Which Brooks for my Road Bike

[Not the Slowest]

Hi All,

After years of riding and re-fitting I finally decided to take my saddle discomfort and resolve what the pros could not. Obviously what works for one may not work for the next guy especially with saddles.

In any case I bought a Brooks Standard B17 for my commuter and it has pretty much resolved my saddle issues rating it a 8.5 out of 10 after 1500 miles. Lets see what I say after 5000 on the commuter, FYI I do about 135-200 a week on it based on the weather etc.

Now I want to get a Brooks for my Road Bike. Currently I have a Regal San Marco saddle on it and it just isn't cutting it, I tried and it has to go (watch the classifieds next month). from what I have been told the B17 Standard is not the best choice on a road bike as it limits the pelvic tilt to stay in the drops. I can say that on my commuter it seems okay, but I'm not in the drops much with it except for windy days.

I narrowed my choice to 2 saddles and have excluded the Swift and Swallow for $$ reasons and they seem a bit extreme for the moment (maybe later).Additionally I would be skipping the TI or Copper rivet versions ( I think).

As a comparison:
Standard B17 width is 170mm
B17 Narrow is 152mm
B17 Team Pro is 160mm


I had no issue with saddle break in at all, maybe one or 2 times.
FYI, I am 5-11", 212 lbs

Any thoughts?

Thank Rob

[pavel]

I have the b17 and the b17 narrow (among others but I'll just talk about what applies to your post.)

Out of these, the b17 has been the most comfortable and the quickest to break in. The B17 Narrow seems to be made from a harder leather and took significantly longer to break in. fwiw I'm around 5'9"/140 lbs so the break-in might be a lot easier for you. (At one point, I took the narrow off, gave it a good proofiding, put on gloves and punched it repeatedly for a good half hour.)

I am not sure what you would gain by riding a saddle narrower than the b17 - I dont feel that one is better suited to a road bike / drops than the other, but YMMV.

My next brooks saddle will be, without a doubt, a b17 Imperial or narrow Imperial - the perennial relief is the only thing missing.

[R2D2]

I own and ride both the Swift and the Swallow.
The Swift is my preferred saddle on long rides.
It is somewhat like a Pro with the skirts shaved off and wider than the Swallow.
The Swallow has one major draw back. The rivets are raised and will eventually cause soreness. The Swift has rivets hammered smooth.

When you purchase a new Brooks make sure the rail posts do not protrude thru the top of the rear frame. This has been reported on some of the newly produced Brooks. If the rail is not flush with the rear frame it will create a bump. My Swift has a very very small bump on one side that doesn't cause any bother.
But some have major bumps.

[alastair]

I think the Swift would meet your needs. Why not try and find a lightly used one on here? (I just sold an extra swift and swallow on this forum last week; so they do show up!). I find the swift to be the most versatile of all the Brooks line. For all day adventures, commuting and even the odd race; it's my go-to saddle.

[Not the Slowest]

I am not sure what you would gain by riding a saddle narrower than the b17 - I dont feel that one is better suited to a road bike / drops than the other, but YMMV.


Perhaps nothing, except comfort. I am under the impression that the wider Standard B17 limits my pelvic bone from rotating fully. Again as you stated I am a bigger person than yourself and so I may break it in sooner.

Most of my issues are on my right side buttock due to what I would call my physical mechanics. Imagine that my right foot points to the right when standing and not straight ahead. So my guess is the hip on that femur rotates a bit off and I use to be hitting the edge or seam of my saddles instead of sitting right on the top on the rotation.

At this point I have no issue trying 1 saddle and then another if need be.
The perfect saddle is not there, just a better one.

Robert

[Mike748]

I ride a B17 on my upright bike and a Team Pro or Swift on my drop bar bike. I suggest you try the Pro. Keep in mind the Pro is thicker leather and takes longer to break in. I usually soak a new one with Lexol before my first ride to accelerate the process a little.

The skirt on the Pro starts to widen further back and gives more thigh room in the drops than a B17.

[Not the Slowest]

I think the Swift would meet your needs. Why not try and find a lightly used one on here? (I just sold an extra swift and swallow on this forum last week; so they do show up!). I find the swift to be the most versatile of all the Brooks line. For all day adventures, commuting and even the odd race; it's my go-to saddle.

My friend showed me his swift and it just looked a bit extreme in its shape. Agreed that trying it may be the answer and I keep my eyes open.

thanks

[Alan]

May want to look at their new leather saddles as they look as good or better than the Brooks. Wallbike and others have them in 2 models depending on how narrow you need. Wallbike has a 6 mo guarantee so you are good for a long trial. They sell both Brooks and Berthoud and I am sure they have an opinion or two.

Alan

[Ken Robb]

I ride B-17 and Pros with equal comfort. On two of 3 B17 saddles I drilled the skirts and used zip ties to narrow the skirts. I ride the Pro as it was made. BTW it may be that a Pro seems stiffer than a B-17 just because the leather has a narrower span between the rails on a narrower saddle frame. The leather could be the same thickness.

Since you already have a B-17 why not try it on your road bike and see how it works? If it's good buy another. If you'd like it a bit narrower in the middle try the zip tie trick. If it's no good discuss how it fails with a Brooks Guru like Wallingford Bikes. That will help them recommend the right Brooks for you and they offer $$$ back guaranty on comfort.

[christian]

I find the biggest difference between the B17 and the Pro/Swift is that the latter are more transversely rounded. The B17 an B17N are very flat across the back, which I like. It is true though that the B17 stays wider through the nose for longer than the Pro and Swift models.

If it helps, I have a B17N in my parts box you can try for a few weeks. PM me your address and i can send it out.

[Not the Slowest]

Since you already have a B-17 why not try it on your road bike and see how it works? If it's good buy another. If you'd like it a bit narrower in the middle try the zip tie trick. If it's no good discuss how it fails with a Brooks Guru like Wallingford Bikes. That will help them recommend the right Brooks for you and they offer $$$ back guaranty on comfort.

Not a bad idea, But as I already have it "dialed" in I rather not take it off and fiddle with it on the road bike. Additionally, that could leave me without a saddle on the commuter. Of course whenever I put a new saddle on the Road Bike I will use that to commute for a week or two to get the saddle and my body adjusted to it.

[Not the Slowest]

I find the biggest difference between the B17 and the Pro/Swift is that the latter are more transversely rounded. The B17 an B17N are very flat across the back, which I like. It is true though that the B17 stays wider through the nose for longer than the Pro and Swift models.

If it helps, I have a B17N in my parts box you can try for a few weeks. PM me your address and i can send it out.
Thanks for the offer.
I will contact Wallbike to get some more feed back or direction.

Robert

[fiataccompli]

I have a standard B-17 on two drop bar, sporty, etc. road bikes. I have not found the saddle to be a problem (not sure the exact drop from saddle to top of bars..at least a 2-3") in terms of flexibility in an aero or 'in the drops' position. These are semi-vintage bikes that are used for spirited riding & they regularly see 60+ mile rides at a time..break-in has been no issue and they are both quite comfortable to me. IMHO, saddle evaluation is so butt-specific (and I guess physiology-specific) that it's really hard to make to make any blanket statements about one saddle vs the other beyond basic measurements such as width, weight, etc. I'd be happy to take any unloved B17s off anyone's hands, though, 'cause I have plenty of bikes and this is one saddle I know I like.

[Not the Slowest]

The person who invents the "PERFECT" saddle will receive the
"Noble Peace Prize".

[retrogrouchy]

May want to look at their new leather saddles as they look as good or better than the Brooks. Wallbike and others have them in 2 models depending on how narrow you need. Wallbike has a 6 mo guarantee so you are good for a long trial. They sell both Brooks and Berthoud and I am sure they have an opinion or two.

Alan

I've heard mixed reviews of Berthoud saddles. They are defintely 'different.' They are also an unproven product, being quite recently introduced to the marketplace. Time will tell.....

I found the Brooks Pro (now the 'Team Pro' models) to be my 'goldilocks' saddle a long, long time ago. For me, it is 'just right.'

[Not the Slowest]

Spoke to Wallbike for Brooks suggestions for my Roadbike.
Oddly enough he thinks the B17 Standard that I have for my commuter is fine and I should try it out. In his opinion wider is better and that
it really comes into looks as to why many people avoid it for their road bikes.

That said he says any of the narrows would work.
I knew that, but which one sensei?

A few thioughts that he did add were that.
The Swift is the most ride ready of the saddles, he calls it compliant (152mm wide).
The 17N Narrow has a flat back similar to the B17 Standard but 155 mm wide.
The Team Pro is Very Firm and will stay that way because of the rail designs (160 wide).

He did suggest the Colt, but I have seen few reviews on it simply because has recently been re-released.

Looks like I need to think this out this weekend and just try one and go.
The good thing is that if I buy from WallBike there is a 6 MONTH return policy.

[fiamme red]

Looks like I need to think this out this weekend and just try one and go.
The good thing is that if I buy from WallBike there is a 6 MONTH return policy.You might also wait for their eBay sales. I got a returned, but practically unused, Swift that way.

This Team Pro just went for $61:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brooks-Team-Pro-Classic-Saddle-Black-Excellent-/110827024201?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19cdce2f49

[Not the Slowest]

You might also wait for their eBay sales. I got a returned, but practically unused, Swift that way.

This Team Pro just went for $61:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brooks-Team-Pro-Classic-Saddle-Black-Excellent-/110827024201?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19cdce2f49

I did see that, Oh well,
They do sell in the $99.00 range new on Ebay, Wall bike for $111.00.
Most likely I will buy from WallBike just for the courtesy of him helping me and of course the 6 month warranty.

Or

Borrow one as people have offered that option.

[Vinci]

I have had my B17 Narrow Imperial on my drop-bar commuter for about a year now, and never had any trouble with the bars being lower than the saddle height. This might be a problem if your height difference is huge, but with ~4", it was never a problem for me.

Do any of the "sport" models like the Swift or Swallow allow more room for fore/aft adjustment in the rails? With a Thomson post, I get very little room for adjustment and find myself wishing I could push it back further sometimes.