# Women and Brooks Saddles



## obinja (May 5, 2012)

I need a new saddle for the piece of junk I'm training on for my next tour. I'm in Colorado, my touring bike is in London (long story) but that's where I'm starting my next trip in the fall. Anyway, I've used stock saddles, Terri Saddles and now I'm thinking of a Brooks. I'll take it with me and put it on the touring bike. 
I read one post from a gal who uses a Brooks. Any other gals using a Brooks? How do you like it? Which one are you using? I'm a tourist and a commuter NOT a racer. I don't like the wide butt saddles, less is more. I'm thinking about the B17. I don't think I need the Women's specific saddle. I pedaled England on and off for 6 months on a stock Salsa and did fine.
Comments?


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## orbit (Feb 7, 2007)

obinja said:


> I need a new saddle for the piece of junk I'm training on for my next tour. I'm in Colorado, my touring bike is in London (long story) but that's where I'm starting my next trip in the fall. Anyway, I've used stock saddles, Terri Saddles and now I'm thinking of a Brooks. I'll take it with me and put it on the touring bike.
> I read one post from a gal who uses a Brooks. Any other gals using a Brooks? How do you like it? Which one are you using? I'm a tourist and a commuter NOT a racer. I don't like the wide butt saddles, less is more. I'm thinking about the B17. I don't think I need the Women's specific saddle. I pedaled England on and off for 6 months on a stock Salsa and did fine.
> Comments?


I tried a brooks women's saddle for a very short period of time. It simply didn't work for me, I find I definitely need a saddle with a cut out area. 

Here's a thread I started a while back about it, you might find some of the input helpful.

Good luck. 


http://forums.roadbikereview.com/womens-cycling/brooks-saddles-um-those-sensitive-bits-164893.html


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

I have a Brooks Finesse on my commuter, which is a 'cross bike. In hindsight, I prefer a longer saddle and wished I'd gone with a regular B68. I like saddles of a more T shape with a narrow nose and abrupt transition to the rear.


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## aureliajulia (May 25, 2009)

obinja said:


> I need a new saddle for the piece of junk I'm training on for my next tour. I'm in Colorado, my touring bike is in London (long story) but that's where I'm starting my next trip in the fall. Anyway, I've used stock saddles, Terri Saddles and now I'm thinking of a Brooks. I'll take it with me and put it on the touring bike.
> I read one post from a gal who uses a Brooks. Any other gals using a Brooks? How do you like it? Which one are you using? I'm a tourist and a commuter NOT a racer. I don't like the wide butt saddles, less is more. I'm thinking about the B17. I don't think I need the Women's specific saddle. I pedaled England on and off for 6 months on a stock Salsa and did fine.
> Comments?


A brooks is framed over a metal cantle plate. You don't want any part of your sit bones to sit on metal. So measure differently than for a regular saddle. Figure out the outside width of your sit bones, then add 20 mm. So, if your sits are 125 center to center and 160 outside to outside, then you need 160 + 20 mm, or a Brooks that is 180 mm or greater. A B-17 is 170 mm. So too small for that example. Because there would be outer bone overlap of 10 mm. 

Make sense? (Seriously, look on Team Estrogen women's cycling forums for a ton of brooks info)


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