Brooks Saddles

[Slowspoke]

PICTURES!!! PLEASE! I didn't know B67 came in green!

They came in green a couple of years ago and I haven't seen them since. I'll try to post pics tonight. In the mean time, the guy has 3 more! the down side is that he is in Michigan and I don't know if he will ship.

[Biciclista]

gee, he ought to have a St Patrick's day sale!

[Desert Tortoise]

I've been looking at the various threads on saddles and am getting a little crossed-eyed. I'm hoping someone can help clear up a few things.

I'm interested in a Brooks saddle but not sure which model to start with.

I measured my sitbones using a few of the methods listed here and consistantly came up with a 14cm center to center/16cm outer edge to outer edge.

I ride a road bike not very upright but not aggressive either (handle bars are about level with the saddle.) Ride anywhere from 15 miles to 40 miles at a time and occasionally longer distances at a time.

On my 4th saddle and from what I have gathered here, it sounds like I need a more T-shaped saddle than pear. I have chaffing and soreness at the leg bend/undie line.

Looking at Brooks saddles, it sounds like maybe the B68. But isn't that for a more upright position?

Also, saw someone noted the B17 is pear shaped, but I thought somewhere else someone said it was more T shaped. But I could mistaken, I've been looking at a lot of posts.

Any ideas of which model to try?
Thanks!

[KnottedYet]

B68, B67, or B66

"Upright" really isn't a good category for saddles, and it bugs me to see it being used because I think it drives women in the wrong directions when choosing saddles. Generally the part of the sit bones contacting the saddle are slightly farther apart the more upright (relatively posteriorly tilted) the pelvis is to the saddle. (so someone with a dramatic pubic rami to ischial tuberosity angle might be fine in an agressive position on a narrow saddle, but as they rotate the pelvis upward and shift posteriorly along the rami into an upright torso position they may need a wider saddle. Me, I have sits in the 180mm realm, and I just need a wider saddle regardless of position. I have B67 and B68 on my agressive bike, my "medium" utility bike, and my pretty darn upright promenade bike.)

It's really all about width of contact points, regardless of position. Position doesn't matter, contact points do.

B68 is T-shaped. B17 is pear. (there's a great topview on wallbike.com that dramatically illustrates the T/pear difference)

With a 160mm outside measurement, you would likely be landing on the cantle plate of a B17.

You sound like a very good candidate for a B68.

[Desert Tortoise]

Thank you for the clarification. That whole thing about "upright" position did confuse me a little and wondered if it really was a big deal in saddle selection.

I just wish they made these saddle in red. My bike is mostly black with a few red accents. Guess I'll have to find other ways to punch up the color. The SA comes in red but it doesn't seem to offer the same wear as the Brooks.

Thanks again for the help.

[moderncyclista]

B17 for me is working great. My butt (right where my sit bones are positioned) are sore -but that is all. The leathers surface is showing signs of tiny creases in the places where my sit bones rest. That seems like it is perfect. Now I need warmer weather to come so my sweaty backside (sorry for the image) works that stubborn leather into shape. Keeping fingers crossed. You do have to earn these saddles though. Boy, howdy. They are not for those who are delicate. Got to have a thick ol' bike butt to work these bad boys out.

[KnottedYet]

Or, if you are someone like me who had NEVER had a saddle that fit (180mm is wider than most saddles made, and that's just the bone span!) it was love at first sit.

I never felt the need to break the first saddle in, though it did get miraculously comfortable after about 100-150 miles.

I have noticed that the two new Brooks I've bought felt harder than my old faithful B67, but they were never painful and in short order they were just as customized.

Wallbike.com really knows what they are doing with the 6 month free trial period on the Brooks saddles. Sometimes it takes a good bit of riding before the saddle feels like it was made just for you.