Im having second thoughts about the saddle i just ordered. I decided on a brooks b67. Thats a 210 x 260 sprung saddle. I would like to use it on my long distance tourer, but am thinking it might be to wide. any thoughts before it ships? should i go with the slimmer flyer insted?

Saddles are a very personal descision. You can ask 25 people what kind of saddle they prefer, and you may get 25 different answers (okay, B17 may come up more than once). The B67 is a little wider than I use.

I would base my decision on what width seat I have historically used and what width I have been most comfortable with.

Few thoughts...

1. How do you position your saddle height to handlebar height? Many, including me, find that a wider saddle (like the B.67 which I use by the way) is great if used when it's setup level to or below ones handlebar height.

2. Wider is better as one sits more upright versus narrower is better as one sits more aero-or bent in half.

3. My wife and I both use B.67's after trying many different Brooks saddles and we love them. They are extremely comfortable for us and couldn't imagine using anything else. That said, everyone is different to a degree...

Where are you purchasing it from? Shops like Wallingford (wallbike.com) allow for a period of "trying it out" and if not pleased you can swap it for another style Brooks.

Personally, I think you've made a great choice and you'll be 100% pleased unless you plan on touring in some quasi-Lance Armstrong-aero-position.

I have the B66 ( same dimension) on two of my bikes and the seats do the job for me. I rode 3 consecutive days of 100 plus miles through southern Quebec and Vermont fully loaded My arse was the only thing that didn't hurt.

your butt may vary

I'd like to also add that it is indeed possible that the B17 may not fit you correctly. I tried the B17 because everyone recommended it and it is by far the most painful saddle I've ever been on. YES - I did give it a proper brake in and it was still killing me. I switched to a Selle Italia Octavia and never enjoyed my bicycle more!

i honestly dont know how my tourer will be set up, because im in the process of building it now. I thought about making the stem level, so i guess i could give it a try. On asthetics though, does a huge saddle like that look right on a 700c bike?

i just got my champion special green last week and it was smaller(and more beautiful) than i thought, i was actually expecting something the size of a pillow. but i haven´t tried it yet because i´m still working on my new bike, but i´ll proofide it tonight and do the test ride tomorrow.

Try it out, you might like it. The flyer is the B-17 but with springs. I find the most comfortable Brooks I've got is my B-66 (just like the B-67 but double rail). However, it's on my schwinn cruiser. On my commuter and touring bike, a B-17 and a Conquest. The B-66 is definetly the most comfortable.

I have a Conquest on my commuter. My moustache bars are set below seat level and this saddle feels just right for my particular setup.

It is a mistake to equate the width of the saddle with comfort. While it is a personal choice, a B17 or Professional when properly "conditioned"is supremely comfy. I mean for long-distance touring say 1500-2500 miles. However proofhide will not condition the saddle as it does not penetrate the leather. For that you need a leather dressing applied to the underside of the saddle e.g. "Hydrophane" This will mean your saddle can be weatherproofed and comfy from day one.This also means your saddle wil last without cracking around the rivets. I have had one for nearly 30 years and it is as good as new. Disregard Brooks' advice re not applying any conditioning.

i was just wondering, do you wear cycling shorts while touring with brooks?

I can pretty much ride with non-padded shorts on the Brooks.... for those non-sweaty rides.

Yeh,I use racing type shorts usually as I have found these are more comfortable than any baggy-type shorts. The leather saddle, when conditioned and "broken-in" tends to be less sweaty in my opinion and the year before last in France I rode in middle 30oc temps.