New Brooks saddle for experienced Brooks user

[james01]

I've been using 2 Brooks saddles on my various bikes for at least 25 years, a B17 and a Professional. I've been totally satisfied, no need for padded shorts even on all-day rides. They're both showing severe signs of ageing. I'm tempted to start breaking in a new one but I'm anxious to make the right purchase, they certainly aren't cheap. My instinct is to be unadventurous and get a basic B17. However the B17 Imperial with cut-out top looks interesting. Does anyone have any experience of this?

[darkvalley]

I use the B17 imperial narrow. A great saddle. I have tried about 10 different saddles before eventually arriving at the B17. Could never get one that would suit me. I think I resisted getting the brooks due to the look of it on my road bike. Well that proved a daft bit of narcisism , as I now love it. The nearest I got to comfortable before that was a selle smp stratos, and therefore went with the imperial because of the cutout. I have not tried a standard B17 so dont know how it compares. Another option might be the cambium C17. I got a second bike in January and someone lent me a C17 to try on it and it is every bit as comfortable as the B17, without the maintenance. I have since bought one. That said I quite enjoy proofhiding the saddle and if I needed to replace it I would go with the same again.

[RobC]

I've got an imperial narrow too.

Very hard to begin with, but soon breaks in. However, because of the cut out it will start to sag sooner than saddles without a cut out, so be sure to keep it laced up right from the start.

[mercalia]

its very clear u are happy with what u got ( 25 yrs) so get more of the same?

[Heltor Chasca]

C17?

I spoke to a chap who USED to have a Brooks with a cut out. He said it occasionally bit his bits [emoji50]

[samsbike]

I use the B17 imperial narrow. A great saddle. I have tried about 10 different saddles before eventually arriving at the B17. Could never get one that would suit me. I think I resisted getting the brooks due to the look of it on my road bike. Well that proved a daft bit of narcisism , as I now love it. The nearest I got to comfortable before that was a selle smp stratos, and therefore went with the imperial because of the cutout. I have not tried a standard B17 so dont know how it compares. Another option might be the cambium C17. I got a second bike in January and someone lent me a C17 to try on it and it is every bit as comfortable as the B17, without the maintenance. I have since bought one. That said I quite enjoy proofhiding the saddle and if I needed to replace it I would go with the same again.

didn't you find a bit difference between the smp and brooks?

[darkvalley]

didn't you find a bit difference between the smp and brooks?

Yes indeed I did. I did not make myself clear. Issue I had with saddles at the start was both numbness is genital area and sore sitbones. When I got the selle smp with a cutout, this solved the numbness issue but not the soreness in my bum! So therefore when I was getting the Brooks saddle I went with the imperial because it had the cutout.

The Selle Smp was a very uncomfortable saddle for me but the Brooks was perfect from day one. No breaking in period with the saddle at all. My Brooks C17 has no cutout but I find it very comfortable also and have no issues with it. However it did take a few spins to get comfortable on it and I have never gone futher than a 100km spin on it. I've done over 200km spins on the B17 in complete comfort.
I should say that when I had been using the B17 for awhile I noticed that the indentation on the left side of the saddle is much deeper than the right side. Im lobsided in some fashion!! so presumably no other saddle was going to work for me other than one that would adjust to me.

[pwa]

I too make asymmetrical indentations in Brooks type saddles. Perhaps this means that the saddle is the right sort, as it can accommodate my imperfections.