SoreFeet

The new Berthoud Mente is one fine saddle. Initially my first Berthoud Galiber was not so pleasant. The rails had an issue with twisting. The folks at Berthoud machined a part to correct that problem. Now the new revised design is rock solid.

If you've owned a Brooks you'll be familiar with breaking it in. Sometimes they need lacing early, sometimes the nose begins to bulge and twist. Some hides are better than others. The problem some of us have had over the years is that our brand spanking new Brooks saddles broke in too darn easy.

My last Champion flyer became supple in 200 miles...I mean like a well worn saddle, and to make matters worse adjusting the tension bolt simply spun and did not hold tension no matter how far...So that was the last straw. I gave about half a dozen new brooks saddles a try.

Even my very expensive Brooks Swift began to noticeably sag and make things uncomfortable. The Berthoud Mente is a nice solution to those of us who cherish the B17 couch cushion like width.

I love the comfort of the B17 but the ease of break in and frequent softness of new saddles has started to make me very frustrated. The Berthoud is better than the classic B17.

It's hard to say something is better than a timeless classic. At first I had a hard time believing a plastic riveted frame could be acceptable. But it is. The Mente is 160$ retail while the B17 select is 185$ retail.

Berthoud leather is consistent 5mm. Is thicker better? Yeah! One feature that is nice about this lesser expensive saddle is that it is actually riveted to the frame. This means a basic saddle cable lock will work. The modular more expensive racing saddles can easily be taken apart with basic tools. So it offers some potential theft prevention over the more expensive models. Yay...

What is truly nice is the nose tension bolt. It is riveted and made in such a way that twisting does not occur. It will uniformly stretch with break in. Those of us who have had slippy sideways noses on our old Brooks have shed tears...The old leather seats become good friends. No more tears.

I'm very happy with the new revised Berthoud saddle. It is an expensive seat but not considering the competition. The plastic cantle plate is less sharp and more rounded than the B17. This means more comfort if you choose to ride at the edge of the saddle. Some of us have been known to be rivet riders.

The rivet placement on the Berthoud is on the sides and out of the way of the sits bones. This translates to more comfort and less stress on the sits bones.

How long will it last? I don't know but my leather safari is over. I think the classic feel of the b17 is in the Berthoud with some improvements. I hope it works out. So far so good.

Catnap 

great review! i have a Berthoud Aspin touring saddle and it's one of my favorites. it's the equal or better of any Brooks I've owned (and I've owned many) and it's held up nicely over the 2 years and multiple tours I've ridden it on.

cobrabyte

I've been planning to purchase one of these Berthoud saddles for my Kogswell P/R if costs allow. Their stainless steel fenders are top notch, too. I recently purchased a set to use on my Kogswell because the supplied fenders have been known to have eyelet issues. The Berthoud fenders are the nicest set of fenders I've personally worked with.

SoreFeet

I think it's a better buy than brooks. 160$ for consistent 5mm leather, plus no more rivets pinching the buttocks. I think when buying a Brooks it's worth paying a mom and pop shop full retail. If you don't carefully examine the hide you might be getting a dud. Checking the tension and sides of any flex is always a good idea. The less play the better.

The narrow Berthoud Galiber is a nice seat. It's actually feels wider than the brooks because you can sit farther from the nose. Without rivets in the back there is a bit more surface area.

Italuminium

Glad you found your rest. It was a long and rocky ride.

KvltBryce

I've got about 700 miles on this one, it is the most comfortable saddle ever! I know that is a bold claim, but let's just say that I will be buying a few more Berthoud Saddles in the future.


KG86-GBSaddle-B by KvltBryce, on Flickr

Chombi

My GB Galibier now installed on my Vitus Carbone, was the first ever leather saddle I got about a year and a half ago. After sime breaking in, its becoming one of the most comfortable saddles I have on my bikes so far. It took a lot for me to decide to get it as it wasn't cheap and my mind was brainwashed sinced the 80's to dread the break-in process that all leather suspension saddles are required to go through with their owners. Turns out that my butt was toughened enough by many years on narrow and not so plush plastic based saddles like the Concor, so breaking in the Galibier had not been a problem at all..
It was the answer to my dreams of many years to find a more modern alternative to Brooks and other leather suspension saddles that seem stuck in the 19th century with their designs and weigh so much....that don't always work so well aesthetically, with my 80's bikes...
When I ever find my next 80's French grail bike, I would not hesitate one bit on getting another GB to install on it!

Chombi

Lascauxcaveman 

I've heard nice things about these, but may not be fair to compare the B17 ($89 BIN incl shipping) on eBay, while the cheapest Berthoud Mente is $165 (OBO). My LBS doesn't carry leather saddles of any kind; lame.

I'd still love to test ride one of these, however. If it's as good as my old Brooks Professional, it's worth the money. My B17s are just a tad soft for me.

ColonelJLloyd 

Dude, I am sooooo happy for you. Seriously. Enjoy your saddle!

Mariner Fan

I've been eyeing those for awhile. Thanks for the review!

furballi

I have a Brooks Pro and Imperial Narrow. Both are laced. Leather thickness is 4.6-5.3 mm. Never encountered any problem with sag, bulge, or twist of the nose. Imperial ~12K miles, Pro ~19K miles. The tension bolt works fine. I backed-off the tension 1/2 turn when new, and only added 1/4 turn to the Imperial Narrow after 12K miles. The firmness of the Pro has remained stable after about 700 miles of riding. Both of my Brooks are riveted to the steel frame. I never feel the exposed rivets if the saddle is properly adjusted. One can purchase a Brooks Pro Classic today for about $90. That's much cheaper than the Berthoud at $160. Course if the $160 fits your anatomy, then it's a great buy.

I agree that the standard B17 and Swift can quickly go downhill if not laced.