#1
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Which Brooks for my Road Bike
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 Last edited by Not the Slowest; 02-21-2012 at 04:49 PM. Reason: Forum errors |
#2
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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. Last edited by pavel; 02-21-2012 at 05:16 PM. |
#3
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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. Last edited by R2D2; 02-21-2012 at 05:32 PM. |
#4
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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.
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#5
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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 |
#6
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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. |
#7
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Not a bad idea
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thanks |
#8
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Berthoud
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 |
#9
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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. |
#10
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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. |
#11
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#12
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Christian
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I will contact Wallbike to get some more feed back or direction. Robert |
#13
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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.
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#14
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All good points
The person who invents the "PERFECT" saddle will receive the
"Noble Peace Prize". |
#15
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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.' |
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