Wow, after reading all of these it almost makes me want to try another. I rode with a B17 for 2 years (2k per year) and I could never get it to feel right. It was 'presoftened' with neets foot oil and some very small holes drilled in the edge and nose. I bought it from a Brooks fanatic LBS. I had to sell it. I then bought a Swallow. I put 1000 miles on it. I think it may have been too wide. I ended up selling it and getting an Avocet Touring.

The thing that seems to be consistant is finding the RIGHT saddle. I may just have to give it another shot. One thing for sure...with so many cyclists recommending the Brooks, it has to be the best!

I think the basic idea is getting something that can fit you. I am just getting started with a Brooks, and I think it will work for me. It is hard, but not the plank some people have described it as. Maybe my willingness to try and make it work will acclimate my legs and butt to the saddle.

Having said that, there is a lot written about these saddles.

Here is some more stuff written about Brooks (only my observations and completely unscientific or unendorsed by Brooks).

To the uninitiated, the feel of a Brooks is completely foreign. Usually, these people have been brought up on the idea that cushiness means comfort. Bike saddles have been designed with cushiness for a long time -- cushy means comfy. It probably came in with soft, floaty suspension and deep seats on cars.

Therefore the comfort of "normal" saddle is equated with being able to squash the foam down with fingers. The squishier the feel with the fingers, the better it must be for the butt.

When someone picks up a Brooks, they try the same cushy test. Is it any wonder they think the Brooks is a plank when their weak little fingers can only push the leather inwards a millimetre or two.

What they can't understand is that their sitbones will be applying much, much more force to the leather, and this is where the inbuilt suspension, I believe, comes into play. The leather gives slightly, the sides flare slightly, and you are riding along (eventually) without noticing this. Once your sitbones mould the seat suface, you are in a true saddle that supports where it is meant to, and suspends you the way it should be. You can test the give of a Brooks by pressing down with the palm of your hand on the middle of the saddle when it's on the bike and see this suspension system at work.

On the cushy saddles, of course, the sitbones are compressing the squishy stuff right down, to the plastic base underneath that does not have much, if any, give in it. The squishy stuff moulds itself around the flesh surrounding the sitbones, compressing the blood supply and the nerves.

Cushy saddles are also covered (usually) in a plastic material that collects and retains sweat, with consequences for chafing. The natural pores in the leather on the Brooks absorbs the sweat and tends to wick it away from the shorts sitting on it. Chafing is less likely.

When novices express amazement at my Brooks saddles, I point out to them that the professional riders in events such as the Tour de France have tiny, quite hard saddles. They spend thousands and thousands of kilometres in the saddle every month. The saddles are designed for sitbones and have a degree of give in them (either through rail or mould design). Brooks saddles, of course, just aren't fashionable enough for the pros to consider (and Brooks don't sponsor race teams).

So, that's my take on it.

I think this may depend on the individual saddle too, people you have to remember these are hand made from leather, every piece of leather is going to be different, and every saddle maker is going to use a slightly different technique on the saddle they are making. FWIW I have been riding the same leather saddle for over 20 years, it has been on commuting bikes, mountain bikes, and touring bikes. It is not a Brooks :eek: it is a Wright which is a copy of the Brooks, at the time it was the best I could afford on a student's budget, and it has served me well, IIRC I bought it out of the bargin bin, slightly used for $3 :D I do plan on buying a couple of Brooks in the near future for my two main bikes.

Aaron :)

MagicTofu,

You started this thread, so i have to ask you. Did you decide to buy a Brooks, or are you going to wait a bit. Wallbike has used ones from time to time. Also the Lickbike site mentioned here is pretty cheap, and if you look on ebay there is a site called bensbikes.

Good luck with your tour.
b

I have to admit I was tempted but I decided to try using the stock saddle that came with my bike. I guess I spent enough money on my bike so far... I'll see what my but has to say after a couple of long rides. It will probably be an investment for the next year though.

Ever see a coyboy ride a gel saddle?
Need I say more?

Well, all time leading money earner NCHA Bill Freeman does.

Sorry. I don't even know who Bill Freeman is, just couldn't help to answer your question. ;) :D

does the patina or fine lines near one side mean i am leaning to that side? I do not see any indentations yet, but the right side looks a little rubbed after a ride. I applied another coat of proofide yesterday and will see what it looks like when i get home tomorrow.

Can you apply too much proofide?

b

Yes!! That's what I was talking about in my post ... the texture of the saddle changes slightly first. And yes, it likely does mean you lean to one side if that texture has only appeared on the one side.


I hardly applied any at all. One small application top and bottom when I first got the saddle. I should probably reapply soon, that saddle has been through a lot in the last year. Isn't proofide just to protect the leather?

ride a brooks and thats all youll ever want to ride again. i have a vegan friend thats searching endlessly for a used one for free... he's almost at the point of just buying the dead cow new. the only saddles that i would consider now are the flite ti due to simplicity, and the storika, which is kind of similar to a brooks... just more for a race bike.

last thing, brooks saddles dont take so much effort, just put some (actually very little) proofhide on every few months, and cover them in the rain and snow. mine has been through two winters and many noreasters, and still looks good.

pete

Possibly.
I had broken my hip some 20 + years ago, and my Brooks is a bit lower on the one side than the other now. Talk about a "custom fit" saddle!

OK, but for how long about 20 seconds or so? Bet he don't tour on it. Just kidding, didn't know such a thing was. Last ride I took was on good old fashion leather, in the wind river range on a nice old mare.

I just got a B-17 last week and I can't say enough good about it.

As a woman, I've had some er... painful and numbing issues to deal with... not good! I had finally settled on a Terry Liberator and could manage 20 miles without TOO much pain :eek: but NEVER rode pain free for any distance. :mad: Adjustments to the bike geometry notwithstanding (raise handlebars, lower seat, more gel), I nearly always ended a ride with a little Bermuda Triangle of pain/numbing. It was horrible! I was ready to give the Brooks a fair try... figured it couldn't hurt any worse than what I was riding on... :rolleyes:

With the brooks, I slathered the sucker with proofide and let it marinate for several days in a warm spot before putting it on the bike. (That hard quarter inch thick leather scared me! Eyew! It hurt to even LOOK at it... ) However! I've ridden 166 miles on it so far and it's already better on the tush than the Terry. From what I read here on the forum, it will only improve further from here. Thanks for the recommendation all of you!

I'm pretty certain that the Brooks saddle has ended my quest for a comfortable saddle. I can hardly BELIEVE that the hard hunk of leather saddle has become my most comfortable ride! 30 miles on Tuesday evening and I rode WITHOUT pain for the first time in 2 years! What an incredible thing to ride and NOT notice my posterior and crotch! Amazing. Totally amazing!

There are simply not enough effusive positive things to say at this point. :love:

I thought the proofide is like mink oil on a hiking boot. It helps soften and condition it. I may be wrong about that.

You should also know that Brooks now has a new PRE-AGED Saddle (looks like
distressed leather) and is a bit more expensive ($100ish) but maybe worth
it to those who need comfort asap and want to forgo the breaking in period...supposedly due to a unique tanning process it is softer yet as durable as their traditional line of saddles.

Cheers
Joe

let's put it this way, I have a padded leather saddle (NOT brooks), which is soft, but ti STILL took getting the thing sopping wet for it to "break-in". Before that it was very uncomfortable...worse than my SDG S7000, and for those who know those from mtn biking, those are rock-hard, literally. It might as well be the definition of hard....but it was also a very comfy saddle...the SDG was just not good for bumpy roads though.


edit: please, don't soak the crap out of your brooks...my saddle was different, soaking a brooks could prolly kill it :(

500 Km so far and still sore after about 20 miles. Will keep at it. Any other suggestions?

Thanks

bakhurts

I spent 8 years getting my Professional formed to my posterior. They had a good relationship, sharing many lasting memories. Two weeks after changing it over to my commuter to replace a trico splitrail torture saddle (now that was painful after a couple hours), the bike was stolen. Anyway, long story short, just got a new b17. I didn't use any proofide or use a cover before, I didn't know any better, but never had a problem.

I don't know what to tell you, bakhurts. Maybe time to concede defeat and try something else, everybodies body is different, I was comfy on the professional straight away.

i'll work on it some more. I have a weekend tour coming up in three weeks, so hopefully will have made a dent in it by then.

Wondering if anyone has contact information for the person who sells the Robusto version of the Brooks saddle, with a cutout, as mentioned in a previous post.

Yes. I suggest applying Proofide to it a few more times and letting it stand in the sun for a several hours at a time. Of course, polish off the top side before riding. It certainly won't hurt the leather, and will help to build up a protective layer in case you ride in the wet.

I "Proofided" my Professional several times at first, then about twice a month for about 8 months until it was really broken in well. Hasn't hurt it a bit. To answer your other question: Proofide is mostly beeswax, with some other agents like citronella added to help it get into the leather, and for scent, etc.

I trimmed this one a couple of months ago, and now it fits me even better. No, this one is not for sale!

300 miles is not enough break in time. Don't lose patience with it, because it WILL get better.

Where/what is hurting still with you on the B17? With this Pro, it was hitting me in the back of the thighs/butt area and that's why I ended up trimming it down. I had to actually grind about 1/2" or so off both ends of the frame, and then I cut the leather back close to that point. Also trimmed off the rear section where the name plate was, right up close to the rivets, and some off the nose. Looks a lot like a black Swallow now.

:)

My ischial tuberosities get sore after a while, even though i try and stand when i remember to. Some of it may be that i am still experimenting with seat position as I can
t bend over too far without getting back spasms. I sit pretty upright and notice the seatpost sways a little when I pound on the pedals.

That saddle looks really nice.

I looked for the robusto on the web and could not find a site. I'll work on this saddle some more as I think it fits me better than the "modern" serfas gel I used to ride.

Thank you for your help. I would probably not have bought one if Magictofu had not started this thread.
bak

Hey bak - can you see the indents on mine towards the back of the saddle? Do you have any started on yours yet? When you do, that's when your saddle will really start to feel better.

Try leaning or sliding forward once in awhile to that area between your scrotum and your rear, to give your sit bones a rest and to let the blood get flowing there again. You might want to tip the saddle nose up or down just a hair to help with that.

If after some more miles the B17 doesn't do it for you, you might need a wider model like a B17S or B72, since you're sitting upright more often than not.

It's mcmwin.com.