Originally Posted by
clubman
... to either put my mind at ease or scare me away completely...
There's two types of people in the world, those that ride them and those that don't. Many enjoy them not broken in, they fit well out of the box. I'm one of those.
Each model fits differently. Try to 'borrow' some test rides before you throw away $100 and have a snit, declaring Brooks saddles good for nothing. You may have picked the wrong model to start with.
The B17 is probably a good starting point in the middle of the pack.
I am the same here. I was scared, but the draw to finally get a more classic look to my bikes finally got me to get a few saddles. Got a Team Pro, a few B17's, a couple of Swallows and a Swift. All of them feel good out of the box, except the B17 is definitely the one where there is more give. While all leather saddles rely on a "hammock" concept, the B17 feels the most bouncy, with the Team Pro still very solid, after close to 700 miles on it. The Swallow I have only ridden twice so far for a total of 70 miles, but it might be the most comfortable one yet to me.
Note: I also do NOT point my saddles up. I have them horizontal.
Note 2: Team Pro does not have saddle bag hooks on the back, so that is also something one should consider when purchasing it (especially if for a touring bike).
See these two:
Brooks saddles we’re out enforce