Leather Saddles

[lumos2000]

how do I tell the difference between a B17 and a B17 narrow, im not sure which I have

The width, the standard is ~175mm, the narrow ~151mm.

thanks, I have the standard then

 

[xerxes]

Here's what I came up with:

First I drew around the saddle on a piece of card to make a rough template which I trimmed until it was a pretty good fit. Then I used the front cover of a notepad that happened to be a flexible plastic, a Pukka Pad Jotta, which you should be able to find in WH Smiths or the supermarket and cut around the template. It fits quite well and should keep the worst of the spray from the rear wheel off the underside of the saddle. It could probably be left in place all the time, but I think I'll just keep it in my backpack and fit it if necessary, it weighs nothing and takes virtually no space.

 

[The History Man]

Nice job. Will have a go at this.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Mudguards?

 

[velomaniac]

If it aint broke, dont fix it, a true classic, they get better with wear etc etc etc.

Hate the bloody leather saddles, they are not comfy out the box unless you have a well padded backside and yes they conform to your rear over time but thats just it its the time it takes. Never found them comfy and I've had a couple so my dislike is based on experience plus the metal rail at the rear does not conform ever.

I'll stick to Specialized Body Geometry saddles, greatest seats since sliced bread in my book !

 

[The History Man]

As I say. I was pleasantly surprised having read all of the above elsewhere. But mine was well broken in albeit 60 years ago.

 

[hamster]

I thought I'd give a B17 a try, being highly skeptical. Undoubtedly there are good ones and bad, depending on the exact properties of the piece of leather used. Also, I doubt the shape works for all - but that is the same as every saddle. Personally I like the San Marco Regal or San Marco C40 Bontrager.

My B17 narrow is really comfortable, bought new and keeps getting better. I'm now starting on a Team Pro, not sure yet, the shape is different.

As for waterproofing, the advice from Brooks is to slather a whole load of proofide on the inside before fitting the saddle.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

My Father, Uncles and Grandfather all used Brooke saddles, and they did some serious cycling...

...during the 30's my Grandfather cycled from Yorkshire to Cambridge to find work, got a job at Marshalls then cycled back to fetch his family; perhaps people were tougher then!

For myself, I recently bought a 50's Macleans racer (because my Father had one just like it) that I will rebuild in a patinaed fixie-style; I was going to bin the battered old Brookes saddle that would almost certainly have been the original fitment, until I sat on it and found it fitted like a glove!

I have some 'leather food' as used by Rolls Royce (sourced to make wearable an incredible pair of 'NOS' 70's cowboy boots SWMBO bought me!) and that, along with a liberal application of Cherry Blossoms finest, has brought it up almost like new (almost NOS? )...

 

[xerxes]

Mudguards?

I could fit mudguards to my older MTB and I do have a set of clip on mudguards that I use from time to time, but my new-fangled 2007 carbon hard tail has absolutely no facility for mudguards.

Hate the bloody leather saddles, they are not comfy out the box unless you have a well padded backside and yes they conform to your rear over time but thats just it its the time it takes. Never found them comfy and I've had a couple so my dislike is based on experience plus the metal rail at the rear does not conform ever.

Saddles are always going to be a very personal thing, whatever they're made of. I found both of my leather saddles pretty good out of the box, so I guess the ones I have are roughly the right shape for me to start with.

They are slightly wider at the rear than many of the modern saddles, around 150mm, whereas a lot of modern saddles seem to be only 130mm or so wide, they are also perhaps a little flatter at the back, so perhaps that flat shape with a little extra width is key for me. Also, both my saddles, while being wider at the back, have very scalloped sides, transitioning sharply from the seat part to the nose, whereas modern saddles tend to be more triangular in plan. Perhaps this too has something to do with why I find them more comfortable - who knows, maybe if I found a plastic saddle a fairly similar shape to the Spa Aire, I would find that pretty comfortable.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

'Ladies-specific' modern saddles are usually 150mm wide; used them myself in the not too distant past

This is because women's pelvic cradles are wider than mens (for obvious reasons!) but I've found as I get older and fatter ( ) I find them more comfortable too; in the pic of my '97 Kilauea somewhere on here it's fitted with a ladies saddle, with black tape over the logo!