Brooks Saddles

[mimitabby]

EXCELLENT TRISK!!

have fun, no more pain!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I read this whole thread a while ago, and a similar Brooks thread on another site, and one thing that struck me is that some people find the Brooks to be completely comfortable right out of the box, and other people say it has a long break-in period requiring lots of conditioning and adjustment, and that the saddle isn't really comfortable until it has formed to your sit bones. And it seems like the first group are ultimately happier with their saddles.

From that, I am thinking that if the saddle doesn't work for me right away with a few adjustments, then it is not the saddle for me.

I can't say I agree with that assessment about the two types of Brooks users.
I had some sitbone soreness in the first few days, but that went away pretty quickly to where I was pretty comfortable within a few days of using the new saddle. In the 2 months since then, it just gets more comfortable as the saddle is forming to me. Thus, I don't fall strictly into either group, and my experince would not indicate at all that one can tell "right away" if the Brooks is right for you.

[xeney]

Well, I think people have different ideas of what is acceptable. You said in an earlier post that the saddle mashed your genitals a little but that after a few hours it didn't bother you. For me, that's not acceptable in any saddle and I consider that outside the idea of a "break in" period.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, I think people have different ideas of what is acceptable. You said in an earlier post that the saddle mashed your genitals a little but that after a few hours it didn't bother you. For me, that's not acceptable in any saddle and I consider that outside the idea of a "break in" period.

It's not that the mashing didn't bother me after a while, it's that it DIDN'T feel like it was mashing me anymore after a while- big difference!
What I was trying to say was that the position I had the saddle tilted to initially felt like it was mashing me (a little) for an hour or two, but that feeling went away and I was then comfortable all the time, even on a 40 mile ride this week. Like you, I certainly wouldn't put up with feeling "mashed" all the time!
But if i had returned that saddle after a half hour of feeling squished, I would not be riding in total comfort today- I'd probably be frustratedly trying out saddle after saddle.

[melissam]

Hey xeney,

I hear that the Team Pro has thicker leather than the B17, so it takes a little longer for people to get comfortable on it.

If I were you, I'd try adjusting the position and giving it a little longer.

Good luck!

-- Melissa

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, I think people have different ideas of what is acceptable. You said in an earlier post that the saddle mashed your genitals a little but that after a few hours it didn't bother you. For me, that's not acceptable in any saddle and I consider that outside the idea of a "break in" period.

Xeney, I felt that way too on my first ride, and it certainly wasn't acceptable. But, once I tilted the saddle down just a tad, it went away. On the other hand, my butterfly was leaving me blistered and bruised, and that certainly was not acceptable. The shape conforms perfectly to my body.

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, I think people have different ideas of what is acceptable. You said in an earlier post that the saddle mashed your genitals a little but that after a few hours it didn't bother you. For me, that's not acceptable in any saddle and I consider that outside the idea of a "break in" period.

Xeney, I felt that way too on my first ride, and it certainly wasn't acceptable. But, once I tilted the saddle down just a tad, it went away. On the other hand, my butterfly was leaving me blistered and bruised, and that certainly was not acceptable. The shape conforms perfectly to my body.

[xeney]

Nah, no matter how I adjust it, my sit bones are sitting right on the rivets. It doesn't hurt but that is not going to be comfortable over the long haul. It's not a good fit for me. My husband is going to use it after all, I think, but he's going to buy a locking seat post bolt.

I have another leather saddle, which I think is a Wright (Brooks competitor, from the 70s?) that is almost perfect. It's about a centimeter wider than the Team Pro, and it's only problem is that it has a huge fat nose on it. (Much bigger than any Brooks I've seen.) The nose rubs my thighs, but the seat platform is perfect and it's the same width as a B17. That was what made me think a B17 would work for me, so I'm going to go with one of them once I can afford bike parts again. (And a Champion Flyer for my around-town road bike might be a higher priority.)

Pooks, I missed your question: it does have copper rails. Which is why I am so sad that it did not work for me.

[Triskeliongirl]

FYI, what is great about the finesse is that it is wide in back but has a narrow nose.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Xeney,
keep in mind that the B17 "S" is a tad wider than the B17- it's made more for women, it's what I got, and I have wide hips. I f you have trouble with your sit bones being too wide for a saddle, you might want to try the B17S.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I also have my saddle - a green Finesse - tipped up.

V.

Ok, so Veronica....what's up with the towel? Did your bike just wash its hair or something?

[Veronica]

No, I had just washed my hair and the towel was there to dry. Plus it hides my Brooks Leather bar tape and lugged stem, so no one gets envious.

V.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

No, I had just washed my hair and the towel was there to dry. Plus it hides my Brooks Leather bar tape and lugged stem, so no one gets envious.

V.

Yeah well I see that lugged stem coyly peeking out from under that towel...it's a good thing I have a lugged stem too, or I'd be JEALOUS!!!

[Rebeccah]

Add me to the list of satisfied Brooks saddle users.

The gel saddle that came with the used Trek 7100 I bought off Craig's list was too narrow, so I got a Brooks B.67S. I've ridden about 40 miles on it so far, and have had to raise the seat a couple of times, so I think it's breaking in. It was immediately more comfortable than what it replaced, and MUCH more comfortable than my 25-year-old Avocet Racing W-II (which is on my other bike), and has gotten more so. I've had to do some tinkering with the seat position -- I have it tipped up slightly, as otherwise I tended to slide forward, and I can't put it quite as far back as I think I'd like, because the springs impinge on the rear rack.

I do wish Brooks made an unspring saddle this wide! My sit bones are quite close to the rivets as is, and I'd really like to replace the W-II (which is almost as wide) on my road bike.

Rebeccah

[khgulledge]

yeap, gonna call bill and talk to him or someone at wallbike about getting a brooks saddle.

the more i've read about them and looked at all the pictures, iv'e decided to give one a try. if it doesn't work, it's returnable.

i did some more measuring this morning:

sit bone stuff:
outside edge-outside edge (of indentions)=6"=152mm
center-to-center (of indentions)=5"=127mm
indentions are 1.5" in width and are 2.75"+/- apart from the inside edges.

i'm really thinking that i need something that has the abrupt change from the saddle to the nose and the b17N might be the trick. my terry butterfly ti is 155mm total width, but i think it's still to gradual of a transition from the saddle to the nose.

if the saddle itself is the same width as my outside-outside measurements, does anyone think it would be supportive enough?

does anyone know how heavy the b17N is?

the swift looks nice too, but i just don't know about plunking 250.00 down for a saddle

team pro might be another choice, but again, 269.00

i'll let you know which one i order; i'm gonna order today too, so that i can get it as soon as possible!