Brooks B17 Pre-aged vs. standard

[Rene Sterental]

Does anyone know why the B17 pre-aged looks to have a flat top on catalog pictures but all the other variations of the B17 have the curved top that forces the nose to be pointed upwards so the rear is flat and level and one doesn't slide forward? Is it any better or more comfortable? Longer lasting or not?

I've managed to set my B17 saddles so I no longer slide forward, but the nose up prevents me from bending forward too much. Not generally an issue as I'm riding more upright with my Rivendell bikes, but I'm curious about the flat top of the pre-aged version.

Would it be as comfortable and avoid the nose up configuration?

Any feedback will be appreciated!

René

[Bill M.]

It won't stay flat, the curve will develop as the saddle breaks in.

My experience is the same as yours, I can't bend too far forward when
using a B17. It suits a semi-upright position best. I have cut out
slots in oth my B17 and my Champion Flyer a la the Imperial to relieve
some of the pressure of the nose. Comfort is improved, but longevity
is still a question.

Bill

[NickBull]

Does anyone else ride on the "middle" of the saddle?

I thought the whole idea of a Brooks is to put your weight onto your
sitbones so that no weight is on the soft tissue of your perineum.
Sitting on the middle of the saddle would seem to make that impossible
so that your weight is always on soft tissue.

On Mar 29, 4:56 am, happyriding <happyrid...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> On Mar 29, 1:00 am, Rene Sterental <orthie...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > the B17 have the curved top that
> > forces the nose to be pointed upwards so the rear is flat and level and one
> > doesn't slide forward?
>

> I never pay attention to the back of a saddle.  You don't sit on the
> back of a saddle; you sit on the middle of the saddle.  So I try to
> line up my saddle so the middle is flat.

[EricP]

Not I. Have always gone with the sitbones on top of the rear. Or at
the most, right before in front. Been doing it that way since about
1984 or so. (Give or take the 15 plus years I was off the bike
getting fat). Same reason. Sitting further just ain't comfortable.

The pre-aged Brooks saddle I tried was really bad in that regard. Way
too mushy for my excess weight. (240 to 250 at the time).

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN

> > line up my saddle so the middle is flat.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Bruce]

I always use the rear shelf to ride on. Riding in the middle of the saddle causes that discomforting feeling I t'aint going to talk about... :)

Btw, makes no difference if it's Brooks or Selle Anatomoica, with/without the cut out. The bones are always aft on the landing pad.

---

From: NickBull <nick.bi...@gmail.com>
To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Mon, March 29, 2010 1:03:38 PM
Subject: [RBW] Re: Brooks B17 Pre-aged vs. standard

[Justin August]

My pre-aged is not flat. It looks pretty much the same as my brother's
b17. I have the flyer. It's fantastically comfortable plus I enjoy the
more natural color of the leather. I am thinking about a springless
b17 and i'd go with the pre-aged again.

[Crazy4Suki]

My sitbones are towards the back of the saddle.

[Christopher Paul]

Hi Rene,

I got a pre-aged brooks on a Raliegh "One- Way" bike. I had tried
unsuccessfully to break in a conventional b-17. I was skeptical of
that the pre-aged version would make a difference. However, it was
instantly comfortable. I don't know how it will hold up. I have a lot
of bikes, so I don't know whether I will ride this frequently enough
to really test it. Most of my road bikes have the terry liberator
saddle, which is ok for both upright riding, and for going into the
drops.

Cheers!
Chris

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[Horace]

Yeah, that's the way it is for me too. There are small indentations in the saddle where my sit bones land. If I were to try a different saddle, I'd measure the distance between those: it's probably useful information.

[NickBull]

I have two pre-aged saddles, both are Champion Flyer's, one is an S
model. Both saddles have around 4000 to 5000 miles on them with no
apparent ill-effect. They are both "tied" in the middle to keep the
middle from sagging too much, which makes a person tend to slide
forward.

On Mar 29, 6:02 pm, Christopher Paul <zdree...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Rene,
>
> I got a pre-aged brooks on a Raliegh "One- Way" bike. I had tried
> unsuccessfully to break in a conventional b-17.  I was skeptical of
> that the pre-aged version would make a difference.  However, it was
> instantly comfortable.  I don't know how it will hold up. I have a lot
> of bikes, so I don't know whether I will ride this frequently enough
> to really test it.  Most of my road bikes have the terry liberator
> saddle, which is ok for both upright riding, and for going into the
> drops.
>
> Cheers!
> Chris
>

[William]

I have two B-17 standards. One in honey and one in black. They are
the only two Brooks saddles I have ever owned. The honey one I bought
in December for my Hillborne. The black one I just put on my new
Bombadil. Both of them cam our of the box, off of the card and
straight on to my bike. I've never obenauf'ed either one. After one
roll late at night up and down the sidewalk on the Bomba, I am already
shocked at the difference between the two. The honey one was like
sitting in a firm hammock. It had a fair bit of give. I even have
given the tighten up nut a half turn. The black one is very firm.
"Hard as a rock" as some may say. I won't get that hyperbolic, but it
is noticeably harder. Also, the black one is super slick, like patent
leather. The honey one is easy to reposition on, but has a little bit
of grip, like a baseball glove.

Does every Brooks saddle have it's own personality? It is living
beast parts after all. Is black always firmer than honey when brand
new? Or have I already softened up the honey one, and have merely
forgotten the break in?

[Jon Grant]

In my experience of a dozen or so, the black Brooks saddles have been harder than the honey ones — sometimes objectionably so.

--
Jon “Papa” Grant
Illustration + Information Graphics
Austin, Texas
jgr...@papagrant.com
512-284-9599

Drawings — all sorts

[William]

Hmmm...I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the perspective.

[Phil Bickford]

I've had the same experience with the honey / black. Fortunately the
last black B-17 I acquired had been pre-aged by a previous owner. :)
My honey saddle is like heaven since new. (after the ~10th ride)

I've a green B-17 (ti) that I've had to struggle to break in. I'd
say the stiffness was similar to what I have experienced with black
saddles.
Since backing off the tensioner and applying obenaufer's - and riding
it, it's getting to feel much more comfortable.

Don't be shy about moving the saddle fore and aft as well as angling
the nose. It's all quite dependent on your handlebar height/reach as
well.

Phil B