Comfortable and long lasting.

ok, it's heavy.

I use the bike for everything: commuting, touring, and mountain biking. (done Moab about 20 times, done the Slick Rock about 30 times). I do at least 5,000 miles a year. Guess I am the 'old geezer' the one review mentioned (63yrs old). I've used this saddle the whole time I have had the bikes. Had to replace it once with a broken rail (and still not sure how that had happened.) I just put a new saddle on and kept the old saddle (still in great shape after 15 years of use) in case this saddle goes bad for some reason (and I even have a brand new one for 'just in case.') Bad in the Rain I hear folks say...Surprises me. I have treated mine with Blackrock (along with my horse saddle) and my bike has been in the rain, snow, freezing rain, etc. and is in great shape, so I do not know what folks are talking about. The bike spent a couple of winters outside here at 8,300 ft and was 'stored' atop my truck for years when not riding and again, no problem. The bike has been outside more than inside. I am 6' tall and have no trouble dropping back over it, but I suppose I had to get used to it when I first started. Have known no other saddle but this one. I hear it is discontinued and replaced with the 'Flyer.' (that's why you youngsters should double up on ALL things you like....You probably won't find it later if you need to replace it. I am still looking for an '88 Fisher with a 20" frame) For me Techno is not a virture, I like my plain Cromolly. Regards, Ken

comfort, looks

weight, can suffer damage to finish

had this saddle for years. whenever i have ridden a friends bike for any length of time i'm always glad to get back on my brooks.

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b17 taken off a bike i found with rod brakes

Comfort, comfort, comfort..................................

Weight--may as well carry several bicks in your pockets. Not as good on big bumps as suspension seat post. Takes long time to "break in".

Big fan of Brooks, use on both our road tandems and single road bike that I do ultra miles on. Wanted the same comfort on MTB. Picked the Conquest hoping that it would do the same duty as a suspension post. Helps on the little stuff, but back feels the big hits. Switched to a thudbuster, it is definitely better on the bigger hits. Last week rode 7 hrs of single track on my flite transAm with thudbuster. Very painful to stay seated during last hour. Switched back to the Brooks for a 6 hr single track ride today. Never even thought of my butt. If I really want to ride an anchor, I'd put the Conquest on the thudbuster.

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Lots, most recently Flite TransAm Max on a thudbuster seat post.

Saves your ass! More time in the saddle for uphills. Allows for use of a great post like the Thomson Elite on an aluminum hardtail.

scrathes, break-in period, potential water damage, bit wide but maybe that is something that one can learn to deal with.

As someone mentioned earlier, it is a bit wide for getting behind. I suppose that I will get used to it as it is pretty new to me. But out of the box, with no Proofide or break-in, it was nice. It takes out the small hits that the Aluminum transfers so well to your ass without your realizing it and you feel a bit of a bounce when there is a real hit. Took a while to get the saddle set in terms of pitch... it does bob when you are going over technical stuff and that does affect the ptich of the seat--can't quet set it up like a normal saddle--you'll feel yourself sliding forward or backward more than the bob. Going to set up my commuter with the next wider model for street use.

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Cheap stichtion-laden post that came with my bike. Fisik MTB saddle.

um, the part you sit on

limited market exposure

as you can see, i am attempting to find the most comfortable arrangement. and i think i have done so.
i have been riding around with my gas shock a few times per week, maybe 1.5 hours at a time. my ass hurt for 2-3 days afterwards. i was mainly on some plastic gel thing (avocet). when i got the conquest, despite all of the reviews i read (and i read them ALL), i was still cautious, since the seat seemed very hard. i decided to go for broke and ride a 2:30 ride on the saddle right out of the box (okay, i did proofide overnight). i was going to concentrate on really riding with as much weight on the saddle to expedite the break-in period. suffer now for comfort later, that was my motto. i noticed that for the first 30 minutes or so, i was still doing the occasional 'half-ass' manuever, where i cheat over to one side. the next time i noticed anything was when i was 20km up/down the road. i happened to stand up and then it dawned on me - i didn't feel a damn thing wrong on me bum!!!! the seat has already formed to my glorious buns. there was not 1% of the usual pain involved in the least. dammit - everyone should be forced to ride with one of these saddles for at least a month.
i have already bought a B.903 for my next purchase - a cushy biachi milano. aw, yeah.

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nothing nearly as good as this

Most comfortable ATB saddle
Will last years and years if taken care of (no scuffing or wearing out the padding like conventional saddles)

Unbelievably HEAVY
Requires some maintenance
Will ruin if left outside in rain
Break-in period

Why give this a 5 chili rating despite all the weaknesses? Simply put, this is the most comfortable saddle. Many folks don't like Brooks because it requires a lengthy break-in period. I must admit, my butt felt like it was being stabbed with a knife during the first couple of weeks. But since I've used other Brooks before, I expected it. After a while, the leather will conform to the shape of your anatomy - it's as if your butt was used as a mold. That is how Brooks achieves it's comfort. And the coils, though I admit it isn't sexy, does its job. Note: This saddle is one heavy mother. But I'd rather carry around some extra weight and be super comfortable...

Very comfortable. Springs do a good job for me, might be a little stiff for a light rider. Rarely seen on mountainbikes.

Too wide for aggressive mountainbiking. It's hard to get behind the big sucker. Mine got really soft after getting wet - better use a rear fender. It weighs more than three normal saddles.

If you don't do descents that require you to get behind the saddle, this is a great saddle.

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WTB, other Brooks, etc.

Comfort, Duability

Weight, break-in period, looks like a saddle a old geezer would ride.

I bought this seat for my trek after putting the bike in mothballs for the last 5 years. I originaly used a 20 yr old Brooks B17 on this bike with great results, the seat was well broken in on my road bike, which I conditioned with neets foot oil. This was like a suspension because the seat flexed when I hit bumps. I ride mostly on flat river trails, bridal paths. I put the Trek away to concentrate on my road bike. I am getting back into the trails so I decided to try different saddles to use on the Trek because switching my old B-17 was becomming a hassel due to different seat post sizes. I tried 3 other seats with bad results, pain, numbness, etc. I got tired of experimenting with different lightweight seats and liked the results of my old Brooks so I looked Brooks up and saw they had a saddle for Mountain bikes, and that to me and my style of riding I figured if I could stand the break in period I knew that I would like it. I bought the Conquest along with the Brooks recomended proofride. I put the saddle on and went out for a quick spin to try it out. The quick spin turned out to be a long ride as I was waiting for some pain to settle in before I stopped. I was suprised that after about a hr. the seat felt great-no pain and this was a new hard seat I was on, I did condition it 2 times with proofride and this seemed to soften it up just enough so my sit bones started to make indentations in the seat. After a few more rides the sit bone spots are now getting real soft and more comfortable each time I ride. Springs do add some bounce on big dips but on small bumps they just soak them up. I know from experience that when it gets fully broken in it will be fantastic saddle. Dont shy away from a new Brooks and how hard they are, with some conditioning you will have a saddle that will last a lifetime- my B-17 is over 25 yrs old and still going strong, I even tried the lightweight saddles on my road bike because I wanted to loose some weight on my Titaniaum and they looked cooler, but I found out that function wins over looks. If you never rode a Brooks you don't know what you are missing.

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3 other light weight saddles