Brooks Saddles
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Brooks saddles don't need breaking in, they break your arse in first 
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Are these saddles really that comfortable compared to more modern designs?
Not meaning to be cheeky but I just could not get on with the "old man-shopper bike" looks, so lasting forever is actually a drawback in my book .
Not meaning to be cheeky but I just could not get on with the "old man-shopper bike" looks, so lasting forever is actually a drawback in my book
.clockworkgazz":e3h5bdgh said:Are these saddles really that comfortable compared to more modern designs?
Not meaning to be cheeky but I just could not get on with the "old man-shopper bike" looks, so lasting forever is actually a drawback in my book
I only wear mine with a flat cap to match!
TBH, the big flat sprung ones look like old man saddles to me, the pro's swifts and swallows look racy.
As for comfort. I find them comfy - ymmv.
I've been riding Brooks saddles for over 25 years, and had more than half a dozen of them.
The old adage used to be that it'll take you 5 years to break one in, and then it'll fall apart. And there's a tiny bit of truth to that.
I've had one of the rails snap on one of mine, and the adjuster bolt snap on another. Generally though I usually get at least a decade (or tens of thousands of miles) from each one.
A Brooks is a different experience to most other saddles as it is hard to the touch, but gives when you sit on it. A typical saddle gives to the touch of a finger, but isn't any more compliant when you sit on it.
The ride on a worn in Brooks can be rather like sitting on a hammock. Some will like that cushioning effect. I do as it makes for a comfortable ride - even riding in jeans all day. Others may find there's not enough of a connection with the bike anymore.
Similarly, if you like a narrow saddle, Brooks may not be for you. Even the Swift is not that narrow and I sometimes find it a bit of a stretch to get my body behind it on downhills.
Weight wise, no Brooks is particularly light by today's standards.
Finally, price. Prices have nearly doubled in the last 3-4 years - and are, in my view, astronomical. I look forward to the day when they are no longer fashionable again (as they were when I first fitted one on my mountain bike to the derision of my friends in the early 90s).
The old adage used to be that it'll take you 5 years to break one in, and then it'll fall apart. And there's a tiny bit of truth to that.
I've had one of the rails snap on one of mine, and the adjuster bolt snap on another. Generally though I usually get at least a decade (or tens of thousands of miles) from each one.
A Brooks is a different experience to most other saddles as it is hard to the touch, but gives when you sit on it. A typical saddle gives to the touch of a finger, but isn't any more compliant when you sit on it.
The ride on a worn in Brooks can be rather like sitting on a hammock. Some will like that cushioning effect. I do as it makes for a comfortable ride - even riding in jeans all day. Others may find there's not enough of a connection with the bike anymore.
Similarly, if you like a narrow saddle, Brooks may not be for you. Even the Swift is not that narrow and I sometimes find it a bit of a stretch to get my body behind it on downhills.
Weight wise, no Brooks is particularly light by today's standards.
Finally, price. Prices have nearly doubled in the last 3-4 years - and are, in my view, astronomical. I look forward to the day when they are no longer fashionable again (as they were when I first fitted one on my mountain bike to the derision of my friends in the early 90s).
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