Flounce

I am a relative newb to randonneuring, only having done 200km rides and my longest solo ride to date being around 140 mi / 225 km, but I am training / preparing for longer brevets leading up to 2019 PBP.

I KNOW THAT everyone's bum/rear is unique and that a saddle must be tried out to know how well it works with my bum. No one can predict what saddle will be a good fit for me.

I went through a saddle demo program previously (only racing type saddles, no Brooks) and found the saddle that worked best for me is the Sella SMP Glider, that is 136mm wide x 266 mm long. I tried various saddles wider and more narrow that the Glider. The Sella SMP Glider was the best of the bunch. I've since found that works OK for me, but its still makes my bum sore after 130 miles, and once in a while ( not commonly) I do get some numbness down there which I really want to avoid.

I'd like to try a Brooks saddle because of all the positive reviews among long distance cyclists.

So having said that, my question is: in trying out the Brooks Saddles available to me through REI (1 year return policy), where should I start? Should I start with those Saddles closest in width to my current saddle (136mm), e.g. Cambium C15 (width 140mm) and Cambium C13 (width 132mm)? Or should I start with a B17 that is much wider than my current saddle.

I got a B17 Imperial sitting on my counter, but just thought about this and wanted to see if it would be wiser to start my trial with a saddle closer to my current saddle dimensions.

Steamer

I don't think the order in which you try them matters very much. How well a given saddle works for a person is an isolated experiment and is not affected by the saddle you had been using previously.

OneIsAllYouNeed

If your bars are above your saddle, try the B77. If they're below the saddle, try a Team Pro or Cambium. You can add a cutout or laces at a later date of you're a little bit handy with an exacto knife.

They take a long time to break-in. Riding in the rain will accelerate the break-in process if necessary. Use Proofide on the saddle after breaking it in to protect it from rain.

StephenH

My Raleigh Sojourn came with a Brooks pre-aged B17, and that saddle was comfortable from the get-go, so take that wording about breaking in with a grain of salt. And that's the model I'd recommend, just because it worked for me, not because I tried them all or anything.

rando_couche

+1 IME, if a leather saddle isn't comfortable from the start, no amount of "breaking in" will help. If it fits you'll know it right away.

SP
OC, OR

Cyclist0108

I have a B17 that I think fits very well. It is wider than conventional (modern) saddles that I like, so I don't think that should put you off. If you already have it, what have you got to lose? Then if you try a narrower version, you will be able to judge whether it is an improvement.

Flounce

Thanks, all.

I'll try the B17 Imperial I just bought and see how it goes.

seajaye

I just wanted to throw in that you'll want to play around with saddle tilt. Assuming close to zero saddle-bar drop, most leather saddles fit best tilted slightly upwards. But don't be afraid to experiment to find what works for you.

Doohickie

I find that tilt angle to be very obvious. If the nose is too high, well, you're gonna feel it in the front . If the nose is too low, you'll find yourself sliding forward. There's a happy medium in the middle.

pdlamb

One more vote for the B17 to start with. You'll want the wider width, since Brooks saddles have some unusable width at the rivets on the outside. You want to be suspended between those instead of sitting on them!

gecho

I'd go with the Select version of a Brooks saddle. I have a couple of newer B17 saddles and both got stretchy and sagged very fast and needed to be laced in less than a year of use. A saggy Brooks won't support you properly, resulting in numbness and saddle sores.

Tourist in MSN

B17 or Flyer (Flyer is essentially a sprung B17) is very popular for touring, but I prefer a Conquest (essentially a sprung Pro) because it is a bit narrower and less flat. I have one Pro and four Conquests on the five bikes that I regularly use. (And a non-leather saddle on my errand bike.)

But if I am sitting more upright, I can use a B17 or Flyer. My B17 is on my indoor trainer bike where I sit upright to watch TV or read the news on a tablet. When I go mountain biking where I sit more upright I use a Flyer. But I find these saddles are not very comfortable when I am using drop bars and leaning more forward. But everyone is different.

alois

I myself am quite content with a Brooks Colt, not yet mentioned in this thread. Main difference with the other Brookses is the down sloping front of the saddle. The Colt I have was already broken in (by my father, who bought it 30 years ago) which is good because the leather is very thick and rigid.

vwchad

Loved my B17 right out of the box, but the width didn't agree with me and caused some chaffing for longer rides (over 80 miles or so). I've since swapped it out for a Brooks Professional. I'm comfortable on both really, but the professional is better on long rides. However, everyone is different and the opinion of your backside may vary.

Ride-Fly

I got to echo the sentiment regarding the B17. I have it on my Brompton and it has been super comfy from the start. I also have a Swift on another steel roadie and it still isn't comfortable. But I don't ride it that often, so par for the course.


I have a Team Pro ready to go on my next bike (audax/rando style) and I'm curious to see how I like it. Hope it is as comfy as the B17.


To the OP- I think you'll love the B17 Imperial. Even without the cutout, the normal B17 is by far the most comfy saddle I've ever sat on.

thebulls

FYI, a ton of randonneurs ride on Selle-Anatomica saddles. Main reason for me and many others: Impossible to get the Brooks set back far enough (even on a long setback seatpost like a Nitto S83). The last Brooks I rode on a brevet was a Flyer (sprung B17) on a 600km in 2006. At the end, my butt was black and blue from the pounding I got from the frame under the back of the saddle. S-A saddles have longer rails and therefore can be set back further.

As to seat angle, take a look at Peter White's article on Bike Fitting. In essence, with the bike properly fitted, the right angle is perfectly neutral between sliding forward and sliding backward when you take your hands off the bars:
How to Fit a Bicycle

Nick

dim

Brooks Cambium C17 Carved .... 100% waterproof, comfortable out of the box and also looks good .... I've had a few leather Brooks, but the C17 Cambium carved is the best .... it's designed for long rides, and you dont even need padding/bibs.... and it comes with a 10 year guarantee if you register the serial number on the Brooks website



If you are adamant on having a leather saddle, get a Gilles Berthoud Aravis .... I have one on my Surly Long Haul Trucker

Flounce

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone.

Since I already bought the B17 carved (Imperial), I will try that first, and if it doesn't work out, I may try a carved Cambium with width determined by my experience with the B17. I really appreciate all the input.

I just need to find the time to ride more now. The mind and body are willing but the work schedule (and 4 young children) are not!

ThermionicScott 

Quit dicking around and try it already!

bulldog1935

I'm a long-time Brooks high-mileage rider and right now have a B17 Select on one bike and a B17 Special on the other.
The Select is worth the price because its stretch life will more than pay for itself compared to the lower grade Brooks, including the Special.
I'm also 6'3", 200 lbs.

rhm

(I corrected B77 to B17, and I assume you mean the relatively wide B17 Champion Standard, rather than the B17 Champion Narrow, which is narrower than the Professional.) This is, I think, the most important point. If you want the theory behind it, the "sit bones" (ischial tuberosity) are curved semicircles, rather like an exaggerated version of the rockers of a rocking chair, but backwards. If you tip your pelvis forward, the lowest point on the sit bones is fairly close together; as you straighten your back, and your pelvis rotates backward, a more widely spaced part of the sit bones comes to bear.

This is true, but either of these things changes the structure of the saddle pretty radically, and is not necessarily a good idea. Lest we digress, let's discuss it elsewhere if anyone is interested.

The steel frame, on which the B.17 "Champion Standard" and B.17 "Champion Narrow" and related saddles are based, has not changed in shape since 1950 (and even then, the main change was in the nose hardware). The Professional uses a slightly redesigned frame that dates to the late 50's. Since that time, bicycle frames have changed, but Brooks saddle frames have not. Brooks saddles were built for bicycles with a more relaxed seat tube angle than is fashionable today.

To give you more setback, the clamping area on the rails would have to extend farther forward, and this would necessarily make the front part of the saddle wider, which would change the shape of the saddle. I don't think that would be such a bad thing, but evidently Brooks doesn't want to do it.

Anyway, I realize Brooks saddles are not for everyone. I like them; but I ride older frames, that they tend to fit pretty well.