Newbie with a sore butt!

[jyyanks]

Hello
Long time lurker, first time poster. I spent alot of time lurking at bikeforums.com but whenever I would do a search on a bike related question, this site kept coming up. I have thoroughly enjoyed the great advice, comraderie and general warmth/friendliness of the memebere here.

Anyway, I have recently gotten back into biking after a 20 year hiatus. I bought a folding bike (Dahon P8) so that it would be easy for me to transport to/from the bike trails. I love riding my new bike, however, it has the most uncomfortable seat. I ride in a fairly upright position and my sit bones are about 150mm. Because of all the great reviews here and at bikeforum.net, I purchased a Brooks Champions S Flyer from ebay. However, I am hesitant to use it on my bike since its the same width as my current saddle and it feels as hard as a rock.
I'm thinking of just reselling my unused Brooks Flyer and getting a B67S aged instead. What do you think?
Thanks in advance for your help!

[Bethany1]

Yup. Brooks saddles feel like that at first. They take some time to break in but once they do, it feels amazing. Mine just finally did that a couple of weeks ago and I wouldn't go back. The "hard" part is that it takes a hundred miles or so before it comforms to you body. I have a Brooks B17 regular and a narrow one. I love both, but I think I like the regular size more.

[Velocivixen]

Hmmm. I don't know about your specific saddle model, however my general comment is that Brooks saddles do take awhile to break in. When you buy a new one it is advised to buy a tin of Brooks Proofide and apply it according to the saddle instructions. I have a Brooks B17S and have had it for about 9 weeks or so and it's softened up.

Also if this is your first bike riding in 20 years I can say that it takes time and riding for the muscles, ligaments and tendons where you are perched on the saddle to get used to sitting like that. That will only get better with time.

[jyyanks]

Thanks for the replies! I actually don't have the Brooks Saddle mounted on the bike yet. I'm considering not mounting it and exchanging it for a B67s. I think that model may be more comfortable as it's wider and can fit my nice round old rear end. Also, the model that I currently have in my posession (but not on my bike) has springs which makes it REALLY heavy. Do you know if the Brooks saddles without springs are just as good?

Thanks again.

[Velocivixen]

If you go to Brooks of England website, look under saddles you will see "road", "Trekking and Touring", and "Urban & Heavy Duty". The "urban saddles are wider because the thought is that you are in a more upright position and your rear end, being positioned differently on the saddle, requires different widths. It would be worth your while to study that and it may be helpful. It seems that all the "Urban/Heavy Duty" saddles have springs.
If there are shops near you who actually sell these saddles it might be worth a trip to discuss.

[jyyanks]

Thanks for the advice. Will definitely look at the B67s in person. I have only seen the B17 but will have to look harder. I'm sure there are shops around me that have one in stock as I am in NYC.

[Velocivixen]

I found the Brooks site somewhat helpful in describing the type of riding that each saddle supports. That's what I looked at when I bought mine. A knowledgeable sales person should be able to answer your questions and help you choose one that works well for your type of riding. Keep us posted as to what you end up with.

Also on this forum there is a section on equipment and there are lots of posts about saddles.

[divingbiker]

Also consider the B67. The s models are shorter front to back, and many people prefer the longer nose of the non-s model.

[KnottedYet]

I ride in a fairly upright position and my sit bones are about 150mm.

Is that center-to-center or outside-to-outside?

If it's c-to-c, the B17 and Champion are not going to fit you. With a 150mm center, your outside is probably somewhere around 170-180mm, which puts your sit bones on the metal cantle plate under the leather. You'd be weightbearing on metal rather than on suspended leather.

If it's out-to-out, the B17 and Champion might be close. With a 150mm outside, your bones just miss the cantle plate by a whisker. You won't be on metal, but you'll be so close to it that the leather may not give as well as on a saddle with more distance between your bones and the cantle plate.

In either case, I'd suggest the B67 (springs) or B68 (no springs) regular length. (NOT the short!) You won't be anywhere near the metal on either of those saddles.

[jyyanks]

Thanks for the advice. I just ordered my B67 from Wallbike and will see what happens!