Brooks B17 Imperial Saddle 2000 miles later
 

Hard to believe it's been 2000 miles already. Love them or hate them, the Brooks has a following in the biking community. When considering a saddle, hardly anyone doesn't at least give it a look and consideration. Some can't live without them, others can't stand them.

Personally, I've fallen in love with my Brooks B17 Imperial. After 2000 miles, the fit is just great to my back side. So if you have considered one, my opinion is to give it shot. It might be the next love of your life.

Here's a little video I did as well of my 2000 mile thoughts on the B17 Imperial.


- Cpt. Bob

re putting proofide on every week or so on top and bottom at first, and then every 3 or 4 months, I would caution others about doing this as my experience is that if you over use proofide, it can cause premature sagging of the leather--and especially with a cut out Brooks, I would be concerned about this due to the cut out reducing the structural aspect of the top part of the seat.

Ive used Brooks for a bunch of years now, and with my first one I didnt proofide as much as you have done, but I do notice that on that particular seat, the leather is more "flexy" than on my other Brooks that I only put a bit on at first and then have pretty much ignored proofide wise since.

The proof that putting less is better than more is that on two of my other B17s, no cutouts, the sitbone areas have developed as they should, but one wants the rest of the leather to remain fairly stiff and supporting, this is what will mean the seat will stay in proper shape over the years, and in both B17s in question, they are still very comfortable and I dont want them to "soften" up any more.
I rode a two month long trip on one of these B17s this year and really never had any keester issues, despite riding most days in some very hot temps, so Im following the "if it aint broke, dont fix it" mantra, and not overdoing or frequent proofide application is what I've done with these B17's.

also, I have barely had to touch the tightening screw on my Brooks also, which again to me is a good sign that the leather is not stretching, hardly at all, over time, so it bodes well to long lives out of them--while at the same time, holding their proper "broken in shape" that works for my body shape, yet keeping the sagging to a minimum.

anyway, just some observations.

In general, this is the view and recommendations by Brooks themselves re proofide, and of course, how much you applied is a factor also, but thats an unknown. My tin of proofide must be 8 years old and there is lots and lots and lots left.

also, dont forget that if ever it does get wet / soaked from rain, left out in the rain, dont ride it as it will stretch the leather. Keeping a plastic bag or two and using a rainproof cover is very much a wise thing to do re long live of your seat, proper shape wise.

Sounds serious!

I'm around 5k miles with my B17. Haven't touched the tightening screw and have put proofide on, top only, very lightly twice.

Good feedback. I've had no issues, but of course...time will tell. Saddle has worked well for me.

- Cpt. Bob

not to mention the awkwardness and embarrassment....

but I do think it is worth taking note of the Brooks recommendations of not overdoing the Proofide, although a bit unclear, I do feel its neither necessary nor good for it to do multiple applications , thinking that it will "speed up the break in period", I'm pretty certain somewhere on the brooks website there's a blurb on this.


anyway, blah blah aside, glad you enjoy the seat and that it works well. Thats the whole idea, may it continue for many years.

I went over to Brooks site to see what they had to say and this is there directions on how often you should apply:

The primary function of Brooks Proofide is to nourish the leather to keep it supple and to prevent it from drying out with age. With this in mind, it is generally not necessary to apply Proofide to a new saddle. Instead, it is recommended to apply it after every 6 months.
Proofide should be applied sparingly to the upper surface of the leather using just enough to cover the entire upper surface area. This should then be left on the leather for several hours (perhaps overnight) in order to allow penetration through into the inner fibres, before buffing off thoroughly with a soft cloth.
Some Brooks saddle owners use Proofide for two further purposes:
a/ If the saddle is giving excessive discomfort after some time of use, then Proofide will soften the leather and hence encourage it to break-in more readily
b/ If riding regularly over wet surfaces (especially if you bicycle does not have mudguards), then a coating of Proofide applied and left onto the underside of the leather will offer some moisture shielding to the leather
HOWEVER, in both of these two cases, it is very important to be mindful of the irreversible damage that can result from excessive application of Proofide. There is a risk that the leather will over soften and then no longer be able to support the rider’s weight.
Proofide is a tried and trusted product, the ingredients of which are all know to Brooks. This is the only dressing, therefore, that we can endorse for use on a Brooks leather product. The use of any other product is frowned upon and will also jeopardize your warranty rights.

Good to to know!

the main reason I bring this up is because a number of times Ive seen fairly young age wise B17s with not a lot of mileage on them, but were all saggy, and the tightening bolts had been turned a lot--looking years and years older than mine that had waaaay more miles on them. These were probably rain soaking, then riding on them issues, but heres the way I look at it--when I have a bike seat that is more comfortable than others in the past, and that doesnt give me any issues keester or any other bits wise with regular riding, Im darned sure that I want the seats to continue being such good bike seats.

whenever Brooks leather seats come up, my experience was after I got the first one and it became comfortable, I ended up getting another one simply because I didnt like riding on the seat on my other bike at that point anymore. I bought a used one and it became my most comfortable Brooks. Ive since bought a few other used ones, and they too are just plain comfortable and work very well on my other bikes. Even my wife loved one of them after she borrowed it for a trip, and so it has now gone to her and I replaced it for myself with one of the used ones I got a few summers ago.

but they are just bike seats, so whatever works for each person.

I'm glad to hear the Imperial is working for someone! I've seen a lot of them that had sagged to the point that the leather needed to be replaced. How they got that way, how long it took, how heavy was the rider, what had they done to the saddle... I don't know any of this. I've only seen the results.

Re Proofide, I have three tins of it... one from maybe about 1970, one from the 90's, and one from 2015. They are all different colors, they all three smell different, and all three have different instructions on the tin. You may argue the oldest one has decayed, oxidized, etc, and that's why it looks different. That may be the case. But I think it's a different formula.

To keep any leather saddle from stretching and sagging, the simple rule is: don't ride it when it's wet. If it gets wet, let it dry before you ride it.

I ride a B-17 Imperial on my two primary bikes. Only issue I have had is creaking. I have done internet searches for solutions, have tried the silicon spray etc and have lessened the problem but can't seem to completely make it go away.

one of mine used to creak and I tried diff things, and then at some point it went away, but Im not sure which thing did it....I suspect it was a slight turning of the tightening bolt, but not 100% sure. Just glad it stopped, was a bit annoying at first.

So is this condition from too much proof-hide or none at all?

I've never conditioned my Brooks. It's been 5 years and all is good. Now I'm nervous.

I'm curious as well! It appears to be a Brooks B.15 from the (early) seventies, with the exaggerated imperial cutout added later, perhaps much later.

I don't see any evidence of too much Proofide; in fact it seems to have held up pretty well. I'm mostly curious how many miles it has been ridden in its present butchered condition.

This model has a row of holes along the edge, for the stated purpose of lightening and ventilation (but I think they're purely decorative, really) and some people use these holes to lace the skirts together. They aren't made for that, and they tear. Whether that's why they're torn in this photo, I can only speculate (and I'd speculate: yes, that's why they tore).

But hey, if anyone has a saddle that works for them, I'm not knocking it. I'm not a fan of the imperial cutout, but I've done it to a few saddles for people who thought it a good idea.

~10,000 miles on a B17 now, including 1,500 in the wet a rainy British Isles, not saggy, still looks/works fine.

Never have done anything to it other than cover it religiously when it rained. Now that bike is hanging on the garage wall most of the time, which hits like 115 F pretty regular here in South Texas, prob'ly I should take the saddle off and bring it inside.

But anyway, if I only get 10,000 miles on a saddle I'm good with that.

I'm curious how people reconcile the advice to let a brooks saddle dry before riding on it. Essentially, don't use it while wet. I know brooks saddles are very popular and have been for a long time with long distance touring. So what do people do when out on a tour? I'm considering a brooks saddle for my commuter bike, a bike which I hope to use for touring once I am finished with college. Is the acceptable practice just to put a cover on it while the bike is locked up or sitting, and then remove the cover to ride in the rain?

I'm also familiar with using products like Nikwax and SnoSeal to waterproof and condition leather boots (not familiar with Proofide). Would it maybe be beneficial to apply a single coating of something like these to waterproof the leather of the saddle? Or is Proofide enough for the purpose?

I use a cover as you suggest.

I can't imagine having a $100+ saddle on a bike that I was ever going to lock up anywhere. I have great insurance, but I don't purposely try to tempt fate.

I spent 7 years at numerous universities and after my expensive bike was stolen, I started riding a $100 bicycle with a $75 lock to lock it up and from then on, it was there when I returned....

In all fairness, cost isn't so much a factor as I work for a retailer that carries Brooks saddles.

I was merely curious what the best way to care for the saddle is, and whether people really don't ride their Brooks saddles in the rain.

its pretty simple, Ive just always put a plastic bag on it when its parked (two actually, one on top of another) and when riding I used to use plastic bags but then got a proper fitting Brooks rain cover that is comfortable to ride on.

by not letting your brooks sit out in the rain without some sort of waterproof bag on it, it will last a long long time, more importantly, it will remain comfortable for you, ie it will retain its proper shape for a long long time--and thats the whole issue here, if a brooks seats works for you, then taking a few seconds and always putting a cover over it while riding or when parked only takes a few seconds.

sure you have to think of it, but then we have to think of all kinds of stuff in life, so no biggee.

or you dont, and ride on it after its been soaked, and it stretches, and you have to tighten the bolt often, and then maybe you find its not as comfortable as before, and maybe you dont care, or you do, and you learn.

anyway, its on you to do what you want, and if you dont want to think about it, there are tons of great bike seats out there that arent leather, so whatever works.

Cool, this is kind of what I was getting after. I understand covering it while the bike is sitting, that's simple enough. But I was wondering what people do when they have to ride in the rain. I didn't think that any kind of cover would be comfortable to have in between the saddle and your butt, but, if the Brooks rain cover works for that then I know to keep it in mind.

when I finally got a Brooks rain cover, it was nice just because it fits on well and stays on well. Never bothered me riding but then I use padded bike shorts. I did buy my wife a brooks rain cover this year as I gave her one of my Brooks, which she loves, and the newer rain covers have been redesigned, for the better, with more waterproof fabric that properly covers the bottom of the seat, so obviously better if on a bike with no fenders, and also in my experience, good for camping and whatnot where your bike could be out all night in a hard rainstorm with rain coming sideways etc.

I also always have a few plastic bags with me , especially for overnight, and a plastic clip to keep them in place. Easy to do and it becomes second nature.

I just used common plastic bags*, the Brooks saddle cover is a product of the new brand owner, Italian,
that introduced all the fashionable colors too.

*most rugged, the bladder out of a 5L box of wine.

I use DryRider covers, one plus a spare in my bags. I also routinely cover the saddle overnight against dew.

So far I have no trouble riding on a seat cover.

For something a little more durable than plastic bags, consider a cheap women's shower cap for a buck or less. They fold up easily and I normally just cover my saddle for the night if bike is being left out in the elements and "yes" I ride with it on in the rain and it works just fine. Oh and for a long time I carried a second shower cap to cover my helmet when it was raining or if it was really cold, as it really kept the noggin much warmer and dry.

Shower cap isn't a bad idea and would work well. You can also pick one up for free at your next hotel stay as they are often provided for free :D

- Cpt. Bob