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Is it dumb to buy a used Brooks saddle?

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Is it dumb to buy a used Brooks saddle?

Old 09-03-20, 02:55 PM
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bblair
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Is it dumb to buy a used Brooks saddle?

I am only a saddle (and some bar tape) away from my vintage Paramount being done! I have decided to go with a Brooks, since that is what mine from the 70's had before it was stolen. New ones are over $120. Used are cheaper, but is it folly to buy one broken in (finally!) to fit someone else's butt?

Everything else is period-correct; maybe I should go with a modern, more comfortable seat?
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Old 09-03-20, 03:06 PM
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I think it would be okay. Just be sure to buy some proof hide and an adjusting nut wrench.
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Old 09-03-20, 03:09 PM
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People buy and sell used Brooks all the time. I'd make sure it doesn't have any cracking in the leather but other than that go for it. One downside to a Brooks is that it has short saddle rails which can make fore and aft adjustment difficult. Selle Anatomica saddles have longer saddle rails if you think that is desirable.
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Old 09-03-20, 03:15 PM
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I can usually find a Brooks B17 for $80-90. Having said that, used is fine. Just make sure it the tension screw hasn't been applied much (ideally never user-increased tension), because then the shape gets weird.
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Old 09-03-20, 03:18 PM
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I actually prefer to buy my Brooks saddles used. They look better, feel better and are cheaper. What's not to like?

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Old 09-03-20, 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted by bblair
I am only a saddle (and some bar tape) away from my vintage Paramount being done! I have decided to go with a Brooks, since that is what mine from the 70's had before it was stolen. New ones are over $120. Used are cheaper, but is it folly to buy one broken in (finally!) to fit someone else's butt?

Everything else is period-correct; maybe I should go with a modern, more comfortable seat?
A pre loved one is fine as long as the $$$ are in line. I buy any and all that I need/want, old, new, broken in, not, scruffy, nice, etc, etc.

Love em all and never have a problem, really like to get old ones on bikes that I buy and find a better home for them in the fleet.

Any Paramount deserves the most correct/appropriate one you can muster without breaking the bank or searching the globe.

I consider an old open nose Pro best for these but ymmv.
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Old 09-03-20, 06:22 PM
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Recently purchased used ones are nice because it usually means the owner tried it, didn't like it, didn't ride it much, and is moving on to something else, rather than using it until it's totally worn out.
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Old 09-03-20, 07:01 PM
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Originally Posted by tyrion
....... Just make sure the tension screw hasn't been applied much (ideally never user-increased tension), because then the shape gets weird.
Yes, I was going to say the same thing.
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Old 09-03-20, 07:11 PM
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I will only buy them in like new condition and/or with shop damage. Any bolt tightening is out, and any cracking is out, way out.

If you like your saddles on the hard side, check out the Gyes saddles on ebay.

Since rhe pandemic, Brooks pricing has increased 30 percent.
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Old 09-03-20, 07:16 PM
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Older ones are all the same color .. I bought 2, new, a Long time ago.. 70's & 80's
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Old 09-03-20, 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by tyrion
Just make sure it the tension screw hasn't been applied much (ideally never user-increased tension), because then the shape gets weird.
I've heard the "never tighten the tension screw" so many times I thought for sure it was gospel. It can be too loose, however.



Early February I was riding with @Andy_K and friends when my a$$ felt funny. Turns out the tension bolt decided to leave the saddle. Make sure there is some tension...

I also have a B17 Imperial saddle that was getting real saggy and was getting less comfortable, so I decided to tighten it up. A couple of turns and it was vastly improved.

I figure they give you that little wrench for a reason.
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Old 09-03-20, 09:49 PM
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Originally Posted by gugie
I've heard the "never tighten the tension screw" so many times I thought for sure it was gospel. It can be too lose, however...
I meant to imply the tension screw being already used is (kind of) an indicator of wear, in the context of used saddles. If the tension screw is almost used up, that would indicate a lot of miles.
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Old 09-03-20, 10:45 PM
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BAD IDEA!...........COOTIES!!
Just kidding...... I own a few Brooks saddle I bought used and I haven't had any problems with them, but maybe because the ones I bought used, were in very close to new condition. Well used Brooks saddkes though can be a problem with fit and comfort as they had already confirmed to the shape of the previous owner that might nit fit you, plus it might have been treated with enough wrong substances that could lead to its premature deterioration.
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Old 09-03-20, 11:04 PM
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Originally Posted by tyrion
I meant to imply the tension screw being already used is (kind of) an indicator of wear, in the context of used saddles. If the tension screw is almost used up, that would indicate a lot of miles.
Oh, I know that to be true (now!) I never considered adjusting the tension screw because of what I've heard and read from "everyone". My point is that there may be some reasons to tighten it. I've had/have maybe a dozen leather saddles, and two of them clearly needed to be tightened. If you're buying a used saddle, and it's a bit loose, maybe all it needs is to be tightened a bit. If you can pick up a used saddle for cheap, it might make it worth your while.
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Old 09-04-20, 12:32 AM
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Best reason to buy a used Brooks? Thicker leather, provided it's a vintage used Brooks. Something 30 years old that's not yet deeply conforming to someone else's sit bones - that is pure gold.

All the new issue Brooks' I've ridden have been pretty light and flexy right out of the box and I passed them along before they were shaped like me too much. These modern saddles with thinner leather break in much too fast; I'm afraid they'll break down prematurely.

(Full disclosure: I weigh about 210)
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Old 09-04-20, 12:33 AM
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If I can actually hold the saddle in my hand, for close inspection, I might buy. I stopped buying used Brooks saddles, on-line, years ago. There are just too many things that could go wrong unless in person inspection is part of the procedure. This one might be salvageable but I would not have bought the saddle, even for ten bucks. Ten bucks, incidentally, is what I paid for the Cannondale at a local yard sale...




I sold the Cannondale, Brooks but support and all. The new owner went to the trouble of salvaging the saddle and the salvage attempt did work. The saddle softened up and was then reshaped. I am not sure how the saddle is holding up, though, since I have not linked up with the new owner in over a year, now.
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Old 09-04-20, 12:38 AM
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Per many anecdotal accounts, tightening leather saddles can be risking irreversible destruction, On older saddles. It can lead to the start of ripping dried out fibers in the leather. And once it starts, its usually downhill from there, just like cardboard ripping or a zipper, in worst cases. At least that is usually the case for many saddles acquired in very dried out (driy rotted) states that seems to be revived by treatment of saddle wax and soaps.
I think it is only really safe to touch that tensioning bolt if the saddle is at its "youngest".
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Old 09-04-20, 07:54 AM
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"Is it dumb to buy a used leather saddle?"

That's like asking whether it's dumb to gamble. If you understand the risks and can evaluate the goods, maybe it's not gambling. If you don't know what you're doing, you're gambling. You may win, but don't count on it.
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Old 09-04-20, 08:53 AM
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I had a Brooks Swallow on my De Rosa with about 120 miles on it but just replaced it with a used Brooks Swift with titanium rails I bought off EBay a few weeks ago. I put 33 miles on it last weekend and it has a different feel than the other Brooks saddles I own. I have a Brooks Imperial with 250 miles on a Trek 760 that gets 20-30 miles/month. I’ll only be putting 30-60 miles/month on my De Rosa with the Brooks Swift so it may take a while for the seat to re-conform but I think I’ll be happy with buying used. The saddle appears to be fully broken in and gives my bike a more vintage appearance than with the newer Swallow saddle.

I don’t ride my bikes with the Brooks saddles too often so it may take me a while before the other saddles are broken in, but the Imperial saddle on my Trek 760 is already pretty comfortable after 250 miles or so.



The Swallow was on my De Rosa but I just swapped it for the titanium Swift.


The used Swift appears to be in good condition and was pretty comfortable on my first 33 miles on it.
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Old 09-04-20, 09:12 AM
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I did the opposite, I didn't like the Swallow and decided to try the Swift. Much improved. It is more flexible out of the box than my standard Pro, even advertised to be so. Oh and yes it is on my De Rosa.
All my brooks are used purchases, mostly near new. Pro's are suppose to have thicker leather than the other and so are often discarded for sale. They require several hundred miles to fully break in, although some find them comfortable out of the box.
I have tried Flite Ti and they are good for about 30 miles. I don't know the mile limit on a Pro.
I still ride this one and it is the most comfortable. I have had it since 1973 and have neglected it. I don't know how long it will last.
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momoman Nice color on that De Rosa! Nice post too.
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Old 09-04-20, 09:36 AM
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I'm usually willing to take a shot. Prices on Brooks saddles on the 'Bay are crazy to my eyes, but when I identified this squished-looking saddle as a B17, I snapped it up for $15 + shipping. It definitely needed work. To begin with, it was a B17 AGED, which I had not encountered before. They feel thinner, though I have not applied calipers to them, and they come pre-drilled, and that was this saddle's downfall. A previous owner had laced it in such a way as to flatten it out rather than draw the skirts down and inward. It also had a broken steel rivet and one of the rails was bent. I replaced the damaged rivet with a nice copper one and left the others alone, moistened the saddle without soaking it or leaching out vital essences from it, and used a zip tie through the holes to draw it back into something resembling its correct shape. I've since bent the rail back into shape and tied one skirt down to the rail to help guide it as I ride it into shape. It seems to be working so far.
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Old 09-04-20, 10:04 AM
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A bike showed up on my local Nextdoor last week. Didn’t look like much except for some big copper rivets on the seat. Photos showed a close up of what was a Brooks Pro saddle.
The bike sold overnight for.......25 bucks.
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Old 09-04-20, 10:26 AM
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Instead of using the tension bolt, I used a leather punch and laced my Brooks B-17, sort of accomplishing the same thing.

The saddle shape is improved, and as an added bonus it allows for a little color coordinating!






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Old 09-04-20, 12:46 PM
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bblair,

There’s a black Brooks B17 on Amazon’s Warehouse deals site for $97.59. It’s probably a retuned item that is practically new. I bought my Brooks B17 Imperial from warehousedeals.com a few years ago and it was practically new and still zip tied to the cardboard packaging. That was the 1st of 4 Brooks I now own.

Personally, I would put a Brooks Team Pro on a vintage Paramount, but a B17 looks very similar.
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Old 09-04-20, 02:15 PM
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If your boss at the bike shop gives up on trying to break it in after only a week and offers it for $5, I would say "go for it." Almost 50K miles later, it is finally wearing out.
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