Brooks B17 Standard

Price Paid:  $96.00 at Nashbar

Favorite Ride:
any upright ride

Bike Setup:
'97 Cannondale R500 Triple with some rework.

Summary:
So far so good. I'm on my cycle-ops trainer now so I needed something comfortable for the 1-2 hours I usually take. My Terry Fly wasn't cutting it so I figured I'd just go with the Brooks. I got the honey since I figured it would look great against the teal blue of my bike...which it does. Out of the box it is hard...hard...hard. But, its still surprisingly comfortable. I rode it for over an hour and felt fine. Two days later my buttinsky was sore but that's to be expected with a new saddle. Other than that, I'm very pleased with the Brooks. I got it specifically for very long rides so I'm looking forward to many years with the Brooks and I can't wait until it breaks in.

Strengths:
Comfort and (I hope) reliability and longevity.

Weaknesses:
It's very slick. I put proofide on it several hours before my first ride and then wiped it off. It was so slick, my lycra riding shorts wouldn't stay on it and I kept sliding down the saddle. I eventually had to adjust it with a very slight up angle to keep on it. I hope that will change as it breaks in.

Similar Products Used:
BG saddle and several OE saddles.

Price Paid:  $90.00 at blue heron

Favorite Ride:
any hills

Bike Setup:
custom built ss, bike friday new world tourist, cervelo s1(

Summary:
Built my first bike and put a little over 10,000 miles on it in around 9 months, the brooks took it in all conditions, built bike number 2 considerably better than the first, again i went with a brooks and for comfort it is hands down the best. now i have one on my touring and one on my ss.

Strengths:
Unreal comfort, beautiful styling/looks, lasts forever,

Weaknesses:
not stiff enough, when i hit around 27-32mph it starts bouncing a bit, a bit heavy if weight is a huge concern

Price Paid:  $80.00

Favorite Ride:
Daily to work

Bike Setup:
1960s Rudge likely built after Raleigh purchased the Coventry industry together with Carlton Worksop. Phil Wood hubs and BBs, Campy cranks and derailleurs, Time Equipe Magnesium pedals, Original Altenburger breaks.

Summary:
This saddle did not become a classic for nothing. I don't think I ever rode any other saddle that is more comfortable. Break in time was very quick although I only weigh 145 lb. The only problem is that it may look out of place on a more contemporary type of bike. I ride 531 lugged Raleighs and Rudges of the 60s and 70s. A friend tried it and was commenting on how perfect this saddle feels. I usggested that he puts it on his Orbea and he was looking at me funny

Strengths:
Comfort, great classic look, longevity.

Weaknesses:
Looks may be a bit out of place on contemporary carbon bikes.

Similar Products Used:
Brooks Swift

Price Paid:  $85.00 at eBay

Favorite Ride:
Anything on a quiet country road

Bike Setup:
Bianchi Volpe converted to single speed (46/18 gearing, freewheel).

Summary:
I use the B17 on my single speed commuter bike. I ride about 80 miles a week commuting and often use this bike for long weekend rides as well. I tried a Brooks Team Pro first, and it really didn't work for me. The B17 was comfortable from day one, but continues to get more comfortable. It now has several hundred miles on it. I live in Seattle and ride year round, so my Brooks gets rained on a fair amount. So far, it's holding up well to the rain. It is definitely not light weight and would look very out of place on most modern carbon bikes, but it's a thing of beauty on a classic looking steel bike. I'm in the process of putting together a new bike for randonneuring and you can bet it will have a B17 on it.

Strengths:
Long distance riding comfort
Durability
Classic beauty

Weaknesses:
Weight

Similar Products Used:
I've used many other saddles, but it's hard to compare Brooks to anything except maybe Sella Anatomica, which I haven't tried yet.

Price Paid:  $82.00 at Wallingford Bicycle

Favorite Ride:
Long ones

Bike Setup:
Trek FX 7.5 (2008), stock except for pedals, tires, grips

Summary:
Purchased saddle, rain cover, Proofide, and wrench for $114, including shipping, from wallbike.com. Broke in with around 3-400 miles of short, local training rides, then rode Cycle North Carolina, around 400 miles. Very comfortable after the training rides and continues to get better. Now I do not bother with padded shorts. Only rode padded lycra shorts once on a seven day bike ride, and minimally padded J&G shorts maybe three times. Requires very little care but careful set-up and adjustments are a must, as with all saddles. I tour and commute with this saddle on my Trek, 4,500 miles per year. I have a very tender lower back and this saddle is part of my pain solution, along with swithing to a bike that can handle 32-34 mm tires.

Strengths:
Very comfortable. Minimal maintenance. Great for touring, commuting.

Weaknesses:
Supposedly will not tolerate getting soaking wet, like a heavy rain. The saddle cover takes care of this. If touring, put a shopping bag over it at night for dew or rain.

Similar Products Used:
WTB Speed V Race is the only other saddle that I was ever comfortable with. Various Performance, Bontrager, Sella Italia, Vetta