Brooks B-17 Saddle

[50 Mission Cap]

Anyone ride one of these? They look classic, but how do they ride?

[Mauriceman]

They rock.

[Nick Verstain]

They need a little break-in time and require a bit more TLC, but once they get used to your seat bones, a Brooks will treat your ass right. They've been in business since 1866; that's a lot of butts on leather.

[ifrider]

Yes, they rock hard. I have 3!

[brianofdoom]

i have two, one on my monocog and one on my cross check. i love them, but i didnt realize my deep hidden love for them until the one on the monocog started breaking in. now its perfect, i dont see myself riding anything ever again.

[benwitt11]

I'll throw in, though I prefer the narrow version over the standard. I have three, and the one is 30 years old! Give them time though, I have friends that have gotten rid of them too soon. Let 'em break in and love 'em!

[markie]

I do not want to be a Debbie Downer, but this is the commuting thread....

What happens in the rain? Wah! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa

[bellcha]

I've got two B-17's.
One that I got second hand of an old guy at work, over 50yrs old, this one I had to break in from his old sit bones to mine, so it didn't take too long.
The second is a B'day present from 4 years ago, this one took a bit longer.
Down to the rain question, both these seats are on commuters. When it's raining I take the one with mudguards, when it's not I take the other one.
As long as you put a good smearing of Brooks ProofRide(the stuff that softens the saddle) up under the saddle while it is brand new and re apply everynow and then (generally greater than 12 months for me) then the rain really isn't an issue. The water seems to bead off from underneath and above, but you can get a rain cover for the seat if you want. I ride in the rain, the seats get wet. Leave them to dry naturally and all is good. I don't see that much rain now I live in Canberra, but I used to see plenty of rain in Tasmania.
I ride the narrow B-17, the only issue I have is that the long sides on the saddle can rub on my inner thighs a bit, but I'm thinking of tying them in to avoid this.
What happens to Cows in the rain?

[OTBSkinloss]

As long as you put a good smearing of Brooks ProofRide(the stuff that softens the saddle) up under the saddle while it is brand new and re apply everynow and then (generally greater than 12 months for me) then the rain really isn't an issue.

Bag Balm works well also. For you city types, its for putting on the cows utter, or "bag" to keep it from chapping during milking.

[S. cerevisiae]

What happens to Cows in the rain?


They get wet. If there's lightening they sometimes get struck by it, mans.

Brooks' stuff is the yardstick by which all other saddles should be measured. Yes, they do require break-in. Yes, they do require maitenance. It's all good.

[KCJeffro]

First of all, get the cover that Rivendell sells: http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/saddles_accessories/11014.html
Second check eBay or elsewhere for a used one. People give up on them before breaking them in.

Don't overgoop it with Proofhide or Obenauf's. Once a year is enough.

I put a B17 Narrow on an old Raleigh MTN bike that I set up for riding Holland last summer. I hadn't really liked the saddle before but I needed something that I could strap my Carradice bag upon. Of course, we got caught in the rain, being the Netherlands and all but my trusty cover kept it mostly dry even when I had to leave it outside my tent overnight. But what I noticed after that is that the thing had really taken on the shape of my pelvic bones and gotten quite comfortable. I took it off that bike and put a junky saddle on the bikebefore I sold it in Amsterdam and I moved the Brooks to my old Bridgestone where it now fits me comfortably.

A couple "experts" advocate soaking the saddles in water for a minute or so and then riding them for the first time.

[vladamir]

Ive been running a B17 (1976 model) for a few years and it is so unbelievably comfortable..... unless you are going down a steep grade through a rock garden and have to get back off the saddle. The metal frame WILL bruise your pelvis so bad that you will seriously consider running your WTB rocket instead and throw your B17 on the commuter. Which is what I did until I bought a NOS Brooks Colt which is great and I have run for two years on the MTB. It still isn't as broken in and comfy as the '76 B17 but its still more comfortable than any synthetic stuffed saddle.

[stump ss]

they aren't for everybody. i hated mine, tried twice. the one on my commuter bike - which i gooped up per rivendell's instructions - got wet and sagged out when i rode on it (which i tried to stay out of the saddle that whole ride home, but as said above, this is the commuting thread...). when it dried i tightened it a bit. but overall just not nearly as comfortable to me as my WTB saddles on all my bikes. why buy an expensive saddle that you have to put a bag/cover on to use it? if you're gonna have one maybe on your bike that stays dry, but in my experience water is not good with them. and my butt doesn't like 'em anyway. sorry to poop on the parade. i know a few people off this forum who do love them though, but they don't have them on their commuter bike....

[RandomV]

I would be afraid to put one on my commuter. It sits in the rain on the racks at work sometimes, and I'm not always going to remember to bring a bag or something to cover the seat.

Furthermore, since I'm riding a 9.2.5, $80 worth of seat on $400 of bike seems a bit... Excessive. Maybe if I had a fair weather "fun bike" or something.

[real_ss_budgie]

enjoyed mine that came stock on the fleetwood till i took a tumble and bent a rail and pulled out 2 rivets....would i get one again???........

[tachyon]

For years I've only ridden Terry Fly saddles. Recently I got a Brooks B-17 and have ridden it on my trainer all winter. It's not totally broken in, but I really like it. For me, it's the perfect shape and as it breaks in, it's becoming more comfortable with every ride.

Saddles are all intensely personal. What I find good may drive you nuts; but given time, the Brooks is the only saddle that conforms to your shape rather than making you conform to its.

Tom

[rockhound]

What do you do for your butt during the year or so of break in?

It seems like a little bit of torture to me. Why don't they come a little softened up?

[vladamir]

What do you do for your butt during the year or so of break in?

It seems like a little bit of torture to me. Why don't they come a little softened up?

My Colt was "pre-softened"...but In actuality it didn't seem any different than any other brooks:rolleyes:

[phlatlander]

Why don't they come a little softened up?

Vlad's right - I bought a used one, but unless they're pre-softened by your own ass then there's gonna be a conforming period.

[rockyrider]

makes them even more like cowboy boots as far as personalized softening and even amounts of you fitting it and it fitting you...

[vladamir]

makes them even more like cowboy boots as far as personalized softening and even amounts of you fitting it and it fitting you...

Except for the ass involved:eek: ....

The "Pre-Softened" models are even stamped as such across the top. If you can find a vintage saddle it will conform to your ass much quicker than even most presoftened of the presoftened..which are still hard as..a cyclists ass.

[phlatlander]

makes them even more like cowboy boots as far as personalized softening and even amounts of you fitting it and it fitting you...

Tony Lama Saddles! Ass-Rattler model (below)... They also make the Shit Kicker, in all brown of course...

[S. cerevisiae]

The 32 years ago when I raced roads I had one. I was talked into it by the shop owner that was building up the (then) weight weenie Colnago this, Campy that bike. His point wa that I could have any saddle I wanted, but that this was theone that was going to allow for those double century training days with a minimum of pain.

He advocated the tried and true method of break-in for all things leather. Get it soaked completely through then ride it until dry. After it had dried completely...two rides...he treated it with Brooks' leather treatment and Chelsea "Boot Butter", a preparation made in England for football boots, which were also broken-in that way.

Yes, I was saddle sore from it, but it worked. Nothing that applying liberal doses of chammy butter (Desitin-it's what I had available) didn't take care of.

[brunop]

b17 narrow on my fixie everyday commuter (over 6000 miles). fits my ass like a glove!

professional on my pimped out fixie (around 2000 miles). harder to break in as the leather's thicker, but feels good!

sprung conquest on my karate monkey (only about 200 miles). da best if ya don't worry 'bout da weight!!!

love them all like sons.:) :) :) :) :D

[Nick Verstain]

I think we can all agree (or not) that the Brooks is an acquired taste. Some want instant butt-gratification, others see the advantages of a truly custom part of the bike that literally matches the rider. I would think that commuters, who put in a lot of miles, would be perfect candidates for a Brooks. It's just me, but I always bring a simple plastic bag to cover my saddles if I know they are going to be out in the elements all day. Sunlight isn't friendly to saddles, either. I get the bags free at Safeway when I buy produce. The biggest problem is worrying that some bike-wise thief might covet my Brooks, which is another good reason to wrap it in a former-onion baggie. I say give it a try, and if your butt still nags, sell it as "broken-in" on eBay for $20 more than you paid for it.

[robmdem]

Just put one on my commuter, love it! It's already plenty comfy. I might need 3 more for my other bikes.

[max-a-mill]

they aren't for everybody. i hated mine, tried twice. the one on my commuter bike - which i gooped up per rivendell's instructions - got wet and sagged out when i rode on it (which i tried to stay out of the saddle that whole ride home, but as said above, this is the commuting thread...). when it dried i tightened it a bit. but overall just not nearly as comfortable to me as my WTB saddles on all my bikes. why buy an expensive saddle that you have to put a bag/cover on to use it? if you're gonna have one maybe on your bike that stays dry, but in my experience water is not good with them. and my butt doesn't like 'em anyway. sorry to poop on the parade. i know a few people off this forum who do love them though, but they don't have them on their commuter bike....

i agree 100%. i also had an extremely similar experience with the rain and sagging.

in fact on my commute this morning i finally decided to stop waiting for this infernal thing to break in and just go back to my good old speedv.

i have given this thing at least a thousand miles (a couple century rides) and it is no more comfortable than the day i bought it.

anyone want a "broken-in" brooks B17 cheap?

[dlee]

anyone want a "broken-in" brooks B17 cheap?

I just may...fire me an email.
Thanks, Don Lee