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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 |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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. |
#4
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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 |
#5
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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. |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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. |
#9
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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 |
#10
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In praise of Brooks saddles
On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 4:21:42 PM UTC, Andre Jute wrote:
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. |
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