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-   -   In praise of Brooks saddles (http://www.cyclebanter.com/showthread.php?t=258585)

Andre Jute[_2_] December 9th 19 01:35 PM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
In another thread some people are bashing Brooks saddles.

This is the space for them to claim they weren't bashing Brooks saddles.

I can't join them. Though it is true that for a long time I drank their koolaid and assumed a Brooks saddle is one of those tools, like drop bars, that cyclists choose as agents of self-mortification, when I did buy a Brooks (B73, thick leather hammock, triple stiff helical springs, double rail mounting springs, fifty quid on sale at SJS, makers of the much-admired Thorn bikes -- Sheldon had one), I found it so comfortable that now, ten years later, you will have to pry it from my cold dead bum. I don't remember breaking it in either. It is now, allowing for a few scrapes and scuffs, exactly the same shape as it was 10K+ back.

The way I ride on the downhills a firm, positively locating saddle is imperative. There's no point to expensively developing a fast, secure bike and then buying from a bike-fashion boutique some narrow saddle that you need to clench onto. I call those "jaillhouse saddles" for the obvious reason.

Ande Jute
The herd ran the other way

Tom Kunich[_5_] December 9th 19 06:38 PM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 4:35:08 AM UTC-8, Andre Jute wrote:
In another thread some people are bashing Brooks saddles.

This is the space for them to claim they weren't bashing Brooks saddles.

I can't join them. Though it is true that for a long time I drank their koolaid and assumed a Brooks saddle is one of those tools, like drop bars, that cyclists choose as agents of self-mortification, when I did buy a Brooks (B73, thick leather hammock, triple stiff helical springs, double rail mounting springs, fifty quid on sale at SJS, makers of the much-admired Thorn bikes -- Sheldon had one), I found it so comfortable that now, ten years later, you will have to pry it from my cold dead bum. I don't remember breaking it in either. It is now, allowing for a few scrapes and scuffs, exactly the same shape as it was 10K+ back.

The way I ride on the downhills a firm, positively locating saddle is imperative. There's no point to expensively developing a fast, secure bike and then buying from a bike-fashion boutique some narrow saddle that you need to clench onto. I call those "jaillhouse saddles" for the obvious reason.

Ande Jute
The herd ran the other way


I unapologetically bash Brooks or any other leather saddle. There is a reason beyond weight that no racer uses them.

Chalo December 10th 19 04:29 AM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
Tom Kunich wrote:

I unapologetically bash Brooks or any other leather saddle. There
is a reason beyond weight that no racer uses them.


Then what's the reason that so very many racers used to use them?

I have owned quite a few sprung Brooks and Lepper leather saddles over the years; I have none in service at the moment. I liked them when I used them..

For reasons of cost, weather resistance, clamp compatibility, maintenance, and noise, I have switched to rubber sprung plastic saddles. I don't have any regrets about that. But at the same time, I don't think it's a mistake to use leather saddles if their trade-offs aren't a deterrent.

Frank Krygowski[_4_] December 10th 19 04:47 AM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On 12/9/2019 10:29 PM, Chalo wrote:
Tom Kunich wrote:

I unapologetically bash Brooks or any other leather saddle. There
is a reason beyond weight that no racer uses them.


Then what's the reason that so very many racers used to use them?


I think originally it was because there was nothing else as comfortable
for a cyclist doing really high mileage. There are still quite a few
with that opinion. My wife and I host touring cyclists, and Brooks
saddles are on quite a few of the bikes that stop by.

Eventually, alternatives to leather were found that were as comfortable,
lighter, and required less protection. Actually, I think that no other
component of the bike benefited from material science developments as
much as the saddle.

But as I said, many still say nothing is as comfortable as a Brooks
that's broken in to fit well. I'm not one of those folks.

(Some might say they are slavishly honoring tradition - that their
saddle choice is hide-bound.)


--
- Frank Krygowski

jOHN b. December 10th 19 05:16 AM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On Mon, 9 Dec 2019 22:47:04 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/9/2019 10:29 PM, Chalo wrote:
Tom Kunich wrote:

I unapologetically bash Brooks or any other leather saddle. There
is a reason beyond weight that no racer uses them.


Then what's the reason that so very many racers used to use them?


I think originally it was because there was nothing else as comfortable
for a cyclist doing really high mileage. There are still quite a few
with that opinion. My wife and I host touring cyclists, and Brooks
saddles are on quite a few of the bikes that stop by.

Eventually, alternatives to leather were found that were as comfortable,
lighter, and required less protection. Actually, I think that no other
component of the bike benefited from material science developments as
much as the saddle.

But as I said, many still say nothing is as comfortable as a Brooks
that's broken in to fit well. I'm not one of those folks.

(Some might say they are slavishly honoring tradition - that their
saddle choice is hide-bound.)


I tend to think that a fully broken in Brooks saddle is probably more
comfortable than a more modern plastic saddle but having said that it
DOES take a long time to break in a leather saddle :-)

On the other hand Brooks saddles are significantly heavier than a more
modern saddle :-(
--
cheers,

John B.


pH December 10th 19 07:01 AM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 4:35:08 AM UTC-8, Andre Jute wrote:
In another thread some people are bashing Brooks saddles.

This is the space for them to claim they weren't bashing Brooks saddles.

I can't join them. Though it is true that for a long time I drank their koolaid and assumed a Brooks saddle is one of those tools, like drop bars, that cyclists choose as agents of self-mortification, when I did buy a Brooks (B73, thick leather hammock, triple stiff helical springs, double rail mounting springs, fifty quid on sale at SJS, makers of the much-admired Thorn bikes -- Sheldon had one), I found it so comfortable that now, ten years later, you will have to pry it from my cold dead bum. I don't remember breaking it in either. It is now, allowing for a few scrapes and scuffs, exactly the same shape as it was 10K+ back.

The way I ride on the downhills a firm, positively locating saddle is imperative. There's no point to expensively developing a fast, secure bike and then buying from a bike-fashion boutique some narrow saddle that you need to clench onto. I call those "jaillhouse saddles" for the obvious reason.

Ande Jute
The herd ran the other way


Very pleased w/ my Rivendell issue Brooks B17.

The Easy Racer recumbent seat can only be likened to a comfy lawn chair (as we used to call them) rolling down the street.

To each his own, of course. I remember threads where some people could use practically anything w/o complaint and the opposite as well. A comfy seat is a joy.
Luckily I don't have to worry much about rain riding. I daresay that's a lot more of an issue in the Emerald Isle.

pH

[email protected] December 10th 19 08:38 AM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
I have eleven bikes. Too many bikes. Six of them have Brooks saddles. Two Swift titanium rail saddles. Two Team Professional with the hand hammered flared rivets. One Professional with smaller round machined rivets. One B17. All are super comfortable. One of the Team Professional bikes was used on PBP. As well as the preceding two years and ten thousand miles of training. My first saddle transferred between a couple bikes was an Ideale with aluminum rails and clamp that fit onto a straight post. It eventually broke down and was retired and laid to rest.

JBeattie December 10th 19 04:14 PM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 10:01:48 PM UTC-8, pH wrote:
On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 4:35:08 AM UTC-8, Andre Jute wrote:
In another thread some people are bashing Brooks saddles.

This is the space for them to claim they weren't bashing Brooks saddles..

I can't join them. Though it is true that for a long time I drank their koolaid and assumed a Brooks saddle is one of those tools, like drop bars, that cyclists choose as agents of self-mortification, when I did buy a Brooks (B73, thick leather hammock, triple stiff helical springs, double rail mounting springs, fifty quid on sale at SJS, makers of the much-admired Thorn bikes -- Sheldon had one), I found it so comfortable that now, ten years later, you will have to pry it from my cold dead bum. I don't remember breaking it in either. It is now, allowing for a few scrapes and scuffs, exactly the same shape as it was 10K+ back.

The way I ride on the downhills a firm, positively locating saddle is imperative. There's no point to expensively developing a fast, secure bike and then buying from a bike-fashion boutique some narrow saddle that you need to clench onto. I call those "jaillhouse saddles" for the obvious reason.

Ande Jute
The herd ran the other way


Very pleased w/ my Rivendell issue Brooks B17.

The Easy Racer recumbent seat can only be likened to a comfy lawn chair (as we used to call them) rolling down the street.

To each his own, of course. I remember threads where some people could use practically anything w/o complaint and the opposite as well. A comfy seat is a joy.
Luckily I don't have to worry much about rain riding. I daresay that's a lot more of an issue in the Emerald Isle.


Leather saddles are problematic in wet climates. I like a nice plastic saddle with minimalist padding that don't require much care and feeding. I'm not that picky and have some really comfortable OE saddles, like the Bontrager cut-out saddle on the Emonda. I am picky when it comes to saddle tilt and adjustment and prefer two-bolt saddle clamps or similar arrangements where you can make incremental changes without the whole thing going flaccid.

-- Jay Beattie.

-- Jay Beattie.

Andre Jute[_2_] December 10th 19 05:21 PM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 6:01:48 AM UTC, pH wrote:
On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 4:35:08 AM UTC-8, Andre Jute wrote:
In another thread some people are bashing Brooks saddles.

This is the space for them to claim they weren't bashing Brooks saddles..

I can't join them. Though it is true that for a long time I drank their koolaid and assumed a Brooks saddle is one of those tools, like drop bars, that cyclists choose as agents of self-mortification, when I did buy a Brooks (B73, thick leather hammock, triple stiff helical springs, double rail mounting springs, fifty quid on sale at SJS, makers of the much-admired Thorn bikes -- Sheldon had one), I found it so comfortable that now, ten years later, you will have to pry it from my cold dead bum. I don't remember breaking it in either. It is now, allowing for a few scrapes and scuffs, exactly the same shape as it was 10K+ back.

The way I ride on the downhills a firm, positively locating saddle is imperative. There's no point to expensively developing a fast, secure bike and then buying from a bike-fashion boutique some narrow saddle that you need to clench onto. I call those "jaillhouse saddles" for the obvious reason.

Ande Jute
The herd ran the other way


Very pleased w/ my Rivendell issue Brooks B17.

The Easy Racer recumbent seat can only be likened to a comfy lawn chair (as we used to call them) rolling down the street.

To each his own, of course. I remember threads where some people could use practically anything w/o complaint and the opposite as well. A comfy seat is a joy.
Luckily I don't have to worry much about rain riding. I daresay that's a lot more of an issue in the Emerald Isle.

pH


I have a Brooks waxed canvas saddle-cover which works well for a single stop when you'll leave the bike for a fair while, but it gets to be a nuisance if you're making several short-duration stops because you're to supposed to ride on it. So I hardly use the cover, but it has done my saddle no harm at all. I sweep the beads of water off with my hand -- I cycle in fine leather dress gloves -- and my trousers don't get wet through. I suspect that my saddle's immunity to wet is because to get a custom colour (I wanted a mid-tan Brooks doesn't supply, so bought a honey saddle and grips and browned them up with the neatsfoot) and to break it in quickly, I soaked the whole thing top and bottom in a bath of neatsfoot oil for about 20 minutes before I ever sat on it, and the neatsfoot worked into the leather to a depth of about a millimetre, which basically immunises the leather to anything from a soft day (a persistent drizzle) to bucketing rain.

BTW, ladies' shower caps make perfectly good saddle covers, and are less likely to attract a bike thief than a cover loudly proclaiming Brooks' expensive elite status.

Andre Jute
Small things that together make a great bike

Andre Jute[_2_] December 10th 19 05:30 PM

In praise of Brooks saddles
 
On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 3:29:28 AM UTC, Chalo wrote:
Tom Kunich wrote:

I unapologetically bash Brooks or any other leather saddle. There
is a reason beyond weight that no racer uses them.


Then what's the reason that so very many racers used to use them?

I have owned quite a few sprung Brooks and Lepper leather saddles over the years; I have none in service at the moment. I liked them when I used them.

For reasons of cost, weather resistance, clamp compatibility, maintenance, and noise, I have switched to rubber sprung plastic saddles. I don't have any regrets about that. But at the same time, I don't think it's a mistake to use leather saddles if their trade-offs aren't a deterrent.


Yes, if I were a commuter with my bike standing outside the office all day, I too might find a leather saddle too much of a bother.

I looked at those Leppers when I first heard you mention them about twelve years ago, and they're beautiful and superbly made but at the time I was thinking about getting my Cheeko 90 seat (like the bucket seat on an old-fashioned tractor) recovered in leather, so the Lepper got shifted out of consciousness.

Andre Jute
Funny, what I sit on more hours than on leather, is the plastic of a Hermann Miller Mirra office chair


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