A question first: Are there any former Brooks riders out there who have gone back to the homogenized, synthetic saddles? If so, what kind and have you found it to be better?

I've been riding Brooks since long before the 90's ergonomics revolution, and been punching holes & lacing them to prevent the hammocking. On a lark last night, I cinched up the laces on my B17; what a terrific difference! I'd assumed that leaving the leather laces slightly loose would give a little more cushion, but it was only allowing a slight hammock that had me involuntarily sliding forward onto my perineum.
But after snugging the laces a little, I was able to remain on my sit-bones without even thinking about it!

Sorry if this is old-hat to you seasoned vets out there, but perhaps it might end someone else's taint-pain.

Ive got a Brooks B17 and I was part of the Brooks Imperial test thing they had here on bf. The Imperial has lace-up holes and I have adjusted them a few times.

I ride on a Selle San Marco Rolls saddle now. It's been my experience that you need to distribute the load through out your sit area not just on your sit bones and the Rolls does this very well for me.

This one?!?!


That's the one I rode back in the 80's (it came standard on my '86 Schwinn Peloton) before I tried my first Brooks! Guess I'll fish that puppy out of the garage and see how she feels now.

[Edit: Sorry if I sound shocked; I just have a hard time imagining someone of your... stature sitting on a wee, hapless slab of leather]

Thanks for the tip. It'll be a while before I'll need to use your suggestions, but I couldn't be happier -- the occasional tingly-taints that I'd figured was 'normal' has not been an issue since the B17 arrived.
When I 'shared' my purchase of the B17 last month, I got cheers and jeers: cheers from those who ride Brooks and jeers from... other folks.

Taint pain is nearly always due to the lack of angle control from the seatpost. If you don't have a 2-bolt rocker style seat rail clamp, then getting the right angle can be impossible.

That picture is not me ... Im in the 190s and 6'2" .... these are what Im talking about

https://www.sellesanmarco.it/vintage

I've got a Thomson seatpost and have been angling the nose up to get more up on my sit-bones, but prior to snugging the laces on my saddle, it made it difficult to get down in the drops without smooshing something.
Did an hour and a half rollers session last night, and made a few slight angle adjustments. It feels good to be doing something about it, instead of just toughing-it-out.

I hate it when people misrepresent themselves on the internet. (haha--I knew it wasn't you.) That's the exact same seat, but in black. I've still got the white original that came on my '86 Schwinn Peloton.

Anyone else gone from Brooks to synthetic? I'm really curious about the recent ergonomics revolution: the bars, the brifters, the sloped top-tubes... surely saddles cannot have escaped the ergonomists' attention.