Why NOT a brooks
 

heard all the praise here, but Im curious who bought a brooks and hated it.

I had one and didn't like it. Reasons? Well I found it comfortable enough when new, but nothing special. Once it was well broken in I did not find it very comfortable at all. I prefer a plastic saddle with minimal padding. I just didn't see any magic about the Brooks. It was fairly expensive, VERY heavy, and nothing special comfort wise.

I find it interesting that when on tour I met lots of riders and Brooks riders were few and far between, but on the forums that seems to be all you hear. It sounds like no one would tour without one based on reading the forums, but out on the road it was a different story.

If it works for you fine, but it certainly isn't the only answer.

I tend to be very tolerant of saddles and usually have been happy with whatever saddle came on the bike as long as it wasn't wide or heavily padded. In the grand scheme of things the Brooks that I owned was one of my least favorite of all the saddles I have used.

I tried a B-17 and found that it gave me too much soft tissue pressure, no matter how I tried to adjust the angles. I now use a Koobi Silver, with a cutout, and I have no problems at all with it. I find it almost amusing when someone asks for saddle advice and the Brooks supporters come out in force. I know better now. If Brooks saddles were right for everyone, then why would all those other saddles be sold?

Bill

They are certainly the most beautiful saddles, but when I look at pictures like these I see the opposite of what every expert says is good for me in term of long-term health: the center is protruding to pressure soft tissues. It's the main reason why I have yet to plunk down nearly $100 on one.

Another reason is the prolonged break-in. And the fact that you can't get it wet. And you have to baby them with pomade.

And... I already have a Specialized Alias carbon/Ti saddle I like very much.

http://www.esande.net/features/brooks3.jpg

Between the differences in human anatomy and personal preferences, no single saddle is going to work for everyone.

That said, a series of anecdotes of "I didn't like mine" will not provide you with much meaningful information -- other than the fact that an undefined percentage of riders didn't like theirs.

I have one on my touring setup and it's comfortable now, but it took 1500 miles to get it that way. Just speaking for myself, I would never break in another one.

Good for bars level with saddle. Not so much with more drop.

I found just the opposite to be true with my swift. I am not saying I am 100% sure that the swift I currently ride is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden, but it is comfy. I also was very hesitant to purchase one because of the reasons MrPolak gave, but finally gave in. Is it my favorite saddle, no way because my butt will always love concors, but for the price for one NOS, the swift was in the ballpark.

Brooks saddles [note there are quite a few models] work well for some people and not for others. Everyone's butts are different so that isn't a huge surprise. On a recent tour with my GF I rode a Brooks and she rode a Terry woman's saddle with cut out. We were both happy and neither of us tried to talk the other into switching to a different type of saddle.

If you are satisfied with your current saddle don't worry about a Brooks just keep on riding what you have. If you are not happy with your current saddle a Brooks [amongst other options] is worth exploring. You can buy a Brooks from www.wallbike.com and try it for 6 months risk free. If you don't like it return it for a full refund.

BTW - many folks in Seattle ride Brooks saddles so they don't melt in the rain as has been suggested above.

Although I'm happy with my Brooks Champion Flyer on my LHT I put a Selle Anatomica Titanico on my Big Dummy and that is proving very comfortable as well. If the Titanico turns out to be durable in the long term [seems to be stretching a lot] it may well supplant the Brooks as my favourite. If it stretches out in 1 season of riding it will be a nice saddle, but too short lived to invest in. Time will tell.

So the 1500 mile break-in would be a reason not to use it. It will take some people years to put 1500 miles on their bike.

Some seem to break in sooner than others. I own four Brooks and every one was at least fairly comfortable right out of the box. Of course they're not right for everyone; no saddle would be. For my particular body, the "soft tissue" isn't even really resting on the saddle as long as it's wide enough.

Mine was comfortable right out of the box.

Mine was comfortable enough right out of the box and then 800ish miles later, it wasn't. I tried tightening it, readjusting, damn near everything and yet nothing would keep me from whacking myself on the hard front and rear when I moved or bounced about while riding. I also could just *feel* the 3 holes in the top through my shorts (princess and the pea moment) and started to get seriously cranky after 100 miles.

I'm back to riding a Selle Italia flite for everything from around-town to brevets. It's simple, hard, and has no cut-outs so I'm happy. BF also really tried to like his Brooks but gave up after a 115 mile ride put a complete stop on our cuddling for almost a month. His broke in to have a sharp ridge in the middle, which probably didn't help things.

I think the variety of experiences with the same saddles just goes to prove that they are a very personal thing and you pretty much have to try them out for yourself. Asking folks on the net if a saddle will work for you is crazy. Either get a Brooks from www.wallbike.com to try for 6 months or buy a diferent saddle from another vendor with a generous return policy. Try it and see what you think. If it doesn't work on figure out what you don't like about it and pick a new saddle that might solve your issue - repeat as necessary.

If you do find a saddle you love I'd buy a couple and throw them in the closet for later. Nothing worse than finding the perfect fit for a saddle or shoe and then having the manufacturer discontinue the model the following year....:twitchy:

The stock saddle that came on my bike was awful. I rode it for a couple of weeks then switched to a standard Brooks B17. Right away, it seemed so much better...

But then I realized it wasn't all that great for me. I have put over 1300 miles on it since I bought it and I am happy enough with it, but it isn't the be all end all of comfort for me, like so many here say. I say take the Brooks enthusiasts' reviews with a grain of salt (as everyone here has suggested), because it may not be for you, either.

I wish I had purchased mine from wallbike, because I would probably return it and try to find something more comfortable. As it stands, it is just comfy enough not to justify purchasing a new saddle.

IMO, that's about as good as anyone can hope for in any saddle. :thumb:

My first Brooks B17 was comfortable right out of the box and still is a few thousand miles later. I thought my padded shorts helped but one day I ended up doing my normal commute in jeans (15 miles one way) and it was still comfortable. This year I ordered another B17 for my other bike. We'll see if it is comfortable right out of the box.

BTW, my Brooks has gotten wet and been ridden through the rain and is doing just fine.

I've personally talked 5 people into buying a brooks saddle in the past year.

One rider is still unsure although she told me its the most comfortable saddle she has ever had and another person with about 500 miles on it still does not like it.

My wife and I love ours.

To answer someones question about why there are so few brooks out there.

#1. Bike companies are not going to put $100.00 saddles stock on a $500.00 bicycle.
#2. Most people rarely ride their bikes. Hardly anyone puts on over 2,000 miles per year. At that rate a gel saddle which would cripple a more serious rider is actually comfortable. Go sit on one...they are great for about the first 3 miles.
#3. They look uncomfortable. I have ridden mine 160 miles in a day before without any bike shorts etc and sometimes when I'm riding I think, "man this actually feels good." Then I am locking my bike up and someone will touch the saddle and say, "how do you ride that thing....its as hard as a rock!!!"

Why NOT a brooks ?

1. As mentioned, very heavy but can double as a boat anchor in emergency
2. Not impervious to elements like plastic
3. Not cheap
4. Can get to squeaking when moving up and down on saddle
5. I find the comfort critical of angle and positioning
6. Won't win any awards for high tech cool
7. Definitely not for everyone

That being said, I continue to ride on two of them

B17 doesn't work for me even though most seem to like it. I do use and like some of the other models.

I have B17's on both of my bikes. I just bought something today that promises to be more comfortable, though.....but it came from La-Z-Boy!