, but will be ridden in the rain. Am I correct that with proper care, this shouldn't be an issue for the B17?

* Any other deciding factors between the two?

Thanks,
Charles

Here's my 2c having owned both and done direct comparisons between them on the same bikes:

If you purchase from Wallbike.com you can return your saddle for the cost of the return shipping with basically no questions asked. I exercised this option with my C17 and it's worth checking out if you're not sure what to purchase.

Fit:
-The seats fit differently. The C17 is longer and narrower in profile. It has more thigh clearance than a B17 and is more suited to an aggressive seat to handlebar drop ratio.
-The C17 is flatter front to back and is grippier therefore it doesn't need to be tipped nose up like a B17.
-The C17 also has more fore-aft adjustment due to longer seat rails which can be helpful depending on the bike. Some bikes need a setback seatpost to accommodate a B17.


Comfort:
-Everyone's ass is different but I find the B17 to be more comfortable than the C17, even when both are brand new. The B17 requires more tweaking to find the right setback and nose up angle, but once you find it you're golden. I got tired of the C17 after about 20 miles into a ride.

Weather:
-I've soaked my B17 in the rain by accident and thought I'd ruined it... I let it dry and it was fine. Since then I've put fenders on my bike and treated the bottom of my B17 with Sno-Seal. I always cover the seat when I leave the bike outside. In my opinion; if you can't keep your B17 dry then don't buy it, you'll ruin it by eventually stretching it to hell.
-Weather isn't an issue for the C17.

Other:
-The light textile covering on the C17 doesn't take long to wear along the edges of the seat and to absorb whatever color your pants happen to be. Mine was turning denim blue in contact areas after less than a week.

I think the C 17 is fully Italian manufactured , by the company that bought out Brooks.. the leather ones remain British Products ..

though the Italians made them ramp up production, and introduced more colors ,
and used the Italian fashion marketing they do so well, in other things, to promote them.

and added a Select , said to be undyed and 'organic' sourced from completely grass finished Cows.

This is true, when I got my C17 it shipped out of the Selle Royal center in Italy, and it's labelled as made there.