# Brooks Vs. Terry Fly -I dont want to go limb!



## bikezombie (Feb 28, 2008)

*Brooks Vs. Terry Fly -I dont want to go numb!*

I'm going crazy! One week to go before 900mi tour from San Diego, CA to Santa Fe, NM and I'm getting all paranoid about my saddle. My friend tells me this story about how his junk went numb for a week after doing a tour very similar to mine and now every time I finish a ride (I have a Brooks B17) I'm wondering if I'm doing damage. But I think I've heard also that the whole bicycle impotence thing is a myth but is it? I went on the Adventure Cycling website and they only sell the Terry brand of saddles with a groove down the middle. I like my brooks b17 and have been breaking it in for a year with this tour in mind but I went and shelled out another 100 bucks for the Terry Fly anyway. It feels pretty comfy but obviously different then the brooks and I know its probably a bad idea to switch saddles so soon to the start date of my tour. I'm going crazy!:cryin:


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Changing saddles a week before a 900 mile tour?

If I read your post correctly, you didn't have a problems with your B-17>

Put the B-17 back on and don't give it a second thought...

IMHO, it's insane to change saddles with so little time before your tour..


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> Changing saddles a week before a 900 mile tour?
> 
> If I read your post correctly, you didn't have a problems with your B-17>
> 
> ...




seriously... I'd be more worried if I DID change right fore a 900mi tour


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

One possible compromise...

take the terry with you- it's not that big, it's not that heavy. 

Start your tour on your brooks. if you have a problem, try switching the saddle for a day, see what happens.

just a thought.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Going?!?*



bikezombie said:


> I'm going crazy! ..... *I like my brooks b17 and have been breaking it in for a year* with this tour in mind but I went and shelled out another 100 bucks for the Terry Fly anyway. It feels pretty comfy but obviously different then the brooks and I know its probably a bad idea to switch saddles so soon to the start date of my tour. I'm going crazy!:cryin:


No, I think you are defining it.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Do you have numbness problems with your B17? If not, don't sweat it. Personally, I would be extremely wary of changing saddles just before a long ride unless I was having problems with my current one. It sometimes takes a while to dial in the fit on a new saddle, even if it fits perfect. I once screwed up my knee for about a month by changing saddles a few days before a century ride.

I have found that cutout saddles help relieve numbness, if that is an issue. However, finding a saddle that fits right and is comfortable is the biggest factor. My current saddle (Fizik Vitesse) fits me better than any saddle I have ever used, including a B17, but I still get occasional numbness even with it. Just shifting my position or standing for a short while generally gets rid of the numbness very quickly. Numbness is mainly an issue when riding in the same position for a long time -- such as down in the drops on a long stretch of flat road on a windy day.


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## GScot (Feb 7, 2005)

I was given a Terry Fly which was practically new and used it for a while. It's fairly flat on top making it an OK saddle but it's way to soft. Soft saddle would be a killer IMO on a long tour. I have a B17 on my fixed bike and if I were to be heading out on a long tour it would be with that saddle.

It was nothing like 900 miles but after I decided the Fly was too soft I bought an Arione the night before a 100 mile ride. Everyone thought it was nuts to change saddles at that time but since the Terry was a torture device it couldn't possibly be much worse. Turned out great after 2 quick tilt and setback adjustments. Good luck on your trip but I vote for staying with the Brooks.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

...and I'd also be worried that when I put the B17 back on, it wasn't exactly in the same position as before. moral of the story- don't try to fix what ain't broke


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## VaughnA (Jun 3, 2003)

*New Brooks Cutout Saddle.*

I'd definitely not change anything before the ride. I use my B-17 on my fixie/ss for centuries without a problem. I've fallen in love with my brooks, after a bit of adjustment I have less numbness than any of the cutout saddles I've tried in the past. I do get a bit after hours in the saddle but no more than any of the 'modern' saddles.

On a related note, my butt has been chosen by Brooks to be a beta tester for a new saddle based on the B-17. It is called the imperial and has a cutout and lacing. I should receive the sample in the next week or so and I'm looking forward to trying it on my 3 bikes. Kudo's to brooks for the Beta test program.


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## khill (Mar 4, 2004)

Like GScot said, the Terry Fly saddles are way too soft for long rides. I use them on my mountain bikes and tried them on my road bikes when I first started road riding. Anything over 90 minutes caused some serious pain due to the thick, soft padding.

I still like them on my mountain bikes but prefer harder saddles for road riding. 

Stick with the Brooks.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

VaughnA said:


> I'd definitely not change anything before the ride. I use my B-17 on my fixie/ss for centuries without a problem. I've fallen in love with my brooks, after a bit of adjustment I have less numbness than any of the cutout saddles I've tried in the past. I do get a bit after hours in the saddle but no more than any of the 'modern' saddles.
> 
> On a related note, my butt has been chosen by Brooks to be a beta tester for a new saddle based on the B-17. It is called the imperial and has a cutout and lacing. I should receive the sample in the next week or so and I'm looking forward to trying it on my 3 bikes. Kudo's to brooks for the Beta test program.


That sounds pretty cool- how did you get picked for that program? I had a B17 on my road bike, but I couldn't stand the "frontal" pressure because my handlebars are a few inches lower than my saddle. It works fine on my more upright commuter, though.


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## VaughnA (Jun 3, 2003)

Andrea138 said:


> That sounds pretty cool- how did you get picked for that program? I had a B17 on my road bike, but I couldn't stand the "frontal" pressure because my handlebars are a few inches lower than my saddle. It works fine on my more upright commuter, though.


There was a request on bikeforums.net for volunteers. They originally were going to have 20 reviewers. But the response was so great it went up to 100. There are some regular width and some narrows being made. I'm going with the narrow. My saddle and bars are about level on my fixie and I have no problems. I'm going to put this on it first and then on my geared bike and mountain bike for other comparisons.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

A couple of people have said the Fly is too soft. I've got the softest Fly (the gel) on both my road bikes and they're great, even on 3 hour rides- that's for me. 

But I'll echo what everyone else has said- if it ain't broke don't fix it. Your friend has different anatomy to yours, had a different saddle (even if it was the same model), and may not have had it broken in or set up correctly. 

Now, if his junk fell off after the same ride you're doing- then you could worry.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

I agree that you should not change the saddle just before the ride.

What's your route? Have you posted it somewhere else?


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