Brooks leather seats.
 

I'm considering ordering a Brooks leather seat for my 1964 Schwinn Supersport. The bike originally had a Brooks seat but ended up getting switched out years ago when I loaned the bike to a family member. It looks like a B17 is probably the seat I should order. I'm wondering if any of you have this seat and what are your thoughts ? Is there a good source for these or should I just order from Amazon ? Thanks !

Thanks so much ! I didn't even think to do that.

I’d order a Brooks saddle.

Some things to be aware of, based on my personal experience with one:

- They really do take a long time time to break in. I have hundreds of miles on mine, and it’s just now starting to get softened or formed to my pelvis.

- They really are potentially very comfortable, as claimed by Sheldon Brown and many others, once you get through that long break in period. I can see myself becoming very fond of mine.

- They are actually not hard to maintain. You keep a light coat of the oily treatment on it (Proofide or equivalent), and get one of their plastic covers if you ride in the rain. The design is quite durable.

- Adjustment is critical, even more so than with other types of seats. A few degrees of difference in tilt can really make or break the comfort, and it’s specific to each individual rider. You don’t just throw it on, start riding, and have a good experience guaranteed.

Good luck! I got the one with a relief cutout, and I recommend it. Hopefully you will find it works well for you, with an understanding of the points made above.

About half the regulars that hang in the c&v subforum use a Brooks saddle. Often, guys will have one on every bike in their collection, whether it be for touring, city, or a dedicated road bike. The B17 is the most popular model. I prefer the Pro. Go to eBay to buy a new one, right now between $90 and $105 shipped (+tax). Sometimes, you can find one in really good shape on your local Craigslist if you live in a cycling community. I like them brand new, right out of the box, no break-in required, no Proofide required (ever).

Not sure why you would buy a saddle just because it may have been what was originally on the bike. Saddles come in all sorts of shapes and designs because each of us is different.

The b17 is fine. It rakes time to break in and you need to point the nose up at like a 20 degree angle. Angle it up so it looks goofy and then angle it up a smidge more- that will be the proper angle.

Thanks so much for the explanation, I plan on ordering a new one soon. Not long ago I brought my 64 Supersport out of storage. I had to replace the rear tube so the tire would stay up. Both tires have dry rot, installed in 1983. I was testing my back to see if it would tolerate riding. I seem to be doing ok so I"m going to replace both tires next week. Next I want to replace my seat with a Brooks. Just trying to make sure I order the right model so I don't have to return it. There was mention of a B17 cutout model, I need to know more about that. If my size makes a difference I'm 5'7 165 lbs. Thanks !

You might try a quick search here n BF as there's dozens, and dozens, and dozens of threads discussing Brooks saddles.

I have seven bikes and seven Brooks saddles. Three are B17s, three are C17 Cambiums, and one is a Professional. I love them all, and I categorically reject the exaggerated complaints about the break-in period. Yes, they are kind of expensive. Yes, they are kind of heavy. And yes, my shiny chrome 62-year-old ass is worth it. I won’t ride anything else, and neither should you.

Thanks for the info, and by the way I've got you by 5 yrs, I'm 67.

I'm sorry whats BF ?

.
...most of mine are Brooks Professional model. But from your description of just starting to get back on the bike, the B17, which is cut a little wider in the back, is probably what you want.

"here on BF"...your on Bike Forums

Thanks !

I have a silly question. When looking at pictures of the underside of New Brooks seats I don't see the bracket that bolts to the seat post. Do new seats come with that bracket or am I suppose to use the one from my old seat ?
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5d9396ee64.jpg
This is a picture of the seat that is on my bike. Do I need to reuse the bracket with a new Brooks B17 ? Will there be any fitmit problems ? Sorry for the questions, this is my first time doing a seat swap. Thanks !

I have both the Brooks Team Professional and the B17. For some reason the Professional feels more comfortable. If I was to order the B17 again, I would order the one with the copper rivets. One of the rivets on the B17 is not flush. With copper rivets, there is an easy remedy. I don't know what do do about the situation with the B17.

The Brooks will not come with a bracket to attach to the bike.

The attachment clamp is part of the seatpost, not the saddle. I would recommend getting a seatpost with an affixed head, rather than the detachable kind in your photo. You’ll get more fore-aft adjustability, for one, and a generally more secure interface.

...I agree with this. Those older style clamps and posts that fit them are a product of a much more primitive manufacturing structure, and are tedious to adjust...often limited in adjustability.
You can get a pretty decent alloy seat post with an integral clamping mechanism on Amazon now in the $20 range. You do have to size it correctly, with respect to diameter, and you will probably need to shorten it with a hacksaw and a file.

Or you can look for something used. Sugino made some good, solid ones, if you can find one in the right diameter. As did SR, with their Laprade seat post.

For the new ones, on Amazon, there are a plethora of things that will work, all marketed under different names. Try to spend at least 20 bucks, to avoid the worst of them, but make sure you get the right diameter. You can use your old post and clamp if you really need to, but generally speaking they are troublesome to use and adjust.

I scoffed at Brooks saddles for many years. I used Selle Italia saddles, a San Marcos Rolls, Serfas, and Specialized Body Geometry. I finally got a Brooks after having tried everything else, and was hooked. All of my bikes are fitted with Brooks B17 saddles. The B17 is wide enough that I can ride for hours without needing cycling shorts, but not so wide that it chafes.

Comfort on the B17 is very sensitive to saddle height. If it is slightly too high, you will experience perineum pain. So many people get away with running their saddle too high, by using a seat with a cutout. Get your saddle position correct, fore and aft, and height, and you should have no issues.

I think the clamp you have will give you a wider fore-aft adjustment range, than an integrated seatpost/clamp since your clamp can be reversed. Lots of people love the Brooks saddles, but it doesn't fit everyone.

Thank you for that information, I'm going to order a black B17 just need to decide where.

Any recommendation on where to order from ? I always try and order with free shipping. Amazon is probably good, just need to find a good seller. Guess I can always read reviews if nobody chimes in.