Review of Brooks B-67s

I know this has been done before (and probably to death), but I'm hoping I can add something that will be of value to someone else with similar body issues – so – here goes:

About me: I'm 47, slender (even a bit bony), with spine issues. I have scoliosis, which caused arthritis in my lower spine, and had cervical surgery on my neck last year. The doc said no more biking for me unless I could find a bike that would keep me upright, without tilting my neck up to see. After much searching, I came upon my beloved Cannondale. It was fitted out as more of a town bike, but the frame is light, nimble, and the perfect geometry for me. I changed out the gears, tires, and grips, making it a great touring/trail bike. Nothing extreme, but able to keep up easily with my hubby on his hybrid mountain bike.

Appearance: The Brooks saddle is a thing of beauty and elegance. Spare, slender, looking oh so nice on my dark green and black Cannondale 400. I hadn't wanted black, but now I'm glad that's what I went with.

Upkeep: I've never had to smear a saddle with goop (aka Proofide) before, but it wasn't too tough, and if it is as good a saddle as I hope it will be, it is more than worth the effort.

On the road: My first trip wasn't too great, but I had on thin nylon pants and regular underwear. Probably not a good choice for the first ride on a very stiff saddle. Not as bad as I expected, but not as good as I had hoped. Only about 10 miles. My second ride was in riding shorts (yay Shebeest!) Still a bit sore on the sit bones, but that could be residual soreness from the day before. Probably still about 10 miles or so (I really need to get a new battery in my odometer), but more comfortable. After multiple height/angle adjustments, I think I've reached a good saddle position. Today we decided to tackle a portion of the Mickelson Trail we haven't ridden before. With trepidation, I didn't take my old saddle. Once again clad in my Shebeest Triple S shorts, we set out. Ouch! The first few miles were almost enough to make me turn back. I was still sore from the previous rides. Then a funny thing happened. I started to feel better. Usually when I have saddle issues, I start out feeling great (padded/cut-out saddles), then gradually get more and more miserable, until I'm ready to chuck the saddle into the woods and finish the ride on the seat post. This saddle went in the other direction. About 10 miles into the ride, I realized that my nether parts no longer defined the ride for me. I was looking around, enjoying the scenery. I was still a tiny bit sore, but not much. And I could scoot around a bit, adjusting my position to make myself more comfortable. One last tweak of the nose height (it's now about level), and I was done fooling with the saddle. It may not be perfect yet, but it's close.:)

You might have noticed a lack of mention of the "soft bits." Those were part of the reason I went on my saddle search in the first place. Having three children (2 being twins) didn't do them any favors, and peri-menopause isn't helping either. The reason I didn't mention them, is because they didn't complain. Not once. I'm aware of the saddle, in the same way I'm aware of my shirt against my skin. A neutral presence. Not an issue. :D I never would have thought that this saddle would relieve pressure there. But I was tired of getting smooshed into the cutout of a "woman's saddle." That just caused swelling and pain. Not with the Brooks. Yay!

Happy with my new saddle,

Deb

P.S. I can make someone a deal on a Topeak Nomad and a Serfas with a cutout!

Yay!! Great News!

Yes, great news indeed!
My sit bones were incredibly sore the first couple of weeks riding my Brooks....but after that it became the most comfortable saddle in the world for me. Expect to feel sore again a little in the Spring briefly, after a winter off the bike...until you get a week of riding in.
So glad you are liking the saddle! :)

So far still haven't hit "saddle nirvana" but I haven't been in agony, either. The rides start out a little uncomfortable, but get better as I go. I can see slight depressions in the saddle where my sit bones are. The saddle is no longer slippery. My bike geometry is very upright, so no real issues with soft tissue. I don't like this saddle without cycling shorts as well as some of the padded saddles I was using, but that is a small price to pay for something that I hope will work well for a LONG time. I was initially skeptical about the S instead of the "men's" saddle, but since I am upright, I don't really need the extra rail length. The sale price was enough to justify trying the S. Now I want a t-shirt that says something to the effect of "Brooks saddles, I EARNED these divots."

Saddle Nirvana has been reached. :) I'm spoiled for any other saddle for life.

Deb

this sounds familiar :D