George,

Any problems with Flex after cutting up the Pro ?? I'm thinking of getting a pro next week, but I really like the look of the butchered saddles better... maybe I'll drive it up to you and you can do it :-) heheh

jeff

Since the Pro is the stiffest saddle in the Brooks line, I don't worry much about the skirts flaring out. Actually, they don't at all for me. I met one guy the other day with a fairly new Swift saddle in which the skirts were tied in the middle. Only the rear and the nose were trimmed. I was surprised to feel his saddle was baseball glove soft. He used some kind of leather softner..... but that was just waaay too soft for a saddle, IMO. Without the tie, the skirts would definitely flare out and the saddle will sag. My Swift is butchered, untied, stiff, & very comfortable.

George

Hey George, when you're over your butcher fetish, can you send me one of your old B17s?

I would image that leather softener would make the saddle too soft, and thereby ruin it...

ok... I've decided.. I'm ordering a Brooks pro... I'm gonna ride it a bit, before butchering it... see how it goes.. but damn, the butchering does make it look good... and a bit more modern looking...

jeff

I'm reviving this thread since I didn't want to start a new one...

Well, I finally did it! I "Swallowed" my approx. 30yr old Brooks Professional Select saddle today, and it was easy. It took about two minutes to lay out where I wanted to cut with brown packageing tape and another two or three minutes to cut the sides off using a high-speed (10,000 RPM) air-powered die grinder with a 120 grit sanding disc. I did this on my ten-minute break at work with plenty of time left over.

This guy at work gave me this saddle because it was too uncomfortable for him. He way overdid it with the Brooks Proofide because the leather under the saddle was almost ruined, and the tin of Proofide he gave me with it was almost gone!

Looks good, too, but probably not as professional looking as the ones The Fixer had done. I'll have to post a pic later.

Why do people cut these saddles?

Does it make it more comfortable or something?

i like the trimmed look...but wont be trying it on any of my brooks...yet...but then i do not have a cutting tool handy to do it...but was planning a trip to the hardware store today for material for shelves, i just may have to include a dremmel....

what kind post is this?

That would be a Miche Supertype.

Available from Red Rose Imports, among others.

Sexy, ain't it?

thanks for the quick response...

yep...sexy as all hell....

Cutting them down makes them sexy as hell, and guarantees you 2 more mph on downhills! :-)

well maybe not that last part!

jeff

Gee, looks just like a Brooks Swallow. Why not just buy that one instead?

last i checked swallows' were a tad on the pricey side...you can get b17s' fairly reasonable or sometimes dirt cheap....

Yeah, I paid 69 for a b17 and took the dremel to it. Looks farking HOT now, and feels great. Swallow is what $300? Nah, I think I'll do it myself.

exactly...

hey- does this change the way the saddle feels at all? Do you do it before or after it is broken in? i wouldn't mind altering mine, i'm just afraid it would change it shoemhow and the saddle wouldn't fit me anymore.

It doesn't alter comfort, but IMO fixes and tracks look better without all that extra touring bike-y leather. Of course, you could go out and buy a Swift or a Swallow, but you can get the same vintage (...yes, vintage. Trimming a B17 or Pro is nothing new, and even if it were, Swifts and Swallows have been around for quite a while) look for a fraction of the cost. And seeing the rails gives the impression of a slightly longer post/higher saddle, as well- another benefit. I use a regular B17 on my geared "everything" bike, but a nice track frame deserves a thinner saddle. You do want to consider weight (yours, not the bike's) and possibly thigh size if you decide to do this- just make sure not to cut off too much. It's also better, IMO, to do this to a new saddle than a broken-in one. I wouldn't mess with one I liked.

Geez man! Are those all YOUR saddles? If so, your butt must be tired from working in all those brooks!

i wanna see pics of a b17 trimmed, please...

the professional looks good, but on the b17 do you cut through that big stamped logo on the side? how does it look?

https://www.wallbike.com/content/butchering.html

here’s a pic of my butchered b17. I rode it about a year before I cut it. then another year before I tied it. it’s pretty beat but nice and comfy. I keep my bike outside so it sees a lot of *****. I noticed a difference after I butchered it. my legs felt like they had more room to move. then it started sagging and losing it’s shape so I recently tied it. it’s 100% better. once I get around to it I’m going to buy some black leather to replace the white shoelace.