Brooks Swallow-Racing Saddle or? Poll

[SoCalSteve]

Curious as to everyones opinion and why...

Thanks!

Steve

[Michael Maddox]

I own 5 of them. I prefer the Swallow exclusively to the other Brooks saddle...

... the Spit.


Seriously, though, it IS a great saddle.

[paczki]

Why not?

[acorn_user]

I have a Team Pro on my fastest bike. I don't think the B17 works well with low set bars because of the holes in the leather. They are not that expensive either, vs the ueber weight weenie nasty saddles. The only other saddles I might put on the bike are a Rolls or a Turbomatic.

[Louis]

IMO butt feel and comfort over time are 99% of the deal with a saddle. If a sprung 4 lb monstrosity was the only thing that worked for me and that's what I needed to ride more than 1 hour then that's what I would use, regardless of how "fast" a particular bike happened to be.

Louis

[Quadburner]

I guess I'm just too "cheap" to invest in an experiment. I bought a Brooks professional a number of years ago in a quest to find a comfortable saddle. I now have two. Once broken in, they just plain work for me. As much as I like the looks of the swallow, I can't justify the price. For me it's about practicality. I do admire them from an aesthetic standpoint though.

[jchasse]

I tried one on my "fast" bike...so i guess i was willing. But the thing was slippery like a mofo, and hurt my azz despite 11,324 adjustments to try to make it right. So NFG.

on edit: "chasse's fast bike" is a phrase probably best used only when someone else has borrowed one of my bikes.

[Ahneida Ride]

IMO butt feel and comfort over time are 99% of the deal with a saddle. If a sprung 4 lb monstrosity was the only thing that worked for me and that's what I needed to ride more than 1 hour then that's what I would use, regardless of how "fast" a particular bike happened to be.

Louis

Yea, that is what I used for years, a B67. After 800 miles on other
saddles, I was ready to just give up cycling.
A saddle heavier then my frame was my savior.

I've promoted myself to a B17 Ti. In retrospect the B67 was a bit too wide.

Seriously contemplating a B17 with springs in the future.

I am changing the spokes on my wheels. I suspect rotational mass
is far more important the a lump of lead on a post. :D

[WadePatton]

I had a Swift/Ti on my "fast" bike. But it was too narrow for me arse. Traded it for a 17/Ti and whoohoo. Bikes are not fast.

[ols]

I've got a Swallow and find it super comfortable for me. Had it on my "fast" bike all spring and summer - until an unexpected rainstorm during a century in August. Riding the last 30 miles in the rain with no fender caused the back (under my sitbones) to collapse pretty remarkably. (I'm about 170#) I had applied proofide above and below several times (perhaps not enough below?), but really should have had a fender for protection underneath. The Swallow seems to have dried OK (loosened the bolt to dry and pushed the leather back into shape as much as possible. After a few days, retightened the bolt a couple of turns more than previously.) Nevertheless, the collapse did send me on a search for a new plastic saddle (WTB Devo, which I'm liking a lot so far.) It also convinced me to make sure I now ride with my clip on sks rear fender for all rides with the Swallow, just in case. Overall, great saddle as long as it stays dry!

[Arnabio]

In addition to finding that correct saddle, don't forget how wonderful and problem solving some really great bibs are for this exact situation. I personally have had wonderful luck with Selle's SLR series and just don't like the look of the Brooks saddles. Maybe it's because my bike is a bit more "progressive" and less "classic" but I think it would look very out of place. Peoples emphatic devotion does make me kind of interested in the brooks experience, but until the much cheaper Selle saddles start to rub me the wrong way or until I win lotto (or finish med school) my experimenting fund is mighty low.

[Ken Robb]

For rides on my Brooks up to 25 miles or so I don't need padded shorts. I might be good to go farther in plain shorts but I just haven't tried it. These rides usually develop by accident when I'm just out riding around, having fun and realize I'm 12-13 miles from home. I wear padded lycra when I plan to go farther. Note that San Diego is really a desert climate and humidity is usually quite low. I'm sure if I was back in Alabama or Chicago in August I'd need all the absorbancy I can get if not the padding.

Remember that Wallbike offers a money- back guaranty on all Brooks they sell so there's little risk to trying one.

I'd guess that we would all know which saddles will/won't work for us if we tried a couple of short rides in plain shorts first. Good shorts might conceal a problem area for 25+ miles. Just think: if a saddle feels ok with no padded shorts it will be wonderful with them.