WileyGrrl, I was a bit dubious about the Brooks too but was getting a bit desperate in the saddle department, if you know what I mean. I finally nicked the one off my husband's bike and went for a long ride ... gotta tell ya, parts of me were smiling! When I got back from that ride I immediately jumped online and ordered one for myself. The hardness under the sit bones takes a wee bit of getting used to but there's a lot more "give" there than it looks like. The B17 is the most comfortable saddle I've been on right out of the box. I've only got about 150 miles on it so far but can't imagine using anything else ever again.

One thing that finally occurred to me, coming from horse background, is that people who are new to horses tend to go for really cushy padded saddles while the pros are all on lumps of leather stretched over wooden frames. That leather conforms to your butt over time and is wayyy more comfortable than a sofa cushion on long rides.

I got mine from Wallingford -- they have a six month, no questions asked return policy ... but they can't have mine back!

Oh, my husband says "tell her to get a green one ... they're faster."