Brooks England Men's B17 Saddle

£44.1
FREE Shipping

Brooks England Men's B17 Saddle

Brooks England Men's B17 Saddle

RRP: £88.20
Price: £44.1
£44.1 FREE Shipping

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Description

Flexibility in the first week, with just short rides to town and the odd 20-miler, did cause me to question the sense in opting for aesthetics over performance, but around 60 miles into the breaking-in process (aka, sitting on it whilst pedalling) a noticeably more relaxed feeling to the material became apparent. And it’s only going to get better with continued use. The main design of the Brooks badge embossed on the side flaps has just had three major changes though of course there have been many little detail modifications. In the early days there was a large embossing with intricate top half, the model name in the middle and J B Brooks & Co at the bottom. By the early 1920s a simple oval badge with Brooks in the centre and the model name around the bottom edge of the oval was used. In 1954/5 the badge was changed to a parallelogram shape with Brooks in the centre and the model name at the bottom. (Post 1954/55 Brooks B17 Narrow)

Another thing to consider is that you’ll have to carry the proofide and wrench with you while you tour if you’re traveling for more than a month or so. This adds a bit of weight to your bicycle touring toolkit. The saddle is not waterproof After many years of use, I found that my B17 saddle was beginning to dip in the middle more than I felt comfortable with. So, one day in North Vietnam I asked a local engineer to drill three small holes into each side of the saddle. Brooks also produces a smaller range of new designs that take their inspiration from the original B17 saddle design. These modern Brooks leather saddles include; Swift, Swallow, Flyer; Flyer Carved, Flyer Special, Flyer Softened, Flyer Short, B67; Short, Softened, Softened Short, B66; Short, B33, B135.

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These two new saddles were a big improvement on the huge wedge of jelly that came with my touring bike. I replaced the gel saddle with the ancient foam Selle Royal saddle from my road bike. It made for a wonderfully smooth ride over long distances. This was a great saddle for bicycle touring. Brooks B17 Saddle I expect mine to last for many thousands of miles. After 1000 miles it still looks new except for one scuff on the side from when my bike fell over. That one was my fault. Looks I threaded the holes with strong skinny rope and tied the two sides together. This had the effect of lifting the leather saddle down the middle, making it more to my riding style. This modification essentially mirrored the design of the B17 Carved Leather Saddle.

Absolutely. What else would you spend the money on that offers such longevity and comfort? A Brooks B17 saddle is a little piece of cycling history. There’s nothing quite like owning a Brooks leather saddle. Brooks has been making these fine leather bicycle saddles for more than 100 years. That kind of heritage marks the sign of quality. The Brooks B17 saddle is a design classic.Which saddle do you use? Share your experience in the comments below! More from Where The Road Forks Simply apply Proofide liberally to the underside of the saddle and work slowly and methodically to the topside working the cream into the leather with a gentle rubbing motion. It’s a very satisfying procedure. Pin this Brooks B17 Saddle Review for later

It’s 175mm at its widest, but the steel riveted tip of its 275mm leathery length is best shied away from, for fear of numbness in the nether regions. Everyone is different, but if you can get to a dealer, the B17 is available in varying widths (not to mention colours). When I finally killed that saddle via rain, sun, and neglect, I thought carefully. Should I buy another regular Brooks B17, or experiment with its variations? My saddle pain was reasonably well controlled, but there was room for improvement. Perhaps I didn’t know what I was missing? Happily, Brooks makes it easy to care for your B17 leather saddle. They produce a substance called Proofide – the only recommended product for Brooks leather saddles.

These high spec leather bicycle saddles by Brooks are variations on the B17 theme which feature springs, anatomical cutouts, and graded leather finish options. Having always used modern gel type saddles, the classic styling of the Brooks and the deceptively simple construction using leather and steel rivets was a little alien. It felt solid and well built, and at 472g a good couple of hundred grammes heavier than most ‘sports’ saddles. The weight and style of the B17 (and the Flyer) are best suited to the more sedate and less racy looks of tourers, commuters and hybrid bikes rather than leaner road bikes, and the B17 is indeed set within Brooks’ Touring and Trekking category of saddles. There’s a tipping point when a Brooks leather saddle goes from pleasantly stiff to luxuriously supple. I found that came sometime around a few hundred hours in the saddle. In bicycle touring terms it took about ten days to break in my Brooks B17 leather saddle from box-fresh to sublime comfort. One thing to consider is that a leather saddle can look a bit out of place on some bikes. Particularly very modern carbon fiber or aluminum road bikes or bikes with very bright paint jobs. The old-timey looking leather saddle just looks like it doesn’t belong.

The saddle requires some additional maintenance that a regular plastic synthetic saddles don’t need. Why does length matter? Some people on the internet seem to think a shorter nose reduces soft tissue pressure for women. But if you’re a woman or have ever been up close and personal with one, you’ll know this makes no sense at all. What the shorter nose does do is reduce the available fore / aft seat adjustment range, slightly reduce control over the bike in some situations (more on this below), and supposedly make it easier to cycle in a skirt. B17 Short (also happens to be Carved) on the left. Notice the shorter fore / aft adjustment range of the rails. This design allows the saddle to support you in all the right places. After it’s broken in, it feels like it was made for you. You would think that a soft saddle would be more comfortable but, during long days, the firm Brooks offers much-needed support. With this saddle, I can ride for 8-10 hours pretty easily. The Brooks B17 Saddle Break-in Period Brooks B17 vs. C17. Which one is better suited to which specific types of riding and maintaining certain cycling positions? Along the course of this article, we shall be providing you with an in-depth analysis and describing the similarities and differences in-between these distinguished Brooks saddles.As the leather stretches with use, sometimes the saddle needs to be tightened to maintain a good fit. Approach with care and do NOT overdo it. Often this doesn’t need to be done for years. When you do tighten, do it gradually, just one quarter turn at a time, and wait to see if it makes a difference. Once you’ve pulled the leather too tight, you can’t necessarily undo it and return to the previous fit. Many women, on the other hand, agonize over the tradeoffs between the the B17 and B17 S. What exactly is the difference? The cutout consists of a slit in the leather that allows for extra flex in the middle, plus lacing around the sides that, when loosened or tightened, allows for more or less flex. More flex generally takes pressure off the soft tissue between your sit bones and places more pressure on the bones themselves. Usually, this is the lesser of the two evils. My B17 Short Carved saddle from below, showing the cutout and the laces. One thing to consider when using a premium saddle like this is theft. Most thieves probably aren’t familiar with leather saddles but the B17 just looks expensive. It probably has a higher chance of being stolen. If you live in a high crime area, this is something to think about. Things I Don’t Like About the Brooks B17 Saddle



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