Brooks Swift vs Berthoud Aspin

[Josh Lubben]

Hi All!

For years I've been riding with Brooks B17 on multiple bikes and have always gotten along pretty well with that saddle comfort wise. About 2 years ago I swapped from a B17 to a Berthoud Aspin on my Homer and found the Berthoud to be even more comfortable for me, with better support for my sit bones and the narrower nose worked better for me. 

I have other bikes I'd like to swap to Berthouds, but they are expensive so I've also considered the Brooks Swift (not inexpensive but less expensive than the Berthoud) which seems to have a similar-ish shape to an Aspin. 

Anyone have experience with the Swift, Aspin/Aravis, or both and can share your experiences?

Thanks!

Josh 

[Bernard Duhon]

I have the b 17 on 5 bikes 

Tried the swift for a while & it did not work for me. 

Even tho at that point I was at the low end of an aggressive rider. 

It may be that the displeasure came to me moving to a more upright position. 

Yours sincerely,

 

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From: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Josh Lubben <jtlu...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2026 12:25 PM
To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [RBW] Brooks Swift vs Berthoud Aspin

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[Brian Turner]

My ass sweats so much when I ride, that my saddle top get absolutely soaked. I've owned several B17s, and over the past 20 years, I've noticed that the newer models seem to have thinner leather, which in my situation results in a saddle that get increasingly "hammocky", and I'm wary of using the tightening bolt too much. About 5 years ago, I tried a Berthoud Aravis and was immediately in love. All the same comfort as a Brooks B17, but with thicker leather that holds its shape better. PLUS, you can swap out tops and rebuild everything if you need to. I now own a Berthoud Aravis, and Aspin, and I'm using a Mente on my Gus. I still own an old B17 Special that is nearly 20 years old, and I'll never get rid of it unless it just fails catastrophically.

Brian

Lexington KY

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[George Schick]

Brian - it's unfortunate that this happened to you with the B-17, but can you fill in a few details if you please?  Do you ride in a more bolt upright position with swept-back bars?  Have you transitioned from the B-17 to other saddles while riding with shorts of the same brand, texture, etc? Has the soaking of the B-17 taken place during hot Summer months whereas the saddle changes during cooler ones? 

Yes, you are correct that the Brooks saddles sold nowadays have thinner leather than ones made 30-40 years ago...the downside of some of those older models had leather so thick that it never softened up at all - I know because I owned one like that decades ago.

George

[Sally Bidleman]

After riding a B17 for years, I opted for a B17 short for one of my bikes. I didn't like it at all, and emailed the company that makes the Berthoud saddles. Really interesting! I ended up ordering a Berthoud Aspin (carved) that I use on my commuter bike and it really was comfortable for me from the get-go. Over a couple years, I ordered 2 Mente saddles from them for the other bikes. Also, very comfortable (and less expensive!). Aesthetically, my favorite is the brown Mente but they are all terrific...for me. I'm sure that doesn't mean that others would like them as well as I do...(My least favorite saddle was the debacle that was the B72. I don't think my husband has ever forgiven me for the effort he spent putting it on my bike....and then having to remove it when I said...well, won't say what I said, ha! Cheers to all you guys!)

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[Josh Lubben]

Thanks for the replies, all! Does anyone have experience with the Brook Swift? And any comparison of the Swift vs Aspin?

[Brian Turner]

George, my previous bikes that had B17s on them were all drop bar bikes. I don't ride "bolt upright", but fairly upright in the parlance of typical Rivendell philosophy. Drop bars are typically at level with my saddle nose. I sweat on long rides no matter the time of year, but especially in the warmer months. I typically wear synthetic shorts with wool boxers... never any sort of chamois (because of the sweat, having a wet sponge between me and my saddle just increases the likelihood of saddle sores and chafing).

My Gus is a very upright position of course, and it has the wider, "city" Berthoud - the Mente. I am currently building up a Sam, which will have upright, sweptback bars. I may throw my old B17 Special on it, because it seems to be one of the thicker-leather variety, and has held up very well over a couple of decades.

Brian

Lexington KY

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