I Tried a (Lady) Brooks...

[Baggy]

The saddle on my audax bike (Terry Butterfly Tri Gel) has recently felt less like a Benevolent Cloud than it used to, so thought it was time to invest in a new one.

After a bit of persuasion, I decided to try a women's Brooks B17. Tried it for the first time today, and after a few adjustments it felt fine It's extremely firm, but that's not a bad thing, but I noticed quite quickly that it felt quite cool and didn't catch my shorts anywhere, so am hopeful that it won't chafe anywhere (the old saddle did sometimes).

Not exactly comfortable, but nothing like as uncomfortable as I'd anticipated it would be...and after approx 16 miles I'd almost forgotten about it being new and potentially scary. It might well end up being hideous, but I'll keep updating this thread and see how it goes.

Am pondering how many women might actually get on with a Brooks but rule one out due to all the horror stories...

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Mrs A has one on her tourer. She didn't find it particularly comfortable for a few hundred miles, but she is a total convert now.

 

[tyred]

It will only get more comfortable in time. Give it a thorough proof-hiding underneath, especially if you don't use mudguards.

 

[wbmkk]

Have to agree

For my 12th birthday (1970) I got a new carlton racing bike, which cam with a Brooks saddle.

About 10 years ago, I bought an old raleigh Equipe bike from a friend and swapped over the saddle and it is still doing well. Now in its 41st year.

Every so often, when my wife is cleaning the leather sofa I take the polish and spray it over the saddle, which seems to help it.

Just a pity bikes don't come with saddle options ... who is willing to buy a new bike, then fork out another £100 or so, for a leather saddle

 

[Baggy]

Have now ridden about 90 miles and there's no sign of the saddle breaking in yet...I can manage three days of commuting on the trot but after that have to take a break! It's still not *as* bad as I thought it was going to be, but breaking it is going to take more sweat and tears than initially hoped!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

what colour is it? Legend, and my experience, suggests black ones take longer to break in than honey.

I found using one on a turbo trainer, getting good and sweaty in the process speeds things up, and I'm a believer in

Proofhide,,,
once a day for the first week
once a week for a first month
once a month for the first year
once a year thereafter

but then I find a B17 very comfortable out of the box.

 

[Baggy]

It is indeed black.

On closer inspection there are some small creases appearing in the bum region (on the saddle, not me), so must be making progress. It's now had two coats of Proofide, maybe it's time for another.

It isn't too bad on the sit bones but the nose is a bit, er, "obtrusive" sometimes so I end up hovering. Think it might be further back than my last saddle so might shunt it forwards a cm and see if that helps...

I really do hate faffing round with saddle position!

 

[Manonabike]

The saddle on my audax bike (Terry Butterfly Tri Gel) has recently felt less like a Benevolent Cloud than it used to, so thought it was time to invest in a new one.

After a bit of persuasion, I decided to try a women's Brooks B17. Tried it for the first time today, and after a few adjustments it felt fine It's extremely firm, but that's not a bad thing, but I noticed quite quickly that it felt quite cool and didn't catch my shorts anywhere, so am hopeful that it won't chafe anywhere (the old saddle did sometimes).

Not exactly comfortable, but nothing like as uncomfortable as I'd anticipated it would be...and after approx 16 miles I'd almost forgotten about it being new and potentially scary. It might well end up being hideous, but I'll keep updating this thread and see how it goes.

Am pondering how many women might actually get on with a Brooks but rule one out due to all the horror stories...

What's so special about a ladies saddle?

I ride on three different types of brooks and I'm curious what the fuss is about ladies saddle

 

[Baggy]

What's so special about a ladies saddle?

I ride on three different types of brooks and I'm curious what the fuss is about ladies saddle

It's 2cm shorter than a standard B17, and a bit wider ('cos apparently women tend to have more widely spaced sit bones).

Am not quite sure what the shorter nose adds, though it seems to make the saddle shape slightly more concave and therefore more accomodating for lady parts.

 

[rualexander]

I think I read somewhere that the shorter nose on women's saddles was originally to make it more suitable for riding in a skirt and not anything anatomical, unlike the wider seat which is there to accommodate female 'sit-bones' which are generally further apart than males.

 

[Baggy]

The skirt thing probably makes sense!

 

[Ravenbait]

They still don't have a hole.

Sam

 

[Baggy]

Mrs A has one on her tourer. She didn't find it particularly comfortable for a few hundred miles, but she is a total convert now.

After just under 200 miles it's gone from being more or less fine to not very comfortable at all...sit bones are fine, but other bits are not! It's still not showing any signs of breaking in so might give it one more week of commuting and if there's no change by then will have to admit defeat.

Am beginning to think the first ride was the saddle just lulling me into a false sense of security!

 

[Manonabike]

After just under 200 miles it's gone from being more or less fine to not very comfortable at all...sit bones are fine, but other bits are not! It's still not showing any signs of breaking in so might give it one more week of commuting and if there's no change by then will have to admit defeat.

Am beginning to think the first ride was the saddle just lulling me into a false sense of security!

My b17 needed about 500 - 600 miles before it was ok so 200 seems admitting defeat too soon

 

[Baggy]

My b17 needed about 500 - 600 miles before it was ok so 200 seems admitting defeat too soon

Part of the problem is that I can't face anything longer than 15 miles of commuting on it - if it was just my bumbones complaining I could cope, but it's currently splitting my infinitives!