JS1965

I ride a road bike but with a better position for riding than racing
Its a Fuji Roubaix 1.0

I have been thinking of going with a Brook B17
I am NO racer just a lover of riding, I ride 4 times a week (25 to 100 miles depending on the ride)

I want comfort, dont need less grams
What do u guys think?

I am mostly in the hoods, only in the drops when its windy or downhill....

JS

NCbiker

If you don't care about the extra weight, no reason not to give it a try. I love my Brooks, After 6000 miles it has become a part of me. I've become very attached to it, whenever I walk by my bike I tend to give my Brooks a little pat.

fietsbob

They are popular. [they also get stolen off parked and locked bikes]

nebuer16

I highly recommend it. I've had mine on my single-speed commuter (the most ridden bike I own) for four years and absolutely love it. I wouldn't put it on a racing bike, road or otherwise, but its awesome for commuting, touring, and long distances.

I can't necessarily disagree with them getting stolen, but I've never heard of it. Not sure why one would want to ride on a saddle that is molded to another person's pelvis.

Wil Davis

I've never met a Brooks I haven't liked; here's my Brooks page: Wil's Brooks page
Think of the Brooks as the "cyclist's armchair"

- Wil

hueyhoolihan

all six of my bikes have Brooks saddles on them. manufactured from the 60's to the present. five pro's and one b17.

the b17 has much thinner leather than the pros and will probably not last as long. nor do i think it will take equivalent abuse. i've tried others over the years, and believe me, i would love to find something lighter...

surfjimc

I have a B17 on my touring/commuting/errand bike. I haev never worried about the seat being stolen, but it is never locked up for more than 30 minutes or so at any one place. I worry more about the lock being clipped and the whole bike being stolen. It is also the most comfortable seat I have on any of my five bikes. If you want one, buy it and try it out. If you don't like it, it should have good resale value. One online store that I can't remember right now has a great selection and return policy for Brooks Saddles.

kingnutterrick

Beautiful saddles Will, I am ordering a brook 17 this payday.

fietsbob

I didnt like mine on a seatpost I could not get enough Setback on.
B 17 seemed rather short. to me .. and this was not the short version..


With the Old 2 Bolt Campagnolo seat posts they were fine,
I have a 30 and a 20 year old Brooks Pro.

Wabac Tulio and Brooks had a narrow rail spacing and seat post match , those
had a Much Longer adjustment range..

One set turned over at auction for a small fortune.

FrenchFit 

The set back is limited, even worse with the Team. If your bars are below the saddle or you ride in the drops, the saddle is too bulky and the nose stabs you in the package, If you ride a little more upright it's pretty darn comfortable, the only saddle I can ride for a fair distance without wanting a chamois. I've sold a couple and gone to a more modern saddles, but for the right application the B17 is a solid choice.

jeepseahawk

I liked mine but ended up selling this week, pressure in big boy area was too much. I am now going to try the Selle Anatonimca (spelling), they had a xmas deal.

sstorkel

I tried a B17 on my touring bike and hated it. The worst saddle I've ever ridden is the Specialized Toupe. The B17 was the second worst. The riding position on my touring bike is probably slightly more aggressive than average, though. The B17 felt like it would only be comfortable if I was sitting bolt upright...

Aushiker

I have a B17 amongst the four Brooks I have. If your Fuji is more a roadie/racing geometry I would be considering a more suitable saddle in the Brooks range and not the B17. On my roadie, a Look 555 and on my commuter a Kinesis Racelight Granfondo Ltd I have Brooks Team Professionals fitted. I find these more suited to the riding position.



Andrew

LeeG

It's the state of the art 100yrs ago. I've tried leather saddles and never found comfort. For 20yrs had a Concor and now a wider Specialized Avatar now that my handlebars are about 1" below seat height. Pick what works.

Doohickie

3 B17s, a B66 and a B72 here. The latter two are sprung and on rather upright bikes (cruiser/English 3-speed). For anything with drops or a forward lean at all, the B17s are great.

State of the art from 100 years ago, sure, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Wil Davis

…ain't that the truth! …but unfortunately there is a corollary (1) if it ain't broke, fix it until it is broke, and (in the SW world) (2) If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features!

- Wil

phughes

It is state of the art from 100 years ago that continues to prove itself over and over by many riders every day for mile after mile after mile. I have a B72 on one bike, the leather is thinner and there are vertical springs, very comfortable from the very beginning. I have a B17 Special on my touring bike and it was comfortable for the most part out of the box, more comfortable than other saddles I have used. Longer than 50 miles in a day for a few days in a row and it required me to move around or stand at times. After about 1,000 miles it is the most comfortable saddle I have ever used. I can't imagine using a different one, I simply do not feel it. The only thing I would think of replacing it with would be a Flyer. Adjustment is critical as is simply allowing it to be used and break in. I played with adjustment while using it on a trainer over the Winter last year, once it was set it was amazing.

I love it, I can't imagine using a non-leather saddle for long mileage days. They simply don't feel good to me.

My brother still has a Brooks on his bike that was bought used back in the late '70s. He put many miles on it, doing Ragbai a few times and riding from Iowa to Oklahoma, the across Oklahoma on a ride similar to Ragbrai, the saddle still works.

Spaincycle

Another thumbs up from me. As has been said, you may have to persevere with it through the tough initial stages, but it will be a lot more comfortable in the long run than most saddles.

fietsbob

Once Selle Italia Bought out the old Owners, they became fashionable again..

IMO, Due to Marketing and offering in more colours..

OldZephyr

Happy Brooks owners in our family. I have a B-17 on my Cannondale CAAD9, a Champion Flyer on my Trek 720, my wife has a B67 on her LHT, and our son has a Team Pro on his LHT.

Until recently, I used a Brooks B-15 which I owned for over 30 years, I simply transferred it from bike to bike. Finally it got too soft for me. But 30+ years of service isn't too bad. I got the new saddles within the last few years, and there was no issue with break in, they were comfortable from day 1, and are even better now. I think you get longer wear out of the standard saddles, I have a pre-aged Flyer, and it got too soft too fast. Part of that was my fault (it got soaked in the rain and then I went on a longish ride on it while it was still soaked).

Brooks saddles aren't for everybody, but Wallingford Bike has a great return policy in case you are unsure about getting one. Don't like it? They'll take it back, I think as long as it is returned within 6 months of purchase.

I have used other saddles, but none of them have been as good for me as Brooks, especially on longer rides.

xyzzy834

Thumbs down for the B17 for me. I gave it over 2000 miles of a try, but I could never get as comfortable as I can on my Selle San Marco Rolls.

I strongly prefer a level saddle setup, fore and aft. The B17 doesn't have a level top, no matter how much tension is applied. The rear rivets are the high point with a ramp down to where your sit-bones are supposed to ride. The nose has a slight downward taper. I keep sliding forward unless I set it up with the nose in the air, then it becomes uncomfortable to ride in the drops (and hideous).

Lots of people love them. I had no trouble selling mine used. It just didn't work for me.

hueyhoolihan

you make a good point.

although i use brooks saddles exclusively, i understand why others don't.

there is a sweet spot in all my adjustments: the nose up a bit (yes, hideous) to prevent sliding forward due to the hammock shape caused by the front and rear attachment points.

i have found that the thicker leather used in the pro models, if not treated with too much (leather varies in it's characteristics from cow to cow) softener, minimizes the sag a bit and allows the saddle to be fitted with a more level stance.

acantor

I have two "oldish" touring bikes (with drop bars), and each is outfitted with a B17. I have owned one bike since 1985, the other since 2004. Between the two, I went through more saddles than I can remember before I first tried the Brooks seven years ago. Both Brooks were comfortable from the get-go, in every riding position.

The Brooks is truly a quality product. If treated properly, it should last years... or decades. My seven year old B17 looks almost new.

TheSergeant

The real deciding factor for me is handlebar height in relation to saddle height. In my experience if your saddle is above you handlebars pass on Brooks -- period. If it's level or your handlebars are higher, go for it. I did a 750+ mile tour 2 years ago on a Brooks B17 Special on a Salsa Fargo and never wore a chamois once. I ended up shipping my bike shorts home 4 days into the trip.

The other issue with the saddle is that you'll have a tendency to slide forward if your bars are too low. The solution for most people is to angle the saddle nose up so that it "cradles you" in the the saddles sweet spot. That's all well and good but after some time you'll notice some perennial pressure. You will start to unconsciously rotate your pelvis so it's more upright and place more pressure on your hands. Obviously no good.

My recommendation is go for it but get a seat post with 25mm+ setback and be aware of h-bar/seatpost issue and watch what your body is doing.

My B17s (chopped & tied -- which imo is a must)

rifraf

According to Brooks and many forums, B17 works best for a more upright position or at least for one where the saddle is equal to or lower than the handlebar height.