I just bought a "new" old bike and then sold some junk that's exactly the price of a green Brooks to match the new bike, and I'm going to take the plunge. I was about to order from my shop when I did a search to find that the B-17 is a full 3cm wider than my current favorite saddle (on all my bikes), the Selle Italia Flite.

I know a Brooks is going to be different and take some getting used to, but should I really only go for the narrow version, which is still a cm wider?

It's possible that the Flite isn't really the ideal width, but just that it was my introduction to non-cheapo, non-padded saddles, but it's was enough that I haven't ridden another saddle on any bike for 2 or 3 years now. I also ride in a very forward, stretched out position typically, but this bike has more relaxed geometry, if that makes a big difference.

Is this a roadie or MTB? Wide saddles on mtbs are worthless.

Road bike.

Hows your saddle to bars drop? If there's a really big drop between saddle and bars, I'd say go for the narrow. I had a regular old B17 with a lot of saddle to bar drop and ditched it... but it'd probably be a decent saddle now that I have risers.

it's bigger than the average rider around here it seems, but I'm both very tall, very flexible, and have a very long torso. Maybe 3-4 inches drop from nose to the tops on this bike.

One thing I like about the width of the standard B17 specfic for FG/SS is that when seated cranking up a hill, the width gives some resistance to push the back of ones very upper legs/lower butt into. When I've swapped to narrower saddles I've felt like I could push myself over the back of the saddle.

Al

the 3 cms will make it your NEW favorite saddle.

There's also a green Brooks Team Pro available. I really like mine.

Get it from wallbike.com and you have up to 6 months to return it if you don't like it. Mine is one of the returns.

Give it a try, I'd say. FWIW I have a Pro and a B17 and like the B17 the best over long distances. It may be the brooks that's most deserving of its cultish admiration.

Ha, 90 bucks is about as high as I'd go for any part that's not a frame or a pair of wheels, so no team pro for me. I'll check those returns though.

ouch to all professional owners *embarrassed*