# Brooks B-17 -vs- Brooks Swift.



## Gene Kahn

****I have the B-17 a few months now on a revived and converted 35yr old Raleigh
and totally love the saddle. Anyone have any experience with the more expensive
Brooks Swift? This would be for another bike, with a more modern looking frame.
See the white Orion fixie. 

Thanks. 
Gene, Brooklyn NY


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## rcnute

I like Swifts but don't seem to get along with B-17s.


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## Iasonas

It depends how much you weigh, what type of riding you do, how long you ride, and how much patience you have. I barely broke in a swift and it is good, but it really hurt for a while! Now I have another bike to which I installed a swift again and oh gosh I do remember what I went through. The swift is like taming and training a thoroughbred horse. You will need to train yourself on it, to ride long, and use lots of proofide. After 1000 miles, you start breaking it in and it feels much better. The B17 is not quite what you envision as a racing saddle because it is a bit wide. It is however very comfortable, and for fixies,.. I think it is your best bet.


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## gomango

I have a Swift on my Century. I ride Regals on all of my bikes, but the fit lasts up to about 50 miles or so. I looked into other options, and this was one of them. My Swift fit from day one. No real break in, just played with the angle of the nose a bit and I was good to go. Believe me, I prefer the look of white Regals, but after 60-70 miles, I could care less what the saddle looks like as long as my rear isn't sore.











For what it is worth, my kids built a single speed for me that has a more upright riding position, and they put on a Brooks B-17. I did a 25+ mile ride on that bike last week and the saddle was extra comfy as well!


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## the_don

I like the swallow! But Brooks weigh a ton, and I can't bring myself to get the Ti version. I would love the white Stussy edition though, there are still a few unsold in Tokyo.......

So tempting.... 

Must resist.....


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## Opus51569

Iasonas said:


> After 1000 miles, you start breaking it in and it feels much better.


At the risk of being flamed by every Brooks fan... seriously??? _1000_ miles??? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the styling and the history of Brooks saddles, but why would anyone want to spend that much money for a saddle that will be uncomfortable for a thousand miles? If you average a very respectable 20mph, you're still talking about 50+ hours of discomfort. What is it about Brooks that justifies that, when there are other saddles that are comfortable virtually out of the box?


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## Iasonas

It is a matter of choice. Why buy a mercedes when you can buy a saturn? Why use a bicycle over a motorbike, ..think about it, you have to pedal and you can go ..let's say 20-25 mph, while a cheap motorbike can triple the speed and there is no real effort. Similarly, why brake in a brooks when you can get a soft gel saddle from Walmart, that is about as comfy as a sofa? The answer may be obvious after the 1000 miles. How does your back feel at that point? How do your legs and hips feel? Of course we are talking about the Swift, not the B17 which can break in after 20-30 miles. Again, it is a matter of choice.


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## Iasonas

What is the Stussy edition? I never heard of it.


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## Bocephus Jones II

Opus51569 said:


> At the risk of being flamed by every Brooks fan... seriously??? _1000_ miles??? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the styling and the history of Brooks saddles, but why would anyone want to spend that much money for a saddle that will be uncomfortable for a thousand miles? If you average a very respectable 20mph, you're still talking about 50+ hours of discomfort. What is it about Brooks that justifies that, when there are other saddles that are comfortable virtually out of the box?


I don't think it's that many miles. I bought my Swallow from a guy who'd ridden it for about 100 miles already and it was comfortable for me from day 1. Then again I don't have a huge problem with saddles in general. Anything Flite shaped generally works for me. The biggest issue I had with the Brooks was getting it far enough back on the rails. I ended up having to buy a new post with more setback and now it's about perfect. Before the Brooks I rode a Fizik Arione and prior to that an SLR and Flite Gels and standard Flites.


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## tarwheel2

I had a Swift for a while but it was too narrow for me. My sit bones rested right on the rivets.

The B17 is significantly wider but the rails are shorter, so that can be a problem unless you have a seatpost that allows for plenty of setback. There is also a ti-rail version of the B17 that weighs about the same as the Swift, if you prefer a wider saddle.


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## st3v3

Iasonas said:


> It is a matter of choice. Why buy a mercedes when you can buy a saturn? Why use a bicycle over a motorbike, ..think about it, you have to pedal and you can go ..let's say 20-25 mph, while a cheap motorbike can triple the speed and there is no real effort. Similarly, why brake in a brooks when you can get a soft gel saddle from Walmart, that is about as comfy as a sofa? The answer may be obvious after the 1000 miles. How does your back feel at that point? How do your legs and hips feel? Of course we are talking about the Swift, not the B17 which can break in after 20-30 miles. Again, it is a matter of choice.


 I don't think he was suggesting riding a gel couch from Walmart. If I'm not mistaken, I believe he was wondering why you would want to wait so long for a saddle to be broken in when you can buy other _high quality saddles_ which don't require that kind of breaking in.

That said, I agree. I don't see the appeal in riding an uncomfortable saddle for an extended period of time. Then again, I've never ridden a Brooks, so I have no idea how long it would take my fine posterior to mold a Brooks to my desire.


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## Bocephus Jones II

st3v3 said:


> I don't think he was suggesting riding a gel couch from Walmart. If I'm not mistaken, I believe he was wondering why you would want to wait so long for a saddle to be broken in when you can buy other _high quality saddles_ which don't require that kind of breaking in.
> 
> That said, I agree. I don't see the appeal in riding an uncomfortable saddle for an extended period of time. Then again, I've never ridden a Brooks, so I have no idea how long it would take my fine posterior to mold a Brooks to my desire.


For me it's about looks also. My lugged steel Colnago just looks more appropriate with a Brooks than the Arione I had on it before.


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## rdolson

I love my B-17. It was a joy right out of the box and has only gotten better with age. 

I also have a Team Pro Ti. Much stiffer leather that required a season (about 1,000 miles on that bike) to get really comfy, but it was still better than any plastic fantastic saddle out there for me.

It only suxs when the forecast is for rain and I have to put a plastic saddle on to protect the shape of my uber comfy Brooks'. I tried covers and baggies, but water always found a way in.


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## roadfix

I like my Swift but the Brooks Professional is my favorite saddle.

Here's my mildly butchered Swift:


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## Bocephus Jones II

roadfix said:


> I like my Swift but the Brooks Professional is my favorite saddle.
> 
> Here's my mildly butchered Swift:


What's that post? Me likey...


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## Mike T.

roadfix said:


> Here's my mildly butchered Swift:


Here's my butchered Pro - front, back, sides -


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## roadfix

^^^ Very clean, with logo in tack.
I cut through my logo on the Professional for the shape I was looking for...


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## SJX426

Seatpost by Miche:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/index.php?category=3667
Available in multiple colors


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## mpapet

For those that don't 'get' the whole Brooks thing, it goes something like this.

1. For many Brooks owners the style is more to their liking.
2. For many Brooks owners, they couldn't get comfortable on other saddles.

As someone that's old enough to ride pro bikes pre-Flite saddle days, Brooks was always somewhat heavier but none of the other saddles could compare to the comfort of a Brooks. 

The flite saddle line was the first time that plastic seats could *actually* be comfortable and really light. That really opened up the weight difference between light saddles and Brooks models.

If anyone has saddle fit problems, a Brooks is the final answer because it ends up fitting you. Now, many of you will recoil in horror because of the culture of weight weenie-dom that is so prevalent in cycling. 

If your first objective is to ride frequently and comfortably, then the Brooks is your first choice.


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