# Long distance saddle?



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Rocket v hurts after 30+ miles. Phenom on my mtb is pretty rad.
Never had a brooks. Plan on doing lots and lots of miles at a time. 
Get a b17 or another specialized phenom for the drop bar road tour?


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

kikoraa said:


> ...Never had a brooks. ...


There's your problem right there.

If your bars are close to saddle height the B17 is likely the way to go. If your bars are below the saddle you might give the Pro a try.

HTH


----------



## Eiron (Sep 9, 2006)

I just did a 116 mile ride on Friday on my B17. Brooks is definitely the *only* long distance saddle I'll use.


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Ok, so I checked my bars and they may be about 1-2CM lower than my saddle. Also, The top tube is a little long for me so my reach has me leaning an extra tad since my saddle is slammed all the way back to accomodate a decent KOPS positioning. 

I HAVE read other threads of people advising agains the B17 if you're in a more aggressive position.

While i do have a touring bike, I am still in a bit of an aggressive semi leaned over position (which i do enjoy)

What brooks would you recommend for that?
I see some enjoy the swift. I'll check out the pro too.
I'm ready to place an order tonight!

I Used a fizik gobi (130mm width) on my FS mtb which i stay seated for everything except downhills. I switched that to a specialized phenom (143mm width) which is way more comfortable, but i do not have many miles on it yet.

The wtb rocket v is 137 i think and i found myself shifting around way too much. also had a couple saddle sores after a long ride.


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Another point... I like to ride in th drops a lot too.


----------



## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

MB1 said:


> There's your problem right there.
> 
> If your bars are close to saddle height the B17 is likely the way to go. If your bars are below the saddle you might give the Pro a try.
> 
> HTH





kikoraa said:


> Another point... I like to ride in th drops a lot too.





kikoraa said:


> Ok, so I checked my bars and they may be about 1-2CM lower than my saddle. Also, The top tube is a little long for me so my reach has me leaning an extra tad since my saddle is slammed all the way back to accomodate a decent KOPS positioning.
> 
> I HAVE read other threads of people advising agains the B17 if you're in a more aggressive position.
> 
> ...



I would recommend the Swift.....

That said of my 6 bikes, there are 4 are Brooks (3 B-17-N and a swift) and i is an old Ideal (almost identical to the B-17-N


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

The brooks swift is a bit out of my price point 
I guess I'm narrowing it down to the
B17 Narrow
Or the pro classic


----------



## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

man....I just looked at the prices....wow, about doubled in the past 2 years. (the chrome, steel framed is available for 169.....I paid 99 for mine 2 years ago


----------



## laffeaux (Dec 12, 2001)

It depends on what you call a long ride.

For a 100 mile ride I'm happy with any saddle that fits me. My main bike has a Selle Italia SLR, which is pretty minimalist, but comfortable.I've done a 200 mile ride on it, and after about mile 170 I was ready for a different saddle.

For really long multiple day rides, where your butt needs to sit in the same place for another 100 miles tomorrow, I had good luck with a Selle Anatomica saddle (it was recommended by someone here on RBR). In July I did 700 miles in 8 days with that saddle. I can't say that I was pain free, but I survived. I'd choose that saddle again for a long ride.

The Brooks saddles are also comfortable - I prefer the Swift to the B-17.


----------



## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

fwiw.......Brooks and I have done 500 miles in a week 3 times, 2 on B17-N one on a Swift. The Swift is MUCH better than the B-17-N for a larger saddle to bar drop in my opinion. KEEP in mind...my FAVORITE saddle could be YOUR worst enemy....saddles are as personal as butts!


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

the brooks pro classic looks like it would cause perenial pressure after a while. Anyone experience this with the pro? 
Im prone to the taint pinch and most of my saddles have a cutout to alleviate a bit of pressure. The fizik gobi i used to use did not have this problem and also did not have the cutout but it did cause sores so i swapped it.
im leaning more towards the b17n since i am a bigger dude and have thick thighs so that freedom seems nice. I have never really liked wide saddles.


----------



## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

you can also chop the skirts on the B-17-N (as well as replacing the rivets (I have done both on my Ideal)

I believe the Swift has a flatter profile than the B-17-N, which accounts for the difference with a larger saddle to bar drop. 

Recently I built up a 97 waterford with a 6 cm saddle to bar drop, i had my b-17-n on it because it was black and matched the tape, and all the components. HOWEVER...I ended up taking it off and replacing with my swift (brown). The B-17-n is great on the Trek with a 2 cm drop though


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

i think im going to order a pro from wallbike since he has the 6 month return. the b17n looks a little too wedgie in the nose.


----------



## saf-t (Sep 24, 2008)

Might want to check out Velo Orange for their Brooks clones......


----------



## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

I have no problems doing 6 hour days on my Selle SMP Full Carbon wearing Assos Mille_s5 bibs...


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

If you can find one for cheap, you might want to try a Fizik Vitesse. They market it as a women's saddle but it is identical to an Aliante except 1 cm wider. I had B17s on two bikes and picked up a Vitesse in a trade. It was so comfortable that I put it on all of my bikes except one with a B17, but I will probably swap that one over too. The Vitesse weighs half as much as a B17 but has a very similar shape. I pick them up on eBay and rarely pay more than $20. Of course, you have to be man enough to not be threatened by riding a girly saddle.


----------



## HacO (Jan 25, 2010)

I am 54 yrs old, 165 lbs, 4 bikes, 143 cm sit bone, my bar is at 4 in drop, 80% on the hood. I’ve been riding for a long while. I went thru many, many saddles; among them are Aliante Sport, Ponza Trilon, Romin, Toupe, and the oldest/longest/best saddle was San Marco Concor. I also have a Chinese knock off saddle from Ebay. It’s pretty much a copy of a Velo Orange. It’s a comfortable saddle, may be a tad too stretchy for me (I think it was design for 140 lb rider and under).
With that being said, as I grown older, my body seems to changed, I developed some discomforts and numbness down there; comes the quest for the “Holy Grail” of a perfect saddle. IMHO, what I’ve learned is this: The leather saddle is the best. It will mold accordingly to your butt form. For under 50 miles range, the synthetic material saddles are ok, but once you are in 100 miles range, the leather saddle is the best. 
Currently, I have 2 Gilles Berthoud Aravis saddle on my two best bikes: LiteSpeed Tuscany, and Rikulau 853 lugged Xochitl. The Gilles Berthoud Aravis is my favorite for long ride. Very sharp looking and most important: Comfortable. It may be out of the price range for you, but something you may want to consider. I have not ridden on any Brooks, but they seem to have a very reputation as well. Wallingford bike shop is the place to buy saddle from. They have a wonderful 6 month return and the service is as professional as you can get. Call them up and talk to Brent Badeaux. I am sure he can set you up with something that will suit your need. I had a great service from this shop. Well worth the money.
Good luck on your quest.


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Just ordered the standard b17. Think I want the narrow but this should at least be a good starting point.


----------



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Im a looney toon. I called wall bike and asked then to change it to a b17 narrow. I made it home after work and really examined my bike. I feel the narrow will be better since Im usually a little more aggressive and enjoy the drops more. My saddle is about 2cm higher than the hoods. Ill.see how the narrow is. 
I read a.lot about the team.pro being thicker.leather and taking a long time to.break in. I'm 212 lbs so I don't think that would be a problem. I'll try that if the narrow.doesn't work out. 

Thanks again for everyone's help!


----------



## deepakvrao (Dec 18, 2008)

Another vote for the B17. Only saddle that I can ride over 50 kms in jeans.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

Selle An-Atomica for me. Tried a TON of other saddles (including Brooks B17), and the Selle An-Atomica is head-and-shoulders above them all. Highest praise I can offer is that I now own three of 'em.


----------



## Kurious Oranj (Oct 11, 2009)

I have B-17 on 2 of my bikes and find it easy to ride on those all day long. My legs and lungs give up way before my butt does... For more aggressive riding, I have a Brooks Swift on one bike and it works well too but took a longer time to break in than the B-17 which is comfy right out of the box.


----------



## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

I get bored LONG before i get tired or sore....

I've got brooks on ALL of my bikes


----------



## pitbullandroadbike (Aug 7, 2011)

I have a Pro and love it. It is stiff but not that bad at all. I've put over 50 miles on a weekend easily and didn't have any pinching, pain or pressure. I'm 195 lbs, have it on my FG and love it!!!


----------



## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

Not a Brooks fan. Given them multiple extended tries, and they never worked. So they're not for everyone.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I love my Brooks B17, I wouldn't want any other saddle on my touring bike. But tour's do ride on other saddles that are cheaper, the most widely used touring saddle is actually the Terry Fly. 

If you go with the Brooks you should consider a saddle cover for use on rain expected days. 

Also if you go with the Brooks DO NOT...DO NOT follow anyone's advice on this forum, or from some web site, or from some LBS, or from a friend claiming to know it all about such saddles on how to care for them. Follow ONLY the Brooks care instructions...IF...you want to maintain the factory warranty and...IF...you want the saddle to last a long time. Brooks has been making these saddles for over 100 years, I think they know better then anyone else how to care for their saddles. Just sayin.

The only thing I do different outside the care instructions is I put on a neutral colored Kiwi shoe paste wax to seal out water after a Proofide treatment. But never, never use oil, or silicone, or water to break in the saddle or to preserve it. Proofide is wax based not oil based, it's the only product I use besides the Kiwi. There is a wax based product called Sno Seal which I've heard that also works and is similar to Proofide, but be careful because Sno Seal does make a silicone type too, so if you go that route stay away from the silicone. But since I don't know for sure what the ingredients are in Sno Seal vs Proofide I just use Proofide to be safe.

You can repost for more info if you decide to get the Brooks. There is a bit more fuss with these saddles but the comfort and the fact they can easily last 20 years is a small price to pay.


----------



## jrswenberger (Apr 20, 2012)

I have B-17s on both of my touring bikes and road bike. I ride mostly on the hoods and higher, rarely in the drops (only when descending at high speeds). I second the above recommendations about sticking to the Brooks regimen for saddle care. I also keep a rain cover handy to cover the saddle at night but I haven't had a problem with rain while I've been sitting on it. The fenders, racks and my butt keep it covered.

If your goal is to have a comfy saddle for long distance touring, getting the Brooks saddle prepped and properly positioned is the way to go.

All these internet folks couldn't be wrong...of course, YMMV.

Jay


----------



## shortribs (Oct 7, 2012)

While other saddles have come and gone over the years (select Brooks models included) I am entirely content with the B17, and have them on all of my builds. Well, almost: if only there was a way to eliminate the occasional metal on metal squeak they'd be perfect. 

-shortribs


----------



## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

shortribs said:


> While other saddles have come and gone over the years (select Brooks models included) I am entirely content with the B17, and have them on all of my builds. Well, almost: if only there was a way to eliminate the occasional metal on metal squeak they'd be perfect.
> 
> -shortribs


A squeaky Brooks is an easy fix. It is generally a leather to metal issue more often than metal to metal, however, the fix is the same. Slather proofide on the area (particularly the rear horseshoe and metal nose bracket ) and melt it in with a hair dryer. I JUST bought a Swift on eBay for $112 shipped because it squeaked... lol...no more squeak. Riding Brooks for 50 years, you figure stuff like that out.


----------

