Brooks Saddles

[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.

[Slowspoke]

I have the B68s on my mtn bike. I just had my first ride on it and it is comfortable already! Now all I have to do is swap out the flat bar for a 3" rise and I will be all set. You can't really tell that it is green from the picture, but it is!!



I have a B17 on my road bike and that one is very comfy too. I am sure I like both because I sit differently on each bike.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have the B68s on my mtn bike. I just had my first ride on it and it is comfortable already! Now all I have to do is swap out the flat bar for a 3" rise and I will be all set. You can't really tell that it is green from the picture, but it is!!

That's a B67S....it has springs. The B68 (which I have on both my bikes) has no springs.

[Biciclista]

yeah you can read the b67s right on the saddle stamp.

[Desert Tortoise]

Does anyone know how to read the code on the bottom/inside of the Brooks saddles? It looks like a date code but I cannot find any information on how to read it.

Code stamp: 0D8

Thanks!

[jezbael]

I've been scouring the Internet, particularly this thread, to help me decide which Brooks saddle to get. I don't have a lot of experience with bikes in general, and certainly not with different kinds of saddles.

I currently have a Kona Dew hybrid, handlebars are a little higher than the Specialized women specific gel seat that is currently on it. So I'm not exactly upright, but not as leaned forward as some people I see on hybrids. (Though I also understand that there is some debate that position is irrelavent, and that sit bone width is what's important).

I would call myself a beginner/casual cyclist, generally biking a short commute to work in the summer and working my way up to longer rides and touring. Last summer I did my first bike/camp self supported tour of 120 km round trip. I feel like such a neophyte among all you amazing women. But now I turn to you for advice!

After much reading, I find myself torn between the Champion Flyer and the B67. I feel a little discouraged from the calls to Wall Bike and my LBS. Wall Bike seemed to point me more in the direction of the B17 (unsprung Flyer) because of its versatility. When I asked what the disadvantage was over the B67 the response was "it's probably not as comfortable"... really? Isn't that the point of a Brooks saddle? Why wouldn't I want the more comfortable one? Answer: well, you might want to ride more leaned over and the B67 isn't as comfortable for that.

When I called my LBS, they actually sounded appalled that I was considering a Brooks saddle (they do not stock, but will order), and asked why I wouldn't look at other fabulous saddles, such as Fizik? Granted, when I get fixated on something, I usually put blinders on to other great possibilities, but I had just called asking a specific question about Brooks.

Anyway...

I did my best to measure my sit bones, and they're about 130 mm.

Any advice?

Edit: Oh, and while Wall Bike has a great return policy, the shipping to and from Canada doesn't make it quite as feasible as it first seems. So I'm not quite as reliant on that, though it's still a decent option.

[sarahspins]

At 130mm I think you could use any Brooks and be fine.. it's those of us in the 160mm+ club that have limited choices

But that said, your sit bone measurement does leave a lot of nice options open.. if you are set on a brooks, think about which model will suit your needs best, not just which might or might not be more comfortable.. I have a b.68s (like the b67, but no springs) on my road bike and I don't even feel it under me.. it disappears, which is what a good saddle should do, and I'm not riding it upright

[jezbael]

At 130mm I think you could use any Brooks and be fine.. it's those of us in the 160mm+ club that have limited choices

But that said, your sit bone measurement does leave a lot of nice options open.. if you are set on a brooks, think about which model will suit your needs best, not just which might or might not be more comfortable.. I have a b.68s (like the b67, but no springs) on my road bike and I don't even feel it under me.. it disappears, which is what a good saddle should do, and I'm not riding it upright

So, if I understand correctly, the bike shop guy would roll his eyes at you and tell you that you are using the wrong seat for your bike

Well, my first need right now IS comfort. If I'm not comfortable on my seat, I won't ride as much because I'm miserable.

When it comes to the other needs, I guess I just don't know enough about them to understand what saddle suits which needs. So, if my needs are casual riding, working up to touring, and getting some exercise. So, I know I don't need a racing saddle. Is there more to know?

Edit: Is it wrong that a part of me leans toward the B67 because it comes in the darker aged brown and the Flyer doesn't?

[Desert Tortoise]

Sarahspins, I was considering a B68 for my road bike but Bill at Wallbikes said it was too wide for the leaning forward of my road bike. He suggested a B17S or Team Pro S (my sitbones are 140 center to center, 160 end to end).

I have gotten mixed messages about saddle width and lean position. I'd really like to think it's not a big deal. Do you lean forward a lot or are you more upright?

Thanks!