brooks swift and swallow

[gt6267a]

I recently acquired the brooks bar tape and it looks / feels pretty sweet on the legend. The first ride will be this afternoon, but just based upon the bar tape, my interest in Brooks products is rising.

I have seen the B17, it looks huge and heavy and I am thinking something smaller and lighter is the ticket.

Off this website : saddles (http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/standardsaddles.html )

I see two models that are appealing. The swift seems to do its name justice and the swallow looks pretty swift. I don’t see the swallow in the current catalogue yet for whatever reason seems more appealing. Who has them and what do you think?


For reference, right now I am riding a specialized alias 143 and like it. It appears that all the Brooks saddles will be larger, though the swift and swallow the least massive increase.

[stackie]

As you know from Wallbike, the dimensions are almost the same. Swallow 8mm longer. I find the Swallow to ride a little softer than the Swift, probably because of a shorter side. Although, I understand from the Brooks rep that the particular cow makes quite a bit of difference. I picked up a gently used Brooks Swallow that was softer than my 18 month old Swallow. Personally, I prefer the Swallow, but I do worry about the longevity of the saddle for myself at 190lbs.

Overall, I just love the Swallow from a ride perspective as well as aesthetics. Of course, the Swallow is replacing the ubiquitous and narrow Flite Ti as my previous saddle of choice. So, you see where my tastes run.

Jon

[Firenze]

I ride a swallow. It looks good ATMO on my ti and carbon Litespeed. I simply will not ride anything else.

[spiderman]

i have a swallow on the ottrott
...25k...just keeps getting better and better.

there's a honey swallow on my uniscasi
and at the 3k mark
it's still honey colored.
when i get on this saddle
i feel like i could ride two hundred miles.

i took my swift off the ibis tandem
and have it on my fixie (fillmore) now.
...it's ok...
but i can't shift back in the saddle
climbing like i did when i had a swallow fixed.


...maybe it's just what i'm used to...

[Len J]

I've had both..........

Put extensive miles on both.

I can't ride a swift more than 25 miles without pain.......I can ride the Swallow for hours without even noticing it.

I've tried 2 different swifts, and in both caases, in order to get the rear sitiing section level to the ground, I had to have them extrememly nose up (Which is what caused my pain). The Swallow is flatter front to back than the swift (Not flat, but flatter).

YMMV

Len