Originally Posted by
staehpj1
My saddle of choice is the WTB Volt Pro (I think I paid about $40-80 for various Volt saddles).
The Covid pandemic killed my decades-long lust for Brooks saddles. The BBB (Big Bike Boom), plus pandemic-related supply chain issues made Brooks saddles nearly unobtainium for a while, well at least the ones I like such as the professional models. So I started riding the Volt, Deva, and Pure models on various bikes. So far the Volt has worked the best for my bottom, and other than initial setup and dialing it in, it requires very little care. To address the OP though, I never had to let a Brooks break in before a tour. Maybe get 100 miles on it carrying around whatever tools needed to adjust it. Most-important thing to break in is your butt, but that's just my honest opinion. Once your butt is hardened, nothing seems to bother it. My daughter does some pretty high mileage, and you should see the sorry excuse for saddles she rides. When I ask her about it, she just shrugs it off. "I got a hard ass, Dad."