socalrider

I have been using a Brooks B17 for the last 2 years and now have them on all my bikes.. I am looking to buy a Brooks Team Pro for my litespeed where I do most of my hard training and race pace rides on..

During those rides I am primarily in the drops quite a bit.. The team pro is supposed to be a better saddle for this type of riding over the B17..

I have also read that the stock Team Pro can be a long break-in process.. If any of you have bought the Team Pro, is this true or would it be better to look at the pre-softened model that are available for not much more money..

CastIron

If you're doing just fine on B-17's then no need for pre-softened models. In any case, you can use any number of methods to speed the process along.

cs1

Usually, when you say "any number of methods to spped the process" an explanation should be in order.

You can use a damp, not soaked, rag and stuff it under the rails for an hour or so. Then ride the thing 20-30 miles. Let it sit a day or so to dry out. Then repeat the process. Do this for several days until the saddle conforms to your special parts. Good luck

Tim

CastIron

I'll explain a few of mine if asked. There is so much lore and quasi-religious hooey about Brooks that explaining any number of these methods will ignite a firestorm of idiots offering their 'best and only' methods. I presume someone with one of these saddles has some of their own ideas on the matter as well by now.

My fav is the slow bake using proofhide. Soft and water resistant. YMMV.

roadfix

I have the pre-softened Team Pro on my road bike. I've got two other regular Pros on others. The pre-softened saddle is considerably softer than my other two broken in Pros. I really don't have a preference though.....both types work well for me.

VeganRider

I use the B17 narrow on one of my bikes and have become very fond of it. (At first I hated it). On that bike I'm on the hoods most of the time. I have a "race" bike too and don't use a Brooks on it, I really think they are better for a more upright position. Just my opinion based on my butt. good luck.

bccycleguy

I have both the B17 and the Team Pro. The B17 is on my Trek 7500FX hybrid which has an upright riding position, my Team pro is on the Lemond. I have tried the B17 on the Lemond but it is too wide and gave me sore legs. The team Pro is narrower which is what I need for the more aero position on the Lemond. These two saddles are also adjusted differently, with the B17 nose up a bit and with more slack on the "bolt" adjustment. Neither one is interchangeable with the other.

The Team Pro took 1,500 km to break in. Note that breaking in a Team Pro is getting it to conform to the shape of your seat, not to make it soft. When it was new it was harder than a brick, now it has a bit of flex in it. I dipped it in a pail of warm water (bike upside down) for 20-30 sec then went out for 1-2 hr. rides. Did that about 3 - 4 times and I think it helped. Longer rides (3 hrs+) definitely break it in faster than short rides (1 hr.)

Mariner Fan

I've been wondering about the pro also. I have a B17 on my Lemond and a B17N on my Trek commuter. The other day I was riding the Lemond and as usual was bucking a head wind. I rode on the drops for a long time and ended up with chafing in the tender parts. As long as I am upright the Brooks is great. Is a pro or swift a better saddle for my road bike?

farrellcollie

I have a new presoftened team pro s - it is slightly softer than my other brooks.

Mo'Phat

I bought the Team Pro nearly 1000 miles ago. It was hard as a rock, and I broke it in using some guy's method on the boards here. (the name is escaping me). It's still not 'leather couch' soft. It has a little more flex than when I first broke it in, so I'd say I've got another 1000 miles until it's to where people claim Brooks' break in.

Still, by far, the most comfortable saddle I've ridden...but that's not saying much. I just like the juxtaposition of an old school, riveted brooks on a Litespeed.

However, if the normal and the pre-softened are the same price, I'd go with the pre-softened.

dgaddes

I don't think I ever want "leather couch" soft in a saddle again. My B17 Ti is rock hard, two years old, and is completely transparent on my all of my rides - short or long. I have a cushy Terry on my MTB that gets uncomfortable in a couple hours.

chipcom 

I've always run B17s and they were comfy out of the box. I put a team pro on my Bianchi about 150 miles ago and it's taking some time to get really comfy. It's not too bad, but I have had some saddle soreness in my nether regions. You can tell the difference in the tension or hardness of the saddle. Where the B17 has holes there is more give, whereas the Team Pro has no holes and is hard as a rock in that area. The team pro is also a bit narrower, meaning less leather between the support points, resulting in a less forgiving 'hammock'. I'm not giving up on it...just saying it is a bit tougher nut to crack than a B17. I was tempted to try a Swift, maybe next time.

bccycleguy

It probably all a matter of perception as to when the Team Pro gets broken in. Maybe the "Pro" means you have to be a pro at breaking in [Brooks] saddles.

I knew my Team Pro was broken in when a couple of weeks ago I road 324 km on the 3-day Golden Triangle Ride (Canadian Rockies) followed by a century ride and several 50 km rides in the following week and didn't have any regrets. But it's probably just as much an issue of getting your rear end used to the Team Pro as vice versa.

ollo_ollo

I have had several Brooks ( 3 B17, 2 B15, 1 B72, 1 Pro) over the years. All but 1 were good right out of the box & showed steady improvement through the first 500 to 1000 miles while they acquired the twin dents & adjusted to my form. The one exception was my B17 special edition in green. It has much thicker leather and was barely tolerable right out of the box. Now, after about 1700 miles, it feels about like one of my other saddles in the first weeks, good but not great. There are 2 barely discernable dents. Other B17s looked like this after only a few hundred miles. I have used almost a tin of proofide & now just ride it often, sometimes I change it to another bike if I'm going on a long ride. Since leather hides vary, I suppose this is to be expected from time to time. On the plus side, it will probably outlive me! Don

nesdog

After 4000 miles, I think my B-17 is broken in although I've had some issues lately with sore spots. I may have solved those, however. I moved the saddle forward. I may have had it too far back this whole time because I always seemed to be wanting to slide backwards, now that I think about it. I felt way different today when I made the move mid-ride. So watch where you place the saddle!

Sheldon

socalrider

I never noticed that the pro didn't have vent holes.. I think I will go with the pre-softened team pro.. I never had a big break-in period with any of my B17's but I have been riding a lot more and this summer will be doing a light tour of the west coast and need it ready and broken by then..