Hi,
I'm looking to buy a brooks saddle.
I will use it for a regular city day to day ride.
In the future I will use it on a tour bike.
I think I would like to go with the spring type saddle, because I'm heavy (210 lbs) and need some dumping.
I'm considering "The Conquest", "The Champion Flyer" and the B33.
I would like to here your thoughts and recommendations.
Tnx

I was about 210-215 over this winter and I have a regular brooks b17 and it is fine commuting to school everyday.

Leather saddle is something new to me.
I have commuted with TREK 3700 which have Bontarger saddle and my but was sore.
The problem is that most of the users of Brooks saddles will say that they are fine
So I want to know if using a spring saddle will have greater ride then non sprung one.

I'm not sure what your asking. Do you think a B-17 or any unsprung saddle will not hold your weight? I weigh 250 and ride a Team Pro and Swift with no trouble.

A sprung saddle should give you a softer ride if that is what you want.

Are you asking if you should go with a wire spring Brooks because you weigh 210? If that is what you are asking, then the answer is no. You go with a wire spring Brooks for a softer ride, which it doesn't sound (to me) like you need.

I'm 240 lbs, and have over 300 miles on my rather new B17. I love it. I use it mostly for commuting, though I am doing long rides in preparation for the Honolulu Century Ride this September. I also rode it on a tour around the island of Oahu back in May.

The B17 is great for commuting, around town, long rides, tours,... everything.

Basically, going to a Brooks (any Brooks) should help keep your butt from getting "sore" due to the leather and hammock-style saddle design. Going to a Brooks sprung saddle will take some shock out of rough rides like gravel paths, etc.

Hope that helps!

I have two 17's and two 67's. Your concern about weight is not an issue. I weight 235lbs. The main issue will be: Do your ischials and related soft tissue fit inside the steel frame that runs under the rear of the saddle?

I find the 17 to be excellent for all my riding, but the 67 is just a tad more comfortable. That's because at about 60-70 miles, I find that the 17 frame puts some pressure on the pads that surround my sitbones. The reason is that the 17 is slightly too narrow for me. However, this is only an issue on very long day rides.

The B67 is great for as long as I stay on the saddle. 100 miles is not even a test. Other things give out, but not my butt.

Springs:
They work on bad surfaces but you won't really notice them much in general because they are pretty stiff. The Flyers are nice. My next Brooks will be one.

Ok, this I didn't understand and now I get it. The springs are stiff.
So I want to understand why the B33 has a very strong springs, and how would it feel riding the city?
Part of the ride includes getting to the road and back from the sideway. If I stay on the saddle when doing it, the springs will smooth the bump? What will be the difference between Flyer and B33?

Ok, I understand that there is no weight issue ;-)

How do I know the width of the saddle I need? Maybe the B17... are too narrow ?

In the sheldonbrown b66 page they say "The B66 is most appropriate for cyclists who set their handlebars higher than their saddles". I tend to put my handlebars lower then my saddle. Is it really an issue to care about?

I bought a Brooks Flyer because I have a short femur which equals a steep seat tube angle. Oh & I weigh 220#. I rode it on a 1083 mile tour last fall when I was 230#. It was the best saddle I have ever ridden. This season I am sporting the Flyer with an LD slot cut into it by Sella An-Atomica:

I think that it is even better.

Tom

An-Atomica - LOL
When did you notice the springs kick in to work?
From your opinion, are the springs make a better flight then without?
Tnx

kipibenkipod:
The B67 is the same saddle as the 66, except the 67 is a single rail saddle for modern seatposts. They also now make a B68, which is the same except it has no springs. All three are designed for bikes that have a more upright posture. They work great on road modified MTB's, three speeds, comfort bikes, etc. They also work well as touring saddles because they are so supportive for all day use.

The B33 you mention is, in my opinion, overkill. Those things are designed for strict utilioty use, like on an ice cream trike or some other vendor type machine. They are huge and heavy. Definitely not a tour saddle and I can't recommend it for anything but the most upright of postures. Undoubtably comfortable, though.

How do you measure your ischial width? Well, there are a couple ways, I suppose. One good way is to cut the four flaps off a cardboard box, stack them, sit on them while watching the news, then measure the dimpled imprint center to center. Add another inch for the fleshy pads surrounding the bones, and you have your width. Make sure your knees are a little higher than your hips so you get a good imprint.

Specialized makes an Ass-o-Meter that is in some bike shops that does the same thing.

Here are some pics of B67's on different bikes I have, or have had. #1 and #2 are roadified old MTB's for commuting and long rides as well. #3 is a Trek 520 touring bike with North Road bars and a B67. When it was set up like this, I called it a 3-speed on steroids.

You can see the single rail under the saddle that is clamped in a standard, modern type seatpost. The 66 will have two rails and you'll need a seat sandwich to use it with a seatpost like these.

#1
https://i12.tinypic.com/4ub44dv.jpg
#2
https://i16.tinypic.com/4lzewoz.jpg
#3
https://i17.tinypic.com/67e64o7.jpg

Yes. It's an issue. A B66/67/68 is best for the type of setup in my pics (above post). Here are pics of the same Trek 520 and a Specialized Sequoia Elite with B17's. Notice that the bars are the same height as the saddle peak. That ism slightly higher than the seat portion of the saddle. Some people ride the 17 with the bars lower, but there are other models which would be better for that - like the 17 Narrow or Pro.

Trek 520
https://i18.tinypic.com/67qe7mf.jpg
Sequoia
https://i15.tinypic.com/66kynwk.jpg

If you sit very upright on the bike, get a wider saddle, like the B67. If you lean forward a bit like on a mountain bike, get a narrower one, like the Champion Flyer, which I have one my hybrid touring bike.

I have decided to go with the Flyer because I tend to lean forward.
Second, it has springs, which don't interfere in the riding until a bump is comes along. So it has added value over the B17 for me.

Thanks all for the help.

Good choice.

Part of the upright issue is whether you have a lot of weight on your butt, or carry a lot of it on your legs and hands.

The way I measure bone width is just get a couple of rail width pieces of wood and space them apart until I find a comfortable width, I want to try the cardboard though.

I don't think being overweight necesarilly means you need a wider seat. Do one's sit bones spread like ones feet?

Right. It's the bones and the fleshy pad surrounding them that counts for width - not the body type of the rider. I suppose that skeletal structure moves as you age or put stress to a certain part. The English longbowmen, whose remains were found in the Mary Rose, had left forearm bones like Popeye from pulling those powerful yew bows. They made modern archers look like twits.

I'll garantee you this: if you ride a saddle that's too narrow, you'll feel like the ischials are being spread. That's the Ass Hatchet Effect.

The Champion Flyer is basically a B17 with springs. I think the B17/Flyer works best for me because it's flat, so only my ischials contact it, and because it it wide enough for me. The next most comfortable saddle I've got is flat enough, but is as narrow as a B17N so it misses the mark there. I'm 210 and just finished my first century ever yesterday. If it wasn't for the fact that my wife would probably shoot me, I'd gladly do another today. Saddle comfort was no issue at all.

Oh yeah, like you, I ride with my bars slightly lower than my saddle. I think you'll be happy with your choice.