bigbiker1

I will admit, I hate the look of the Brooks saddles. However, I keep seeing all the great reviews. I currently have a black B17 in my Amazon cart for $93ish. I am trying to decide if I should try it or if it would be better to try an SQ labs saddle in the same price range. The nice thing about the Brooks is I will have it tomorrow if I order in the next two hours. I have been trying really cheap saddles and I want to try something a bit more expensive to see if it helps. Another plus for the Brooks is I can return it if I don't like it. i would hope that 300+ miles I put on it in a month should be enough to break it in? The lack of a cutout scares me a bit, after the numbness I had with my first saddle.

kc0bbq

On the right bike a Brooks is a thing of beauty, and that seems like a decent price. They seem to work for a lot of people, so it's probably a worthy saddle to try, especially if you can return it. You've been putting in enough miles that you shouldn't feel too bad about spending a little more on the occasional higher end piece of gear. I say this as one of the rare people who isn't comfortable on any Brooks they've tried. :/

MRT2

5 years on a Brooks B17 and I love it. I cannot imagine switching to anything else, at least on my current bike.

Interesting you don't like how they look. I really like the classic look of a well worn, or even brand new leather saddle.

Stormsedge

Only your butt/bod will know for sure. I have Koobi's on two of my bikes (one MTB that is 20 yrs old with a 45 mile max distance on it...the other auEnduro, 5 months old with a 67 mile max on it) and just rode a 60 miler with the factory Bontrager seat on my Domane. All work for me...300ish mile mark seems the break in point. I see lots of Brooks, which would seem a testament to their comfort for most.

Update 24 Aug: took off the Bontrager seat in favor of the Koobi auEnduro.

HerrKaLeun

if fast shipping is your determining factor, go to Walmart and pick up the cheapest saddle today! Even faster!
Brooks has the same saddle as "Imperial" with cutout. I'm considering to buy that after trying all kind of saddles.

They really are great. I recently visited my in-laws and took a family bike with the B17 and rode 60 miles in one trip. No fitting of bike (it fit approximately) and not broken in for myself... it was the best saddle ever.

pdlamb

Brooks makes the most comfortable saddles I've ridden, but...


(1) It often takes a bit of effort to get a new one set up "just so." Be prepared to spend some time getting the tilt set right, in particular.


(2) Depending on your butt, it may take some time to break in. Two of mine have taken up to 500 miles to feel comfortable; the third was great right out of the box.


(3) For a large rider, in particular, you need to protect the leather from water. Fenders from the bottom, and a saddle cover, will keep rain (and heavy sweat, if you experience that) from stretching the saddle and making it sag.

bigbiker1

I ended up going with the Imperial model. I also ordered from Nashbar because they are having a 25% off deal right now and I needed some socks too.

I ordered the Brooks Proofide to treat it with. Fenders are a no go for me but my bike is always inside when not being ridden, so the cover isn't needed. If it can't handle sweat from riding I will be really peeved I spent $100 on it.

dim

Brooks C17 Cambium ..... best saddle that I have ever owned (I have one on each of my bikes) .... I've had many including B17, Rolls, Gilles Berthoud, Fizik etc etc

plus it's 100% waterproof and comes with a 10 year guarantee

squirtdad

as many have noted saddles are personal....these are my experiences which may or may not help

I have 2 brooks out of 3 bikes a B17 on my commuter utility and a swift on my bike with a little drop from seat to bars. the other saddle i use is sella italia turbo. (also I tried a b17n imperial and it simple did not work)

one: my brooks that worked for me were comfortable from day one (once adjusted) and just got better
two: the brooks that did not work never felt right from the start and didn't get better with time

My B-17 comfort was really dependent on tilt. what worked was as slight tilt up of the nose (but if you put a level on the back it is flat) other wise i slide


my swift works with a slight nose tilt down (but not as much as it looks in pictures
B17, more upright position




swift, some drop from seat to handle bars

bigbiker1

Thanks. I found a reputable bike shop that will do a basic fitting for $50, which is $75 cheaper then I could find anywhere else. I am supposed to do it Monday but I think I will reschedule for late next week so I can have the new saddle before I go. I don't think it makes much sense to have a fitting done when I know I will be changing saddles.

HerrKaLeun

Thanks for sharing. I had an order placed with CRC and after your post I checked Nashbar and it was $2 cheaper with the discount and i ordered from Nashbar instead.
Assuming they still make money on the sales, just proves my point the US stores rip us off....

Solare

Does this saddle help with numbness? I have a raleigh amd tend to go a little numb when riding and I am looking for a good saddle to prevent this.

bigbiker1

Bah! I chickened out and cancelled the order. I need to think about it more.

bunkerman

My feeling is 300 miles will not break in a Brooks. Not fully anyways. I raced on a Brooks Pro in the 70s. It was on a Raleigh. Pretty darn comfortable after a while. I am thinking a 1000 miles. Rode 250 - 350 a week back then. If I ever went touring a hefty Brooks or Berthoud would be on my bike.

bunkerman

BTW curious you didnt like the look? All of thr greats from the old days raced on Brooks or Ideale and perhaps a few other brands I never heard of. Pretty Classy look to me at least.

deaninkl

I paid 47 pound for a B17 on Amazon UK, shipped to Malaysia, true the they don't ascetically suite every bike, and look better on classic/vintage or steel framed tourer's but they are so comfortable.. definitely worth the extra, just a shame you cant test them for a month first...

MAK

In my experience, it depends on the bike and how it's set up. I have a Brooks B-17 on my hybrid and touring bikes. I absolutely love them and for me they were comfortable almost immediately. I tried a B-17 narrow on my road bike and it didn't work for me. The difference is that the hybrid and touring bikes have an upright set up so I'm sitting "on" the saddle. My road bike is more aggressive so I'm bent over and I'm essentially not sitting on but more sitting against it.

Mtbnomore

I have a B17 on my vintage bikes (a mountain bike and a sport touring bike), and they're very comfortable. I have a C17 on everything else but my fastest road bike. The C17 is the right shape for me, and not as finicky as the leather saddles. They come in all the colors you'd expect from Brooks as well.

cyclist2000

I have a Brooks team pro special on one of my bikes, I knew that it should fit me since I had one that felt fine on my Raleigh. I broke it in on my trainer bike over the winter.

Places like REI have the B-17 and have good return policy. So if you are in the US you can try it for up to a year and still return it. You will pay full price, but the return policy is worth it on an item that your not sure that works for you.

bigbiker1

The looks are actually starting to grow on me but the lack of being waterproof gives me pause. If its warm out my seat is usually very wet from sweat when I am done riding. I also don't want to have to worry about running through puddles as that happens sometimes on the paved trail I ride after a rain, sometimes there are quite a few of them and I end up with a lot of muddy water on me and my bike.

I am getting the professional fit done this afternoon and I will try my current saddle for a while after that. They have a 90 day policy so if I change my saddle I can go back in and they will tweak things within those 90 days.

katsup

I put about 500 miles on a B17 and it was comfortable, but the lack of waterproofing is what caused me to take it off. I ride in normal shorts (Khaki/Cargo) and it kept staining my pants due to sweat. This happened before and after I applied proofide to a new saddle. I may end of keeping it and put a cover on it, but am going to try a few other saddles first.

philbob57

Doesn't Nashbar have a year return policy?

I bought a B17 Imperial from them and had a year. Unfortunately numbness didn't show up until after a year. It felt great out of the box. I probably weighed 230-235 at the time, and I think that helped make it comfortable quickly. I never could get the tilt right to prevent numbness creeping in somewhere between 12 & 20 miles. It's in a box, with a still wrapped tin of Proofide.

I like my SMP TRK, but it won't last as long as a B17/B17 Imperial. When it breaks down, I'll have to choose between another TRK, if it's available, a their higher-end SMP, which costs 2.5 times a B17, and another seat search. IOW, a B17 is a comfortable, long-lasting, cost-effective item, if it works for you.

gabedad

If you want a leather - look at selle anatomica

https://selleanatomica.com/

FrenchFit 

I'm a B17 and B17n fan, but that profile & weight seems a little ridiculous on a few of my bikes. My 'cheap date' find are these Ergon SR3-L saddles that Nashbar and others have stocked, and routinely close out. I have the Carbon and the Pro - they work nicely for me...wide, nice flat top & nose, and just the right amount of flex. From $29-49 they are hard to beat and look like real road bike saddles.

https://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/s...66_-1___204721

SamSpade1941 

OP I tried many saddles since coming back to cycling 3 years ago. The only thing I found that worked for me after buying a box of saddles was a Brooks. YMMV saddles are a very personal choice.