Only if the definition of being a serious cyclist means someone says they are a serious cyclist. Oh, wait - that would be the definition.

This poll is not about what you see on the road. It is about what those that post on cycling forums who see themselves as serious own.
It seems to me that of those that think they are serious and post on Bike forums, Brooks is very well represented.
The other part, not in the poll, but in text is many brooks owners have more Brooks than they have Butts. I have one Butt, have 2 current Brooks, one on my bike I ride and one on the shelf, and one was stolen on my original Italian MASI in the 80s - that killed me.

ftfy

The concept behind Brooks saddles is that they're a tensioned hammock, secured at the front and back of the saddle. The surface is locally hard, but avoids being harsh because the overall structure can flex quite a bit. A flexy piece of material that's suspending a person needs to be built pretty strong; even if the rails weighed nothing, that thick slab of rubber would be significant.

Sorry I didn't realise this poll was for serious cyclists only. I voted anyway. I do see the odd Brooks here. mainly on bikes ridden by other commuters.
I don't notice what the serious cyclists ride. They're too fast for me to see.

Serious question: What's the cheapest, best bang for your buck, bomb proof Brooks saddle? Please advice.

Or you could make the suspended part out of CF, and have 185 gram saddle like the Fizik curve

Last used a Brooks saddle in 1982.

Yep, and those are pretty neat saddles. I'm not sure they disagree with my point, though; the Kurve design was prone to cracking, despite not building in quite as much flex as a Brooks. I'm not sure that thickening the surface would help either, since it would presumably increase the elongation under flex (disclaimer: I'm not a mechanical engineer).

Tried one of the hard, deadly ass hatchets back in the 80s. Gave it to a friend.

I have only seen 2 or 3 brooks in use in my life I just bought one and have 10-12 miles on it. I found a nearly mint 1975 Raleigh sport with the original saddle and Raleigh tires. I ordered a new B72 to put on it as the original didn't look like the leather had never been treated so it had dry rotted

SERIOUSLY?

So, who is serious?

I do put quite a few miles on my bike, rain or shine. I've been a bit worried about heavy rain riding with a Brooks.

I have, however, been drooling over a C13. Perhaps I'll try one sometime. I'm working on a vintage build that will probably get a Swallow.

So, the answer is not yet.. and who knows.

Yes ... of course. What else would I use?

I see that Dan333SP voted- I think of him as more of a tongue-in-cheek cyclist.

Ahhhh, my two favorite saddles, Brooks and Fizik Kurves! Unfortunately neither is cheap. And I have to keep taking one of my Kurves saddle's cover off to keep greasing the contact points or it creaks.

If you want cheap and comfortable, you should really try the Terry Falcon Y. Hard to beat for my anatomy at least.

And I don't use a Brooks saddle, I use 3 Brooks plus a look alike Gyes. Oh but I'm not a serious rider. They're the spandex carbon fiber crews in a paceline I like to cruise by on the weekends in my hot pink jersey and socks riding this.

Now I don't know what to do, is the question about Brooks as a company or Brooks as a style of saddle... B17 leather thingmo. If it's the latter then yes, I ride a Brooks, but branded Gyes and 1/5th of the cost.
But yeah, if you tour you can't beat worn in leather for long days in the saddle. So that's serious I guess, but then when I tour I tend to stop at amusing things and drink beer, so that's not serious, but then I do ride a Gyes.

I can think of fewer occupations in life more serious than drinking beer. On this account, I should be a substantial burgher of 300 pounds instead of the waif that I am!

Gyes: Got a brand new one off Ebay for $30 bucks... done months of touring on it and it's like sitting on a lounge chair and still looks good as new.

One of the things, it strikes me, that is not being given enough weight in this discussion is aesthetics. The beauty of a leather saddle as it ages and gains its rich patina is an unparalleled experience. There is another sensuous aspect as well--the smell, as the gentle rays of the sun and the rider's own body serve to warm up the saddle so that it releases its lovely aroma into the air. I grew up around horses and saddles. I've always loved these aspects of things crafted of leather. Carbon fiber, plastics, are sterile by comparison (not saying, of course, that in their own way they cannot be attractive--at least to the eye).

Oh, I can't wait for our glib, local wags to weigh in on this one. You know who they are!

You must be Venetian

Haha--you're closer than you might think.

PS: It's not nice to dish up a person's own words to his face! lol

Have a look at all the lovely Brooks saddles on the Your Century Bicycle(s) thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/long-dista...bicycle-s.html


There are a few other saddles in the mix too, but lots of Brooks saddles.

Is farther more serious than faster?