Author Topic: Buying a Brooks Saddle (Read 9726 times)

Banjo · « **on:** 05 August, 2012, 06:23:10 pm »

I have tried several modern saddles and still finish a 200 feeling like I have been kicked by a horse.

One thing thats noticeable is the huge number of Brooks saddles seen on experienced Audaxers bikes so I am thinking of joining the club.

I dont have unlimited funds so am looking at a B17. It comes as standard and narrow versions how do I know which is best for me?

Polar Bear · « **Reply #1 on:** 05 August, 2012, 06:27:52 pm »

How wide is your most comfortable saddle?

Bairdy · « **Reply #2 on:** 05 August, 2012, 07:57:58 pm »

Quote from: Banjo on 05 August, 2012, 06:23:10 pm

I have tried several modern saddles and still finish a 200 feeling like I have been kicked by a horse.

One thing thats noticeable is the huge number of Brooks saddles seen on experienced Audaxers bikes so I am thinking of joining the club.

I dont have unlimited funds so am looking at a B17. It comes as standard and narrow versions how do I know which is best for me?

I rode about 10 200's and a 300 with my expensive, fancy, Selle Italia Gel Flow Flite (or some such nonsense).
Always got home with a destroyed arse. Bought the B17 standard and it was a revelation.

I'd say the narrow is for a skinny arse, I've not studied yours but at a guess I'd say go for the standard.
I think I paid less than £60 and it was money very well spent.

Tewdric · « **Reply #3 on:** 05 August, 2012, 08:11:56 pm »

Unless you have a fat arse or a very upright position get a Team Pro. That's what most of those Brooks you see on Audaxe are!

Banjo · « **Reply #4 on:** 05 August, 2012, 08:35:33 pm »

Will have a look at the team pro. How does it differ from B17? Its also comforting to know that Bairdy hasn't been studying my rear end too intently,though it has to be said I probably get more opportunity to look at his

Gus · « **Reply #5 on:** 05 August, 2012, 08:47:02 pm »

Quote from: Tewdric on 05 August, 2012, 08:11:56 pm

Unless you have a fat arse or a very upright position get a Team Pro. That's what most of those Brooks you see on Audaxe are!

OI I have both, but still prefer the Team Pro.

The Team Pro is slightly narrower and seems to have thicker leather, they can take months to "ride in",
it do not have loops for your carradice saddlebag.

jogler · « **Reply #6 on:** 05 August, 2012, 08:49:21 pm »

I doubt that any of the audaxers otp have seem my arse on a saddle because I always carry the lantern rouge.
I do believe it to be of average proportions.

I started with a B17 Standard,went to B17 Narrow & then a Swallow so effectively my saddles became narrower & narrower.
However I did my last two 200km rides on a B17Narrow with no problems & the longest I've done on the Swallow in a day is 100km on fixed,although I did E2E also on a Swallow.

I note that Cuddy Duck has a Narrow to sell? or swap

hth

jogler · « **Reply #7 on:** 05 August, 2012, 08:53:09 pm »

I forgot to say that I've found comfort with a Brooks varies with the quality of pad within my shorts.Have you tried/considered experimenting with different shorts?

Bairdy · « **Reply #8 on:** 05 August, 2012, 09:05:38 pm »

Quote from: Tewdric on 05 August, 2012, 08:11:56 pm

Unless you have a fat arse or a very upright position get a Team Pro. That's what most of those Brooks you see on Audaxe are!

That makes sense. I have a fat arse and an upright position.
I was worried the saddle would need breaking in but it was comfy from the start.

dasmi · « **Reply #9 on:** 05 August, 2012, 09:13:30 pm »

I have a spa cycles saddle( b17 copy)..........done a 1000 miles on it and its breaking in nicely......and only cost £30/35 its worth a try

cheers

dave

Tewdric · « **Reply #10 on:** 05 August, 2012, 09:18:08 pm »

Quote from: Gus on 05 August, 2012, 08:47:02 pm

OI I have both, but still prefer the Team Pro.

So do I

B17s on the Brommie and LHT but Team Pros on the audax bike and Bob Jackson fixed.

jogler · « **Reply #11 on:** 05 August, 2012, 09:22:08 pm »

In the For Sale thread bikepacker has a B17 Standard for sale

bikepacker · « **Reply #12 on:** 05 August, 2012, 09:22:35 pm »

Just noticed this tread. I have put a new B17 up for sale. http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=61993.0

bikepacker · « **Reply #13 on:** 05 August, 2012, 09:23:04 pm »

Sorry Jogler you beat me to it.

Bigsybaby · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 August, 2012, 12:29:40 am »

I have Team Pros on my two Audax bikes and a B17 on my touring bike. I had to go through a little discomfort with the Team Pro's to break them in but now would not swap them. The B17 was good to go straight away but I am not sure I will get the same years of service out of it. Unfortunately the Team Pro's I have do not have saddlebag loops but from memory the Titanium version does. Screw on loops however can be purchased.

Tomsk · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 August, 2012, 08:08:45 am »

I've got 5 B17 Standards of various ages on different bikes and 1 Team Pro. All subtly different in shape and feel- did the Mersey 24 2x on a favourite B17 and once on a Team Pro: the former looked wrong but was more comfortable, likewise for PBP and other silly rides. Son#1 has narrower hips [and hence 'sit bones', I guess] than me, has tried the Team Pro, so will probably inherit it when I get yet another B17...

At least if a Brooks doesn't suit, it'll fetch a good secondhand price.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 August, 2012, 08:43:45 am »

My Ti Team Pro has bag loops, my steel Team Pro doesn't. It's the wrong way round for weight weenies, isn't it? The Ti one is noticeably softer due to the more flexible frame (same dimensions as steel, about half the Young's modulus) and didn't really need breaking in. The steel one is like concrete and it took 1,000 miles before the first dimples appeared. I considered it to be fully moulded by about 2,000 miles, although some audaxers' saddles are completely swaybacked and they like them that way.

Urban legend has it that the black ones are the hardest.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #17 on:** 06 August, 2012, 09:03:45 am »

If you haven't tried a brooks saddle, be prepared for some surprises.

I fairly recently started using one. Out of the box, it sounded and felt like a lump of wood. Sitting on it wasn't uncomfortable, just oddly rigid and hard. After a bit I realised that it gave more when hitting bumps and after an hour, still felt oddly rigid and hard - but after several hours the feeling hadn't changed. Normally I'd start to feel uncomfortable painful spots, but the brooks was unchanged.

Now it is broken in, sitting on it is like sitting on a hammock. I wouldn't go back to a different saddle.

I have very wide 'sitbones' and a B17 works for me.

Revellinho · « **Reply #18 on:** 06 August, 2012, 09:20:05 am »

... on the other hand, I got a B17 just over a year ago and it was comfortable from day 1 - I had heard rumours that you had to boil them in mutton fat for 3 weeks etc etc etc, but in my experience the little bit of extra width a B17 provides was all that was needed to provide the comfort. I did find, however, that they are very slippery to sit on, compared to synthetic saddles, so you don't get much leeway with the tilt of your saddle.

Banjo · « **Reply #19 on:** 06 August, 2012, 09:27:46 am »

I ordered a B17 standard ,collecting it tommorow. If at a later date I think a narrower one would be better then the B17 can go on my hybrid commuterbike so wont be wasted. Thanks for all the replies.

robgul · « **Reply #20 on:** 06 August, 2012, 09:37:02 am »

The breaking in thing seems inexact - but then leather is a natural material .. I bought two bog-ordinary B17s recently, a black and a brown - both fitted to similar machines.

Black was instantly comfortable from the moment I sat on it .... brown has taken a couple of hundred miles to reach the same level of comfort.

I am a convert!

Rob

ian_oli · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 August, 2012, 10:06:29 am »

You've only heard from enthusiasts. I pilot a tandem that has a Brooks from time to time. I did about 85 km yesterday and my undercarriage feels quite tender as I write.

They're clearly not for everyone.

Banjo · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 August, 2012, 10:14:47 am »

Quote from: ian_oli on 06 August, 2012, 10:06:29 am

You've only heard from enthusiasts. I pilot a tandem that has a Brooks from time to time. I did about 85 km yesterday and my undercarriage feels quite tender as I write.

They're clearly not for everyone.

You say you pilot it from time to time,does this mean you arent the only rider on that bike?

Brooks do say on their website that once one person has broken in a saddle its no good for anyone else.

Fingers crossed I am hoping it works for me.

Somnolent · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 August, 2012, 10:21:08 am »

mrcharly makes a good point... it's not how well padded your arse is that should dictate the width of saddle, it's more to do with the distance between the sit bones.
Despite being "moderately well fleshed" my sit bones are quite close together**
I have second-hand Brooks Competitions (no longer made but quite narrow) on the tandem and the fixed, Ti-railed Swifts on the tourer and the audax bike.

** as measured by a Specialized dealer for one of the BG saddles - which I still didn't get on with.

ian_oli · « **Reply #24 on:** 06 August, 2012, 10:29:35 am »

Quote from: Banjo on 06 August, 2012, 10:14:47 am

Quote from: ian_oli on 06 August, 2012, 10:06:29 am
You've only heard from enthusiasts. I pilot a tandem that has a Brooks from time to time. I did about 85 km yesterday and my undercarriage feels quite tender as I write.

They're clearly not for everyone.

You say you pilot it from time to time,does this mean you arent the only rider on that bike?

Brooks do say on their website that once one person has broken in a saddle its no good for anyone else.

Fingers crossed I am hoping it works for me.

No, but I rode it first and I still ride it most. The Brooks saddles were recommended by the tandem's supplier to its owner. When he bought it he was quite explicit that the bike should be suitable as possible for a range of pilots.

Specialized do a service where you plonk your backside on a special pad and they measure your sitbone distance and then recommend the width of saddle that suits you best. As a consequence I went down one saddle size and it's better.

Dont get me wrong - I hope the Brooks works for you, but they are not a magic panacea.