Submitted by
Chip
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, AB.
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2012
Strengths: Durable, sexy and ohh so comfortable....professional craftsmanship
Weaknesses: a little heavy, but oh well
Bottom Line:
I'm the Brooks saddle reviewer that everyone likes to hate. I was dreading the break-in time i was mentally preparing for, but it never came....cause it was great right out of the box. Lucky me I guess. Bought the saddle juice and has been the best seat i've ever had. I haven't even had "early-season" soreness since riding again this January. My latest commute is 37kms one way and I've been riding road/mtb/bmx all my life - 35 yrs. Old school goodness carries truth. Some things never change.
Have yet to try it out on my mountain bike, perhaps this summer. Worth every sent.
Submitted by
Crusty1207
a Cross Country Rider
from Georgia
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2011
Strengths: Durability, feel, and most of all Comfort!
Weaknesses: A bit heavy so its not for you weight weenies. Also you have to be careful not to get it wet being its not waterproof.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding this seat for 5 years now and probably have well over 2000 miles on it. It is by far the most comfortable seat I have ridden. The leather is nice and broken in now and has formed itself perfectly to my sit bones, almost like a nice pair of sneakers after you have worn them awhile. Most of the people who bash this seat fail to realize that and give up on it way too quickly. It takes time to break it in properly.
Go ahead and buy a can of Proofide when you buy this seat. It helps the leather form to you faster. Wipe it down after every ride with the Proofide and you'll begin to feel the leather forming to you.
Similar Products Used: Sella Anatomica with cut-out. Too much give in this saddle. About the same price, not as well made. Changed saddles due to chafing on the underside and the bolt for leather adjustment was too short and bottomed out on me in a short time.
Bike Setup: I ride fairly upright with a slight tilt on the seat. The saddle is practically level. The seat is slighly higher to the handlebars.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
nocturnal12
a Cross Country Rider
from Nor Cal
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2011
Strengths: Absolutely the best saddle ever. There is no argument there. I am 200lbs+ and tried several WTB/Serfas crap before settling for this one after reading about it on Sheldonbrown.com. It is the most comfortable saddle one can ever have, or at least that's how I feel. The first two weeks (about 200 miles) were uncomfortable. Then, it started to break-in and it became more comfortable with every ride. Now after almost 1000 miles on it, it is so comfortable that I don't even feel it under me. It is like suspending on air. People giving Brooks a bad rap are usually impatient and give up after few rides. You have to know that you need to baby it for at least 400 miles before you will know what a great product this is. Don't use anything else except Brooks Proofide, and it will be look and feel awesome. Go for it and have patience while it adjusts to your sit bones, and you will be rewarded by the best upgrade you can have on your bike.
Due to my affinity for natural leather, I found an interest in Brooks saddles. After some research, I decided on the Team Professional saddle. The craftsmanship and presentation are both excellent. I understand that this particular saddle uses some of the thickest leather utilized by Brooks, and it shows -- the boxed product is incredibly stiff; there is no flex to the leather at all.
As such, riding this saddle for the first month or two was a labor of love. I remember feeling extreme discomfort when first settling into it each day, but as I leaned forward and began to pedal, it quickly went away -- for the most part. When affixed to a road bike, there is no shock absorption, and I'd feel every bump (for better or worse.) Since I can't avoid sidewalk riding for at least a few miles each ride, I was left with a residual soreness in the bones, which only became irritating when I'd sit back down on the hard saddle the next day (the cycle repeats.)
I've been on my Brooks for about three months, and it's definitely well on its way to breaking in. There's no glaring discomfort when first settling into the saddle each day, and after the first mile, it (the saddle) really seems to disappear. It's now as comfortable as I could ask for, and if it only gets better from here; all the better.
Brooks offers a pre-softened saddle for those who aren't interested in (potentially) months of pain. However, if you were to buy a correctly-sized saddle and align it properly (either parallel to the ground or nose slightly up,) you may not encounter much pain at all during the break-in process -- different for everybody.
Overall, it's a beautiful saddle that I expect to last for decades, and that makes the value excellent. As much as I would've loved the natural leather color scheme (which visibly ages and tans the more you use it,) it would've looked out of place on my almost-entirely black bike. Even still, the black leather still ages and develops a wonderful shine.
Bike Setup: XC Raleigh souped up...the M400 classic
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jouster
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2011
Strengths: Nice looking
Weaknesses: Entire outdated ergonomic design. Very uncomfortable!
Bottom Line:
I should have ignored the large number of positive reviews (real?) and just looked at the picture of the seat and thought a bit before I bought it. It's flat and it's hard, hard leather. This is the most uncomfortable seat I have ever owned. 12 miles on this seat left me uncomfortable for days! I tried it a few more times hoping that I would adjust. No luck.
Modern seat designs take into account the body's geometry with cutouts and gel where appropriate. Look at the picture of this seat before you buy it.
you want find a better saddle for any amount of money. When I rode 6gap century this past fall i was in the saddle for 10+ hours without any pain in the rear. It was a real bad day of rain and cold but the seat was great even with rain cover on.
Similar Products Used: at least 20 different new style saddles
Bike Setup: litespeed ultimate
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
tourrooki
a Weekend Warrior
from Lompoc, Ca
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2011
Strengths: Excellent reviews by 95% of users, great reputation. Construction quality and strength appear excellent.
Weaknesses: As hard as steel, and definitely harder than my bones, muscle, tissue.
Bottom Line:
I tried to "break-in" this seat for about 400 miles and had to quit trying or quit riding. I tried at least three other soft type saddles and was able to ride longer without misery. I'm now trying the B-17 again, partly because there are so many supporters, partly because I hate giving up, and mainly because I'm tired (and sore) from trying so many saddles. I try to ride about 50 miles a day and the primary limiting factor is the seat, not legs. I hope all the positive reviews turn out to be accurate.
Similar Products Used: Bontrager (multiple), Avenir (cheap, soft, foam), Fizik Alliante
Bike Setup: Trek Madone 5.2, Trek Portland
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
johnnyb
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfax, CA
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2011
Strengths: In my opinion, the most comfortable saddle ever once its broken in. Durable and adjustable.
Weaknesses: One of the heavier saddles out there. Have to be careful in getting it wet. Buy a can of proofide or leather conditioner.
Bottom Line:
I have five of these saddles; two with springs for my commuters and three B-17s on my mountain bikes. I don't want any other saddle for my everyday stuff. 'nuff said
I'll swap out for a Titec Pluto saddle for racing but thats it.
These saddles have a break in period to have it adjust to your butt. You will need to do maintenance; proofide on the top and underside (I even use a liquid conditioner underneath) every now and then. And get the spanner to tighten the nut. You might get a squeak from the leather if you don't do these tips.
Similar Products Used: Tried Specialized Body Geometry, WTB, Titec.
Bike Setup: Many.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
johno
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2011
Strengths: Comfort, looks, potential longevity
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I laboured for months whether to go for a Brooks, let alone which model. Worried that the wider profile compared to the Gobi would a) not suit my behind, and b) pushe me too far forward. It actually worked out perfectly because the Niner has a longer tt than what I'd normally choose. Saddle adjustment was the opposite of the Gobi which was tilted ever so slightly down at the front, but the Brooks needed to be tilted low at the rear otherwise you tend to slide forward off the saddle.
Now the comfort is out of this world. No break in period required, just slackened the tension to compensate for the new leater firmness. However you behind does not tend to sit on any high spots, you weight is spread across the whole saddle which adds to the ecomfort thing.
Purchased the Proofide and have applied it twice in 3 months because the offroad rides have tended to be a bit muddy after record breaking rains (100 year floods).
29er + Reynolds 853 + Brooks = comfort.
Similar Products Used: Nothing similar, but my previous favourite was the Gobi XM
Bike Setup: Brooks B17 Special Ti on Moots Ti post, Niner MCR9, Steel fork during the week, Fox F100 weekends, XTR drivetrain, Avid Ultimates, Salsa 17deg flat carbon bar.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jbclair
a Weekend Warrior
from Chiang Rai, Thailand
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2010
Strengths: Getting better with age
Weaknesses: Couldn't find good information from Brooks on optimal setup - just trial and error, finding out how tight the leather should be stretched, squeak, sore arse
Bottom Line:
Finally after getting about 500 km on the B17 I am finally starting to appreciate it. After all the rave reviews, I expected better but the first 300 kms or so were torturous! Ironically what finally made me appreciate the saddle was when it started making a clicking/squeaking noise. I took it off and re-adjusted it so that the nose was just above plane and that did it - by forcing my butt back in the saddle it made the ride much more pleasant (and got rid of the noise.) I am going to try it on my road bike and if it feels good I will get a Flyer for the LHT (to absorb the bumps a bit better.) Giving it 3 chilis for now as it is good but maybe will deserve more later.
Submitted by
big git
a Weekend Warrior
from birmingham
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2010
Strengths: cool retro looks. highly recommended
Weaknesses: Expensive but you get what you pay for.
Bottom Line:
I live in Birmingham (the home of Brooks :-)) so went in to the Brooks factory and asked advice on care and about the quality rumours. I am 200 pounds plus so was worried that the leather would sag. They advised me not to use proofhide for a couple of months and then only very occasionally on the top. It would appear that a lot of riders are using too much product which is keeping the leather moist but is making it stretch when tensioned.
It is a balance between keeping the leather in good condition and having the leather stretch.
My new saddle makes a healthy noise when pinged and I intend to keep it that way. If they last for decades why would I risk damaging it to wear it in in ten minutes??
Where did the neetsfoot thing come from? I would only use this if the leather was very very dry like cardboard!!!
Bike Setup: Stock Trek 4500 + Cane creek Thudbuster.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
nodice
a Weekend Warrior
from boston, ma
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2010
Strengths: sexiness, comfort
Bottom Line:
I'd go into my history of riding, how my old bmx bike had a plastic seat with no padding at all(which was fine), and how maybe I just have problems with most bike seats because I have a bony butt, but I'll leave it at this. The brooks b17 is the first seat I've used that I could sit on for more then 5 miles without butt problems since I started riding on the road. It makes me want to buy a team pro.....sexy
Looking to try the venerable Brooks?
Check out my ad for a black B-17 Champion Special:
[url]http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=49377&cat=500[/url] Read More »
Looking for a new commuter saddle? Try the venerable Brooks.
Check out my ad:
[url]http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=49377&cat=500[/url] Read More »
I know it is not 29"er specific, but there are more than a few of these saddles on 29"er's out there.
[url]http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=49377&cat=500[/u Read More »
Hi,
I've been scouring Craig's List for a while for a bike and saw this up tonight.
philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/2442651111.html
Just wondering if it was a good deal.
I Read More »
