# brooks or selle italia seat



## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

i bought a used ti javelin from a local racer about two and a half years ago and a day after putting on a new wheelset one of the seat rails busted and i had to get hooked up with a hose clamp and some electrical tape to finish my ride.

i am thinking about going with selle italia which was the original seat and i was quite happy with it. i had some numbness on long rides but i assume that i could tweak the nose down slightly to avoid this in the future.

anyway, used brooks or new selle italia (flite or max)?? i'd love some advice from some pros on this question.

Brooks Team Pro Chrome saddle
flite gel flo: Selle Italia :: FLITE « Selle Italia
max slr gel flow: Selle Italia :: MAX « Selle Italia

THANKS


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## icemonkey (Sep 6, 2010)

It depends on fit. Who cares what it looks like if its too painful to ride and that depends on your body. You need to try them out really.
However:
Brooks - crazy comfy but HEAVY. It will add over a pound of weight to your bike, but look great on Ti tubes. (I think)
Selle Italia much much lighter. Less than half the weight. Please let fit be your guide.


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## DaveT (Feb 12, 2004)

There is no correct answer, it truly depends on which saddle fits you best. You'll not know until you try them both.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

hi gents. many thanks. really appreciate it.

i have to admit i had the same thought about the leather saddle on the titanium frame.

so, when someone says something like "crazy comfy" this means that it is going to have a good deal of give, will mold to my seat etc etc? also perhaps more forgiving on a very long ride? 

is this leather saddle ever slippery in some way?

also, i am gathering that the lowdown here is that I buy the used saddle, try it out and resell it if i don't like it then i buy the selle italia new, treat it like a baby and try to return it to the chain store if it doesn't fit?


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

I would get the Brooks. Than again I think the Team Pro is one of the most comfortable saddles ever made.


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## tribe3 (Apr 13, 2012)

brooks - they just get better with age


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## Schneiderguy (Jan 9, 2005)

Not at used Brooks but a new Brooks from Wallbikes.com which is Wallingford Cycling in New Orleans. I think the Pro Classic is $95. You can return the saddle for your money back or exchange it for a different Brooks for up to a six month period. Great customer service. So this is a risk free deal. They will give you $10 or $15 refund on shipping on the return if it is in good shape and you kept the box.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

meh, you couldn't pay me to put a Brooks saddle on a bike.

preach their 'comfort' all you want, but I can ride a 180g Flite all day long with no issues and not have to look like I'm sitting on some fugly, carved-from-a-brick throwback to the 19th century.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Oxtox said:


> meh, you couldn't pay me to put a Brooks saddle on a bike.
> 
> preach their 'comfort' all you want, but I can ride a 180g Flite all day long with no issues and not have to look like I'm sitting on some fugly, carved-from-a-brick throwback to the 19th century.


To each his own ass. I bought one of those once. Another plastic ass hatchet. I never went slow and blamed it on not having a light enough saddle. :thumbsup:


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Keep in mind that Selle Italia makes a dozen or more models, which differ substantially in shape. Some shops have loaner/tryout programs, and there used to be one online seller that would ship you 6 or 7 different models to try for a couple of weeks.

What model was the SI that you sort of liked? That might be a starting point, though the numbness suggests it didn't really suit you that well.

Everybody's butt is different. I like the SLR Gel Flow, but that don't mean a thing for you.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

Hi Gents,

looks like the brooks got sold for $80 or I would have grabbed it to try it. the old seat was an SLR Gel: 

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15285654/IMG_4478.jpg

i got fantastic advice on buying a new wheelset and i'd love to do it right with the seat as well. is once in a blue moon numbness on a very long ride a problem and i should try something different? i mean to be honest it freaked me out a bit and i've had half my ass go numb once in awhile. 

maybe one with a larger cutout? lower it in the front a bit?

THANKS


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## Bill2 (Oct 14, 2007)

No one can tell you what saddle will be right for you. I have SLR Gel Flows on my bikes and ride for hours with no problems. But a Brooks might fit you better- no way to know but to try one for a few weeks/months and do lots of rides of varying length and elevation gain.


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## trailrunner68 (Apr 23, 2011)

tihsepa said:


> To each his own ass. I bought one of those once. Another plastic ass hatchet. I never went slow and blamed it on not having a light enough saddle. :thumbsup:


Plastic saddles cannot become ass hatchets. They do not deform. Ass hatchet was a term created to describe what happens when a leather saddle gets wet then deforms into a wedge that gets shoved up between your cheeks.


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## icemonkey (Sep 6, 2010)

Your Local Bike Shop should have tester saddles, I do think thats the best way to start. Make sure your saddle is at the right height and correct angle. Brooks saddles stretch to fit, they do have good slide to them allowing you to find the right "perch" for different types of riding. But that does not mean other saddles cant be as cozy... Also brooks saddles need a lot more care.


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## dwl (Mar 4, 2012)

I have a cheapo($110) Bontrager Inform RL.. This is the first saddle I felt comfortable with and ironically, is the skinniest saddle I've used. My weight is 186lbs.


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## Bill2 (Oct 14, 2007)

That doesn't seem real cheap- I paid about the same for my SLR Gel Flows.


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## Kensclub (Feb 2, 2021)

tihsepa said:


> To each his own ass. I bought one of those once. Another plastic ass hatchet. I never went slow and blamed it on not having a light enough saddle. 👍


Some with clouded vision will never know the difference between being "on the saddle" or "in the saddle."


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Man, I wonder which he chose? I'm sure that 9 YEARS LATER, that saddle is perfectly broken-in!


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## old_fuji (Mar 16, 2009)

Anyway, I was really happy with the Brooks C-17 I bought last year. Substantially better than the Bontrager Race Light that I rode for years, as well as the Selle Italia Tri Gel


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## askmass (Sep 28, 2009)

About to build up a classic circa '86 Bianchi frame and feel compelled to outfit it with a Brooks, although they have historically not worked well for me.

Amazingly, the ultra light Berk Lupina has been my go-to for a couple years now. No padding, all carbon, but with a certain almost Brooks-like give.


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