MrWasabi

I've been eyeballing Brooks saddles myself and was wondering which to go with. I like the sprung ones and that B17 Flyer looks good. I'm about 195lbs (and losing) and ride 80/20 pavement/hard pack on my Fuji Traverse. Any others to consider?

HauntedMyst

The flyer would be a perfect choice for that bike. Keep an eye on Nashbar for one of their 25% off sales and you can get one for around $105 shipped.

blakcloud

I have the B67 on my Rivendell and I love it. (Upright position)

I had a B17 on a drop bar bike and hated it. So I sold it. Uncomfortable, too slippery, started to sag to much even with adjustment.

When I purchased my Brompton I chose the B17 based on looks and to give it another try and I just removed it three days ago because it just doesn't agree with me.

Saddles are such a personal thing. What works for one, may not work for others. My favorite saddle has been the Specialized Avatar 155mm model.

ToeKneeB

Colonel, Could you please let me know how you attached your Brooks 190 to your toughroad? The B190 is a standard post fitting and the Toughroad has a rail for the saddle.

I've just picked up a 2017 Toughroad and really don't like the saddle on it, I want to do some good miles on it so i want it to be comfortable and i'm a big lad... The Brooks looks great for the job.

Thanks

JohnDThompson 

Perhaps something like this?



https://www.amazon.com/Breezer-doubl.../dp/B001GSSFEI

ToeKneeB

that's cool, thanks a bunch

ColonelSanders

Yep, John nailed it.


However long term, the B190 that I had did not work out for me.


Due to my weight, I ended up stretching the leather to the point where I began to press down into the top supporting rails of the B190 and this narrow spread of distance was pressing firmly against my undercarriage and causing quite a lot of discomfort.


I tightened the bolt under the seat that stretches out the leather as much as I could and even though the seat doesn't show visible sag to look at, when I sit on it, it clearly presses into that top rail.


I am now of the belief that all these double rail saddles are fundamentally flawed, in that there is so little distance between the top rail and the leather top, that it is very easy to make contact and be pressing into it.


Maybe if I was sitting at a strict 80 to 90%, with my handlebars well above the height of my saddle, it would not have mattered.


For the above reasons, I think a Brooks single rail saddle without springs would be a better bet, but then one runs into the problem of whether 170mm is wide enough to handle the pressure of a heavy rider.


A 170mm WTB saddle was initially comfortable for me, but then it became a tissue killer, as it proved to be too narrow.


Since then, I have found two saddles that work pretty well for my 400lb bulk, they are Specialized's The Cup and Selle SMP's E-Bike Saddle in Medium(255 x 218 mm).


I give the edge to the Selle SMP E-Bike Saddle as the best saddle I have used to date and whilst it is no lightweight coming in at 555grams according to Selle SMP, it is much lighter than the B190's 1800grams.

ToeKneeB

I'm about 340lb so a bit less than you, but probably of a weight that will still stretch the saddle...
How long did yours last before stretching too much?

I was looking at those E-Bike saddles before the Brooks...

ColonelSanders

It is hard to put a time on it, because I spent a lot of time trying out the B190 in different positions, not fully appreciating how critical the angle was for comfort and also had other saddles on there, before finally coming back to the B190 and deciding that it just was not going to work on the style of bike and riding I was doing.


Initially I tried having a raised nose to get a hammock effect that is often mentioned with B17's, but with the springs and the length of the B190, that did not work at all and all I achieved was incredible pain and tissue damage around my perineum.


Then I tried pointing the nose in the opposite direction, but was always having to fight that I was sliding forward all the time.


When I finally got a more upright stem in a 40degree 130mm stem, I had more luck with having the saddle level, but then I ended up sagging into the top rail.


If you already have a B190, turn it over and see how close to the leather that top rail already is, and you can see how it won't take much for that top rail to touch the leather.


I so wanted to love the B190 and if I was riding a bike where the handlebars were a few inches higher than my seat, then it may have worked, for even though I would have been sitting partially on the rivets at the back of the saddle, the springs working would have made that quite bearable.

ToeKneeB

Cool, that's good to know, I've not bought any saddle yet, there's just the stock saddle on there which I don't like very much. So I don't have a b190 and can choose whatever is most likely to work for me.

Saying that I intend on lifting my handlebars up, I've an adjustable stem arriving any time and i'm going to swap out the bars for trekking bars in the near future, so i envisage my riding position to be a bit more upright. But i'm not sure it's worth the risk, it's a lot of money to not work.

Some of the Selle saddles look good....

europa

ColonelSanders, the 'hammock effect' you referred to is an indication that you had the saddle set with the nose too low and it's no wonder you weren't comfortable - leather saddles aren't meant to be ridden that way. The idea is to have the nose raised enough for your 'sit bones' to sit on the flat area at the rear of the saddle but not so high that it's pressing on things. With the nose too low, you slide onto the 'hammock' and all the pressure is on the soft area between your legs.

An endlessly adjustable seat post rather than one that raises the nose via indents (clicks) is best for this as you always seem to wind up with the nose being too high on one click but too low on the next one down.

And yes, finding yourself sliding forward is an indication that the nose is too low because you should be sitting firmly on the back part of the saddle.

I've owned three B17s and a B72. None of them needed 'breaking in' as such, they were supple enough and comfortable straight out of the box. However, with the slippery surface and the leather needing time to stretch, you do find that you'll be fiddling with the nose angle for a few hundred km. Effectively, you need to start with the nose 'high' so you slide back onto the back section of the saddle, but as the leather stretches and that smooth surface wears down, you slowly lower the nose as needed until eventually you realise you no longer need to touch it.

As for my Brooks collection. The B72 only worked on a bike with an upright seating position and when I stopped using that bike, it was sold. Both my fixed gear and my geared bike wear B17s.

My son stole the third B17 when he was in high school and fitted it to his bike. He's now in his mid-twenties but that saddle was moved to his wife's bike. I made comments about taking it back last weekend and she got very possessive, so I think she likes it.

I'm a heavy bloke (about 20kg heavier than I need to be) but not as heavy as some posters in this thread. I suspect that weight does come into the equation.

And as commented by someone else, what suits one person won't suit another and sometimes, all you can do is experiment. I went through a few saddles before discovering that the B17 worked for me - now I don't hesitate to fit them because it's just not worth more experimentation. You'll find similar stories for all sorts of quality saddles.

taz777

I have Brooks B67 on my Electra Townie cruiser. It's supremely comfortable for long, slow, leisurely rides in a very upright position. I don't think it'd be ideal for fast cycling though.

robobike316 

Rolla

Five year old thread.

adlai

Sort of.

I'm a big fan of sprung saddles. They do make a noticable difference in ride quality. Well worth the pound or two of extra weight.

JehD

I've got a B135 on my fatty..its springs have springs and a B33 on a cruiser..It's like a lazy boy for bicycles and worth every once of its 3 1/2 pounds.

adlai

When I ride a bike with a sprung saddle I love feeling the springs as they absorb bumps.