Brooks saddle - no cut outs?

[Dogmama]

I'm looking at a Brooks saddle on line. Is it really comfortable with no cuts outs? Don't girly-bits get mashed?

[Beane]

There are about eight thousand threads on here about Brooks saddles. Just do a search and you will find lots of info and discussion about them.

[Biciclista]

the answer to that is; the last time you sat on a wooden bench, did you feel the need for a cut out?
the wider platform supports the sit bones so you don't have to sit on your soft tissues.

[OakLeaf]

Or more accurately, as Knott has pointed out, when you sit on a flat hard bench (wooden ones are more likely to be carved into a curved shape than stone) with your legs, spine and pelvis arranged to approximate your riding position, do you feel pressure in your soft parts?

If the test suggests you do need a cut-out, there's the Selle An-Atomica (search on that, many threads here as well).

Sort of like the pencil test Zen reminded us of the other day, but at the other end. :p

[Thorn]

It depends totally on your anatomy. Look for the threads that talk about sitting on a wooden bench and then leaning forward to bicycle position. If you aren't squished, you probably won't be on your Brooks (if it is wide enough in the back).

That said, there is a Brooks Imperial line with a cutout and you can send your Brooks to Selle Anatomica for an upgrade--where upgrade puts a slot into it.

[Dogmama]

There are about eight thousand threads on here about Brooks saddles. Just do a search and you will find lots of info and discussion about them.

thanks for sharing :rolleyes:

I did a search and decided to start a thread.

[melissam]

Hi Dogmama,

I had been worried about whether I needed a cutout, but was quite comfortable on my Brooks B17S. The Brooks is a piece of leather over a metal frame, so it has a bit more "give" in it than a saddle on a shell. That "give" helped me to ride sans cutout in comfort. I did the AIDS/Lifecycle as well as a couple of 200k rides on my Brooks.

The wooden bench test outlined by oakleaf and biciclista is a good indication of whether you can get away without a cutout.

Also, I'm sure you know this, but if you get your Brooks from Wallingford Bikes, they have a 6 month return policy. This should give you plenty of time to see if the saddle works for you.

Happy saddle hunting!

- Melissa

[sundial]

Dogmama, I have a Team Pro S and a Champion Flyer Special S--the women's saddles. Previously I used Specialized saddles with the cutout and I haven't found the need for the cutout as long as I have the saddle height adjusted right. I found there was a trial and error period of not only dialing in the seatpost height but the nose and fore and aft of the saddle as well. Once you get it dialed in it's pretty comfortable. One tip: if your bike allows for it, get a quick release collar for the seatpost. I made many a micro adjustment on the fly.

I also found putting a new Brooks on a bike where I sit more upright broke it in faster.

[Dogmama]

Ordered it, got it, sending it back. OMG. How can this be comfortable? It's like a piece of slick plastic over ... a board (?). Will hunt for my old fav, my Selle San Marcos.

[jobob]

Good thing you didn't bother to try it. Everyone who responded has been lying through their teeth - it's all a vast conspiracy to suck others in, kind of like a cult. I've ridden Brooks saddles for about 5 years now, and I've been in agony for every single moment. [/sarcasm] :D

[Veronica]

The real agony is riding a Brooks during a tri - that itty bitty chamois that's WET on that hard leather. :p


Veronica


in all seriousness, I had no issues on my tri.

[Biciclista]

oh gosh, it's true. My Brooks is so bad that I have to ice my crotch every day after my commute! ( I feel so much better now that I'm being open about it)
:cool:

[Blueberry]

Ordered it, got it, sending it back. OMG. How can this be comfortable? It's like a piece of slick plastic over ... a board (?). Will hunt for my old fav, my Selle San Marcos.

Just curious - did you try it on a bike, or just out of the box?

CA

[Dogmama]

oh gosh, it's true. My Brooks is so bad that I have to ice my crotch every day after my commute! ( I feel so much better now that I'm being open about it)
:cool:

Gee, thank you all. That was hurtful.

[uforgot]

Ordered it, got it, sending it back. OMG. How can this be comfortable? It's like a piece of slick plastic over ... a board (?). Will hunt for my old fav, my Selle San Marcos.

It's hard to sometimes hear what people are saying when you just read what they post and you don't have the inflections that go with it. You may not have meant it, but when I read this post it sounded like you were calling those of us that love our Brooks fools for even considering it. It sounded like you just looked at it, thought we had somehow misled you and then just promptly shipped it back without trying it.

Maybe that's not what you meant, and maybe you were laughing when you posted it, and actually tried it for many miles, but that's not how many of us read it. Sorry you were hurt, but maybe if you look at it from our perspective, you can then see where it was all coming from. Did I just end a sentence with a preposition? Arrrrgh.

[jobob]

Well DM, your post gives the impression that you didn't even try the saddle before you sent it back.

If you had actually tried it, that would be different. These saddles aren't for everyone, obviously. But it's worth a try. Which is what the ladies in the posts above were trying to tell you.

I thought what you posted was hurtful to Biciclista, OakLeaf, Thorn, melissam, and sundial, who took the time and effort to give you very helpful advice, which seems to me you blithely ignored.

You let them know from your post that they wasted their time trying to help you.


I don't even bother trying to explain Brooks saddles to people anymore. As this thread so perfectly demonstrates, it's just another example of the "blah blah Ginger" syndrome.

(That said, I might someday borrow those posts from Biciclista, OakLeaf, et al. to explain why Brooks saddles are worth trying - those were really good explanations. So thanks ladies :D)

[kermit]

Who buys a saddle and sends it back without even trying it? Thats pretty stupid!

[sugar snap]

i rode a brooks saddle for over a year and finally gave it up because it was still uncomfortable. I think some anatomies just need the cutout.
I found even after breaking the brooks saddle in (100 miles a week or more) still there was too much pressure on my soft tissue causing a sort of constant irritation. Perhaps my junk is bigger than most, perhaps my sit bones do not protrude enough. Regardless, the brooks is a beautiful saddle but the fit is not for everyone.

I ended up feeling great on a Selle Italia Lady Gel flow. http://www.selleitalia.com/eng/index.html

[jobob]

It might have something to do with the kind of shorts you wear as well.

In my experience I have found that shorts with really thick chamois cause too much pressure and give me discomfort in my girly-bits / soft tissue region.

Nowadays I prefer shorts with relatively thin chamois. I'm a big fan of the shorts (jitterbugs & mojos) and knickers (witches britches) from GroundEffect in New Zealand.
http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/index.htm

I wish TE sold them, because I like to send my business to TE whenever I can. But it looks like Ground Effect only sells direct.

(FWIW I've had no probs with ordering from Ground Effect, the shipping cost is reasonable and my orders arrive almost as quickly as orders from TE, which is saying a lot).


Ed to add:
I realize this whole discussion of hard saddles, especially paired with thin chamois, seems counter-intuitive. But, it works for me, and I shall leave it at that. :cool:

[sgtiger]

I love, love, LOVE my Brooks. Both of them.:D That being said, it's definitely not for everyone. Dogmama, sorry it didn't work out. I hope you find saddle nirvana soon.

[Dogmama]

I love, love, LOVE my Brooks. Both of them.:D That being said, it's definitely not for everyone. Dogmama, sorry it didn't work out. I hope you find saddle nirvana soon.

That's a little nicer than all of the "icing my crotch" posts.

Yes, I tried it. No, I did not like it. I didn't think I would like it out of the box, but tried it because all of YOU gave it such rave recommendations. So, please don't assume anything.

You know, when I joined this board many years ago, it was very supportive. Now, people are looking to criticize and take offense. I even got slammed for starting a new thread on Brooks saddles (Beane saying there were "eight thousand threads" here on Brooks saddles).

Kermit - please don't call me stupid. I've been riding a road bike for 20 years and I know a few things about being comfortable. When I started riding, there were no saddles with cut outs available and I was quite comfortable. This was back when we had to rely on our LBS because we did not have extensive internet shopping. I've logged many many miles on flat saddles.

Sorry that you took my post the wrong way. But, please don't be so quick to assume - and then pile on nasty posts. It really is quite hurtful.

[jobob]

Yes, I tried it. No, I did not like it. I didn't think I would like it out of the box, but tried it because all of YOU gave it such rave recommendations. So, please don't assume anything.

I read what I read. I appologize that I did not interpret your words correctly (all seven of them).



You know, when I joined this board many years ago, it was very supportive. Now, people are looking to criticize and take offense. I even got slammed for starting a new thread on Brooks saddles (Beane saying there were "eight thousand threads" here on Brooks saddles).

Uh, in case you didn't notice, people on this thread WERE being supportive. You were apparently too busy being annoyed at Beane's post to even acknowledge any of the other posts.

And when you did finally respond, you still did not bother to acknowledge (much less thank) any of those well-meaning and thoughtful and supportive posts, nor could you be bothered to take that extra moment to mention that you actually tried it.

Had you clued us in that you actually tried the saddle, I (and obviously, others) would not have gotten the distinct impression that you simply blew off those well thought-out and supportive posts.

That is precisely why I said this:

If you had actually tried it, that would be different. These saddles aren't for everyone, obviously. But it's worth a try. Which is what the ladies in the posts above were trying to tell you.

Again, I apologize for my incorrect assumption.

[sundial]

Yes, I tried it. No, I did not like it.

Dogmama, just thinking....wonder if you are in a season of menopause where things are thinner/drier/different and saddles are just uncomfortable. I've noticed lately that there are days in the saddle that are really uncomfortable and other days that it feels right. I'm 5 years post menopause and this season has been really difficult for me.

I wish you luck in finding the right saddle.

[Biciclista]

I was not trying to be hurtful either and I apologize if it seemed that way. I figured I was just continuing in the same spirit as your comment about Brooks saddles.


OMG. How can this be comfortable? It's like a piece of slick plastic over ... a board

I thought you were being sarcastic and funny so I responded in kind.
I don't expect everyone to like Brooks saddles, and I don't think less of them for it. There are 100's of saddles, there's something for everyone.

[snapdragen]

Ack. Too many hurt feelings and misunderstandings. I don't thing Dogmama meant for y'all to think she was being dismissive. And Dogmama, I don't think the ladies meant to come off as harsh. Let's all hug and be friends, we've been here too long to stay mad..m'kay?

May I ask that we refrain from name calling?

Now back to the Food Network Challenge, because that's what fat, non-bike riding moderators do.



Shoot. Me. Now.

[kermit]

Sorry for my smart a** humor but it was actually in your defense. Someone said that you "didn't even try it". We've all probably looked at a saddle and known "no way" will that work. But you know you will put it on the bike and sit on it cuz you never know. I was actually trying to buffer the bad juujuu already in the post.
I personally love the Specialized Ruby. That is all!

[Dogmama]

Thank all of you who posted supportive replies and I apologize for not being more forthcoming with information. Yes, I was actually in a hurry and probably should have waited until I had more time.

Sundial - menopause, ugh. Yes, that's me but I finally caved and I've taking estrogen in various forms & things are better "down there" - but who knows?

OK, group hug (((((((everybody who posted on this thread)))))))))).

Don't scream - I actually still have the saddle - I haven't sent it back yet. It's all packaged up and in my car. I really do value everybody's opinion and don't see how I can have such a difficult time with a saddle that so many people love - even on other boards. Maybe once I heal up, I'll try repositioning it.

[OakLeaf]

don't see how I can have such a difficult time with a saddle that so many people love - even on other boards.

Why? Do you expect clothes that fit other people, should also fit you? There's a reason there are so many shapes and sizes of saddles, and fashion ain't it. (Okay, it's part of it, but not all. ;))

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

...don't see how I can have such a difficult time with a saddle that so many people love - even on other boards. Maybe once I heal up, I'll try repositioning it.

For what it's worth-
When I first got a Brooks saddle my sit bones were so sore from it that I could hardly walk for a few days. I just was not used to having my weight so directly on my sit bones- I had been riding a padded hybrid saddle from a loaner bike.
I would have returned it for sure- I was in awful pain and it felt like sitting on a board. But my husband told me the soreness would fade and I might really like the saddle after that. I respect his opinions so I stuck with it. Sure enough, after two more weeks of soreness and riding, the Brooks saddle became incredibly comfortable for me. Now, thousands of miles later, I have them on both my bikes and would never want any other kind of saddle. It's like they are not even there- you know your saddle fits right when you never notice it.
Just my own story.

[jobob]

As the initial snarky wizeazz responder, I take responsibility for the disintegration of the thread.

TE should have a demerit system ... :o

Hugs back. Happy monday.

[snapdragen]

TE should have a demerit system ... :o



And how do you know it doesn't?

//leafs through the big black book of BAD TE'ERS...let me see, there she is.......:p

[spazzdog]

Hey Dogmama!

I keep telling people - KOOBI! They feel a little wierd the first few times you ride but I will never sit another saddle.

Online only, great return policy AND when I've sent questions the owner/CEO is the guy that responds.

www.koobi.com

I started on the SI Classic and now ride the AU Enduro (non-gel).

spazz

[salsabike]

Spazzdog, how long a ride have you done on your Koobi? I ask because I love my Selle Anatomica right up until about mile 80. I would like to have a saddle I can love to mile 200 or so. Okay, even 150.

[spazzdog]

On the SI CLassic I went 105 in a day, and at the end of that ride, my butt was the only thing that DIDn'T hurt.

On the AU Enduro only 50 so far, but it sits the same, just a little firmer then the Classic. Butt doing fine :D as well as safe tender bits.

Koobi also has some more squishy saddles as well as some that you can adjust the springiness (or firmness??).

spazz