brooks saddle for road bike
Discussion
I am very tempted to treat myself to a brooks swift saddle for the road bike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/brooks/swift-s...
does anyone have one or has anyone had one?
I have a B17 champion on my brompton which is very nice and took no time to break in at all - would I still get the same kind of comfort with a swift even though there is less leather for the old backside to sit on?
I have a voucher which means I'll pay about 75 quid I think. I also have a new honey coloured B17 which I'll put on ebay for 45 quid to off set the cost. Still, its a lot of cash to spend. It does look smart though...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/brooks/swift-s...
does anyone have one or has anyone had one?
I have a B17 champion on my brompton which is very nice and took no time to break in at all - would I still get the same kind of comfort with a swift even though there is less leather for the old backside to sit on?
I have a voucher which means I'll pay about 75 quid I think. I also have a new honey coloured B17 which I'll put on ebay for 45 quid to off set the cost. Still, its a lot of cash to spend. It does look smart though...
Randy Winkman said:
Saddle bum said:
For tourists only, too heavy for a pukka road bike.
Does saddle weight actually matter very much?On the flipside, a saddle being comfy is more important than it being light.
If you are going to stick it on a £6000 Dogma or something, it will look stupid and it is a really daft thing to have on there. If you are going to stick it on a £900 Planet X it will still look a bit daft, but who cares?
One guy I know has a swift (or a swallow, can't remember) on his unreasonably light custom Ti Serotta with full Record. If it's good enough for him...
My B17C took 400km to break in (a week and a half at my mileage), I've done 10000km on it this year, and it's never been less that perfectly comfortable. Not even a twinge of discomfort on my 330km ride over the summer.
Some of the posher ones (eg team pro) can take a lot longer. Google it to check you aren't buying one that will break you before you break it.
My B17C took 400km to break in (a week and a half at my mileage), I've done 10000km on it this year, and it's never been less that perfectly comfortable. Not even a twinge of discomfort on my 330km ride over the summer.
Some of the posher ones (eg team pro) can take a lot longer. Google it to check you aren't buying one that will break you before you break it.
I had a Brooks saddle on my first road bike and had to replace the saddle because it was so uncomfortable that the pressure on my barse meant I couldn't feel my nuts after about 20 miles.
Ultimately however, different people fit different saddles, and the only way to find out what works for you is to test ride it.
Good luck in finding comfort (Selle Italia C2 Gelflow convert)!
Cheers,
Tom
Ultimately however, different people fit different saddles, and the only way to find out what works for you is to test ride it.
Good luck in finding comfort (Selle Italia C2 Gelflow convert)!
Cheers,
Tom
Logic? Phooey.
My new Brooks Alpe d'Huez arrived today. Gorgeous and cheesey all at once... Yum!
My new Brooks Alpe d'Huez arrived today. Gorgeous and cheesey all at once... Yum!
Edited by Chris-R on Wednesday 27th October 14:45
Another vote for the Titanium Swift, very comfortable saddle and easier to break in than the B17.
I've done PBP and LEL on mine with no rear end problems.
As for weight it's no good having a light saddle if it ends up so uncomfortable you cannot sit on it, go to the start of any long distance Audax ride and the common denominators between all the different bikes will be a Brooks saddle and a Schmidt front dynamo hub.
I've done PBP and LEL on mine with no rear end problems.
As for weight it's no good having a light saddle if it ends up so uncomfortable you cannot sit on it, go to the start of any long distance Audax ride and the common denominators between all the different bikes will be a Brooks saddle and a Schmidt front dynamo hub.
A couple of questions for someone who can appreciate the style and history of brooks but hasn't yet ventured into purchasing such a saddle.
Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
CooperS said:
A couple of questions for someone who can appreciate the style and history of brooks but hasn't yet ventured into purchasing such a saddle.
Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
It may be that a Brooks never gets softer, it just makes your arse more leathery... Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
Chris-R said:
CooperS said:
A couple of questions for someone who can appreciate the style and history of brooks but hasn't yet ventured into purchasing such a saddle.
Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
It may be that a Brooks never gets softer, it just makes your arse more leathery... Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
CooperS said:
A couple of questions for someone who can appreciate the style and history of brooks but hasn't yet ventured into purchasing such a saddle.
Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
I think it depends on the saddle as well, I had a Brooks Proffessional that was purgatory for the first few rides up to 50 miles but eventually comfy after 150miles.Right first off i know on my Spech Tarmac it may look out of place but doing a quick scan of the internet throws up loads of comments such as those expressed above i.e. very comfy once broken in and far superior to weeny weight saddles from flite and spech etc.
How long does a saddle take to break in? They seem silly hard in the shoop so i'm guessing a while and once broken in is it the fact that riders for so long have been in discomfort that once it does soften anything is better than when they first started using it.
A B17 took about 90 miles to be comfy on another bike.
The Titanium Swift was OK after about thirty miles.
@ ChrisR
I reckon you might be right about 60% breaking the saddle in and 40% breaking your arse in Edited by fixedwheelnut on Friday 29th October 23:32
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