brooks saddle on my Specialized Ruby

Hi everyone...I lurk here but don't post...but I need a little input. I have a Specialized Ruby Expert...just bought the little darling...and upgrade from my Trek 1600. I was using the Ruby saddle on my Trek and all was fine, but I don't like the Ruby saddle (the same one I had on the trek, I didn't like the stock white so had them change it) on the specialized. I was fitted for the bike by the big kahuna at the bike shop and everything else feels OK, but go figure on the saddle.
A friend mentioned the Brooks and I think they are beautiful and a well fitting one never is uncomfortable...but they are, of course, heavy. I am not out to win the tour de france, but what is the point of a Carbon frame bike, etc. if I stick a brick on it. And the bike shop gave me the "yes, you are an idiot" look when I mentioned it. I KNOW I don't like puffy saddles, and if my backside is comfortable for 100 miles, I am happy to add a few ounces. I have ridden in quite a few saddles, and, as my behind is a calloused and, uh, well used thing (having ridden horses competitively for over 25 years on those little English saddles) I have generally considered myself not picky...until about mile 55...then I am picky.
So, all you Brooks people (and others)...whaddya think? Along wIth the raised eyebrow I got from the LBS, they weren't sure it would mount correctly on my bike's stem....and they may laugh heartily when I bring it in for its servicing if I show up with it. But as I said, I don't care if it works.
BTW, I am a narrow "wisp of a girl" as someone said once...5'5 and 115 lbs (wet) and I have, also a quote, "a bony butt." So, if I take the plunge on the brooks, which one?
Thanks for any help!!!

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Originally Posted by kenyonchris

So, all you Brooks people (and others)...whaddya think? Along wIth the raised eyebrow I got from the LBS, they weren't sure it would mount correctly on my bike's stem....

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They're right, it probably won't. Tell them to try mounting it on the seatpost instead.

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and they may laugh heartily when I bring it in for its servicing if I show up with it. But as I said, I don't care if it works.

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LBS guys laugh heartily at everything they don't sell. :cool:

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BTW, I am a narrow "wisp of a girl" as someone said once...5'5 and 115 lbs (wet) and I have, also a quote, "a bony butt." So, if I take the plunge on the brooks, which one?

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A thin slip of a girl. Probably a B17 would work well for you. I strongly advise you to NOT get the "S" model though (the so-called women's model B17S). It's just shorter and so you can't move it forward and backwards as much on its rails....annoying and limiting.
The regular B17 is what I would recommend, unless you want to try one of the narrower "racing style" Brooks saddles. Being slender, you could probably get away with them. I doubt you need any of the Brooks with springs- that'd be going a bit too far on a sleek road bike and a lightweight rider.
Think of the extra weight of the Brooks over another saddle as being simply like the weight of a half glass of water. Big deal.
But a butt screaming in pain after 40 miles?....now THAT'S a big deal.

Go for it!- Order from Wallingford and you can always return it after trying it out! :)

After some floundering about, I did find the prior discussions on Brooks saddles...(way to utilize that search bar...hey) but, of course, remain in my perpetual state of confusion and information overload.

There is the b-17 champion..which has titanium rails...is the only advantage in the weight? I think you are right about the men's...the women's widths (as apparent on the web site) seem to be too wide for me, just mathmatically.
I have to get on the stick here...I have a century coming up in three weeks...love the bike, hate the seat.

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Originally Posted by kenyonchris

After some floundering about, I did find the prior discussions on Brooks saddles...(way to utilize that search bar...hey) but, of course, remain in my perpetual state of confusion and information overload.

There is the b-17 champion..which has titanium rails...is the only advantage in the weight? I think you are right about the men's...the women's widths (as apparent on the web site) seem to be too wide for me, just mathmatically.
I have to get on the stick here...I have a century coming up in three weeks...love the bike, hate the seat.

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If you want to pay extra for titanium rails then that's totally cool. Yeah, the weight is the thing for the titanium. Well maybe the rails are stronger but I think it's the weight thing people buy it for.

The women's "S" models are not much wider at all- maybe just a bit- but are much shorter in length....both the top and the under rails are shorter.
In any case, the B67(springs) and B68(same but no springs) are the WIDEST in the back. I need that width as I have very wide hip bones. I doubt you do, at your height and weight.

The B17 is a nice medium all around model to try for a woman who doesn't have extremely wide hips. Get titanium if you want to spend the extra for slightly less weight.
You can always exchange it after a few weeks of riding it- as long as you don't put any goop or oil on it other than ONLY the recommended Pruf-hyde that Brooks sells.
You might experience some significant sitbone soreness during the first few rides. I did. Your sitbones have to get used to being sat directly upon, without a bunch of cushy padding. If your two sitbones are sore, then you know your weight is coming down where it should. You might have to experiment with the tip of the saddle nose up and down too. Read the various threads on adjusting Brooks saddles. I suggest you start with the saddle all the way back on its rails (furthest from the handlebars) as a starting point.

There is also a possibility that your bike puts you in a very forward/down racing position and that this position will put your weight more in front on your tender girly areas rather than back on your sitbones. This can be a problem and can make it hard to feel comfortable even on a Brooks saddle. The more extreme the racing position, the more tricky it can be to find a comfortable saddle that won't hurt your female parts in front. But there's no way of knowing until you try out a few different saddles. At least Wallingford offers a great return policy, so what's to lose?

If you're worried about the weight of a Brooks, just be sure to go pee before you ride.

Seriously. That's about all the difference a Brooks adds.
(like BSG said, about the weight of a glass of water)

Now, I ride on Brooks B67 saddles, which have springs and a bit more metal to the frame. They are heavier, but I ride so much faster and farther with them that they are WELL worth it!! (the springs are miraculous for adjusting to my lopsided pelvis, I am not giving those puppies up!)

I had sit bones well seasoned by horseback riding, so going to a Brooks was a natural transition. did anyone tell you to try Wallbike? they have a generous return policy!!

oh, and i have an expensive custom road bike with a brooks saddle on it.

Wallingford Bicycle Parts, affectionately known as "Wallbike"
www.wallbike.com

6 months return policy on Brooks saddles.

They used to be in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle (about 10 blocks from where I lived) but now they are in New Orleans.

Oh, and after you measure your sit bones, be sure to "ignore" the outer cm on each side of the Brooks saddles when you choose which width of saddle you want. Those outer 1 cm edges are right over the metal cantle plate, so you don't want your sitbones to be perched on them. Your bones would be on leather-over-metal at that point, rather than suspended leather.

Hypothetical Example: Sarah Sitbone has ischial tuberosities that measure 170mm. She buys a B17 which is 170mm wide. She is miserable, because her tuberosities are on the outer 1 cm (where the rivets and cantle plate are) and are getting the everlovin' cr*p beaten out of them. She switches to a B68 which is 210mm wide. 20mm of that is cantle plate, so she has 190mm of suspended leather and her tuberosities are happy again.
(that outer 1 cm at the cantle plate on each side is vitally important "wiggle room" which will get used as you switch positions and shift around with different levels of effort. it's all good.)

Those are not your only two options, though. There are a lot of non-Brooks saddles you could try. I ride Brooks saddles on several of my bikes but I use a Fizik Vitesse on my road bike, and I love it. I ride a Selle Royale (? I think) Viper on my mountain bike and love it, too.

I think a Brooks would look a little ridiculous on a Ruby, and it's not necessarily the best option for that bike for the reasons you suggest, plus I think there are better options for any bike where you are not in a very upright position when you ride. So why not let your LBS give you some other options to try? You can always try a Brooks later if nothing else works out.

yeah, those are certainly not the only two Brooks options!!!!! :eek: I was just using them as my hypothetical example cuz they have very different widths, and I was trying to point out the dangers of the cantle plate and how it changes the available real estate on a Brooks vs a regular saddle of similar dimensions.

I did not mean that those were the only two Brooks options -- I meant that a Ruby saddle vs. a Brooks is not her only option. There are hundreds of saddles out there -- TE sells a bunch specifically for women! -- and I'd try some of the others before putting a Brooks on that particular bike.

It's just about impossible to recommend a saddle for somebody else, but based on your description of your physique, I think you might like the Vitesse. There is a thread about it here.

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Originally Posted by xeney

Those are not your only two options, though. There are a lot of non-Brooks saddles you could try. I ride Brooks saddles on several of my bikes but I use a Fizik Vitesse on my road bike, and I love it. I ride a Selle Royale (? I think) Viper on my mountain bike and love it, too.

I think a Brooks would look a little ridiculous on a Ruby, and it's not necessarily the best option for that bike for the reasons you suggest, plus I think there are better options for any bike where you are not in a very upright position when you ride. So why not let your LBS give you some other options to try? You can always try a Brooks later if nothing else works out.

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Well the original poster was asking specifically about Brooks saddles. But you're right, no harm in trying out some non-Brooks saddles too! :) One thing I would suggest though is to first try to make sure you can return the saddles you try out if they don't feel good....as opposed to just buying one after another. I read about lots of women who are stuck with whole collections of uncomfortable saddles they have 'tried out'. :(

My twin sister has a Brooks saddle on her Roubaix and it looks good! Hers happens to be a Maroon with titanium rails. She loves it. I also have Brooks on all my bikes. It took my sister awhile to realize it was worth every penny.

I'd take a look at the finesse. It's (relatively) light, and would probably be nice on that bike. Assuming, of course, it fits you:)

OK...this is all good information. Thanks everyone and feel free to chime in...

The guys at the LBS (all guys) are pretty frustrated with me...I am a woman of IMMEDIATE decision once I am given sufficient info to make one...but they just aren't wildly helpful on this particular topic.

I am going to try the Brooks and the Vitesse...I'm just going to order away and return what doesn't work...so we'll see and I will report in. I am *really* narrow (neither of my kids fit) so typical women's saddles just haven't worked for me (the couple I have tried)...the Ruby saddle on my Trek bike worked the best so far.

I need to hop on it! I have a century in three weeks...so on to my uncomfortable I get for my 35 today I need to do!

Keep in mind that even if you are a wispy one, your sit bones may not be whispering width apart. I'm kind of a scrawny girl, but it's a long distance call between my ischeal tuberosities.

If your hip bones are narrow, you might try a Selle San Marco Aspide Glamour FX. It's a minimalist-style saddle.

I have a Brooks Finesse (Ti rails) and when I bought it I didn't really understand that it was mostly just a shorter version of a men's saddle. If I did it again, I'd get the Professional with Ti rails. The rails on the Finesse are short, very short. The saddle is on my commuter and slammed as far back as it can go and really isn't as far back as it should be. I'm probably going to end up taking it off and using a different saddle. Also, the leather squeaks when I ride. Noise emanating from my bike is a big No-no for me.

I also can say I wouldn't want the Brooks on my road bike. It's fine for more upright riding (my commuter is a 'cross bike), but not so cool when I'm riding in the drops.

I don't know how much lighter it is.... the Selle Anatomica is less beefy (literally I s'pose!!) than the Brooks. It also has a cut out to compensate a bit for a more forward position.

But it is essentailly a Brooks that is slimmer and has a cut out.

I think it looks flimsy on a hybrid where a Brooks would look better...so maybe there's a clue.

He has a 30 day guarantee. Check it out: http://www.selleanatomica.com/

Be sure to watch this film, which I think is a riot...turn the sound on...
http://www.selleanatomica.com/Aug%20...ls%20short.mpg



Look at this fancy new one...ha!

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Wallingford Bicycle Parts, affectionately known as "Wallbike"
www.wallbike.com They used to be in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle (about 10 blocks from where I lived) but now they are in New Orleans.

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REALLY??? I'm the last to know anything fun...
Me and my bike is going to have to pay them a visit! My office is in the Carrollton neighborhood. I'm not entirely happy with the saddle that came on my Specialized Allez Sport, but need some guidance on what to try to replace it.

Got to have some fun with the OT pay I've been earning. :cool:

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

REALLY??? I'm the last to know anything fun...
Me and my bike is going to have to pay them a visit! My office is in the Carrollton neighborhood. I'm not entirely happy with the saddle that came on my Specialized Allez Sport, but need some guidance on what to try to replace it.

Got to have some fun with the OT pay I've been earning. :cool:

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Bill is great! He's got some new chickie working with him now, but dang, Bill knows everything about every product he sells! Be sure to post us a LBS Report after you go there! (and tell him "Hi" from the Seattlites!)

Fizik thoughts:

I had one briefly, and I really liked it. Don't remember which one it was. Not much padding, good narrow nose, and fairly "T" shaped top. Just slightly too narrow for my big honkin' heinie.

If Brooks suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth, I'd probably go after a Fizik, if I could find one just a bit wider than the one I had.

One word of advice about Brooks on a road bike-

I tried it, and I actually liked looking a little "unconventional." However, I've got about a 10cm drop from saddle to handlebars, and I couldn't tolerate the amount of soft-tissue pressure the Brooks gave me (riding in the drops was almost unbearable).
Now, the Brooks (B17 champion- has copper rails/larger rivets, not titanium) is on my commuter, which is upright compared to my road bike, and is MUCH more comfortable.

10 cm drop?!?! that's quite a ways!
my handlebars are about even with my saddle top.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

10 cm drop?!?! that's quite a ways!
my handlebars are about even with my saddle top.

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Not nearly as much of a drop as demonstrated in your avatar picture, mimi. ;)

Yup- it's a nice size drop. It's not quite as extreme as it seems, though, because I've got really long arms :D

I ordered the B-17 as suggested by ya'll...I may as well try it! Hopefully it will be here before the weekend. My husband and I are taking both the RBs and the MTBs to Austin for the weekend.

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Originally Posted by malkin

Keep in mind that even if you are a wispy one, your sit bones may not be whispering width apart. I'm kind of a scrawny girl, but it's a long distance call between my ischeal tuberosities.

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This is what I was thinking, too. I'm the opposite of you - build extremely solidly. I will NOT blow away, even in a stiff wind. I have narrow sit bones and cannot stand saddles of any width. All of the saddles I ride are 'men's' saddles. The weight of your body has little to do with the width of your sit bones! ;)

My H and I have the same sit bone width measurement and he rides a B17 on all his bikes. He LOVES it and I hope you do as well!

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Originally Posted by elk

I don't know how much lighter it is.... the Selle Anatomica is less beefy (literally I s'pose!!) than the Brooks. It also has a cut out to compensate a bit for a more forward position.

But it is essentailly a Brooks that is slimmer and has a cut out.

I think it looks flimsy on a hybrid where a Brooks would look better...so maybe there's a clue.

He has a 30 day guarantee. Check it out: http://www.selleanatomica.com/

Be sure to watch this film, which I think is a riot...turn the sound on...
http://www.selleanatomica.com/Aug%20...ls%20short.mpg



Look at this fancy new one...ha!

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I had a negative experience with them on the return policy. It still upsets me very much. I've thought about posting a thread about it, but in short, the policy is not risk free as it seems... buyer beware.