Is a woman riding 4,000km on a man's Brooks B17 saddle risky?

[andrew_s]

a man's saddle (longer) rather than a ladies B17S version - thoughts?

Ladies' saddles are shorter to facilitate use when wearing a skirt rather than for anatomical reasons. Width varies, but not by so much that there isn't a fair amount of overlap between wider blokes and narrower women.

A men's Team Pro is 273mm long, the ladies' Team Pro S and B17 S are 242mm long.

IMO, a lot of "breaking in" of a Brooks saddle is just a matter of getting used to sitting on something hard.
It's not unknown for a regular Brooks rider to put a brand new saddle on a bike and go out for a 200 or more mile ride on it. I've done a 250 mile ride on a saddle that's had less than 1 mile set up mileage, and I've heard tell of up to 750 miles.

 

[jefmcg]

There seems to be a lot of misinformation in this post

SFAIK, the shortest saddle in the Brooks range is the Men's Team Pro - so I'm a bit sceptical about the 'it's shorter to stop it catching on your skirt' theory.

as @andrew_s points out, that's just wrong. The Team Pro is a millimeter shorter than the B17. The Team Pro S is shorter though, as you'd expect ....

Q > How do I determine if I need the S model?
A > "S" stands for short, so normally these saddles are for ladies.

I thought saddles with slots in them were primarily designed to combat prostate problems:

The first cut out saddles I were aware of were made by Terry, for women to reduce pressure on the euphemistic soft tissues.

But if they work for you then why not. I should say though (as someone who used to own a Selle) that it didn't last very long. It might get you through 4,000kms, but might not. Brooks do something similar (the Imperial) that you might want to have a look at but I don't know how long it lasts (same basic issues - the more give the faster it stretches).

I'm not sure I'm parsing this correctly, but are you suggesting that a Brooks may not last 4000km? If so, that's completely wrong. My Brooks is somewhere north of 23,000km old and it's just breaking in. OK, that's a joke. It's now brown and not it's original honey colour; and if I have a tragic, disfiguring arse accident, the surgeons will be able to use the imprint on the saddle to recreate it exactly

I couldn't estimate how long my saddle has left, but I doubt it's halfway through it's life. The factory saddle it replaced broke after something less than 7000km, so it's not that I'm gentle on saddles.

OP - give it a go. It will suit you or not. My experience with Brooks was that when I first got it, I was in agony. I adjusted it down a few degrees and then it was ok. It's always just been ok. But that means that when I get on it, it feels rock hard and unforgiving, but not painful. Then 200km up the road, I feel just the same. So it's brilliant, but never "like a sofa", which I've heard other people describe it.

My longest ride (mine is B17S, but I believe it's nearly identical to yours) was 1165km in 4 days. At then end of it, my hands and feet were buzzing and quite numb for a week or 2. I'd retained about 5kg of water, so my ankles were lost and my fingers were like sausages. But my saddle area? Couldn't tell you. It just wasn't an issue.

 

[raleighnut]

The S in B17 S is for 'Special' (printed on side is B17 Champion Special) and the difference is copper riveting and copper plated rails.

 

[jefmcg]

The S in B17 S is for 'Special' (printed on side is B17 Champion Special) and the difference is copper riveting and copper plated rails.

No, it's not.

Q > How do I determine if I need the S model?
A > "S" stands for short, so normally these saddles are for ladies.

also ...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I'm not sure I'm parsing this correctly, but are you suggesting that a Brooks may not last 4000km?

I had read that as the selle not lasting that long. Mind you that is also incorrect because the selle italia gel saddle I went on tour with had already been on my bike for many years before hand, commuting 10-15 miles a day 5 days a week for 4-6 years as well as holidays, a 2 week tour and lasting roughly 13,000km into our arborted round the world attempt before it final have up.

 

[raleighnut]

No, it's not.



also ...

View attachment 62486

They keep adding new models don't they but you missed off the most comfy the B17 narrow (yet another one of the family)

 

[jefmcg]

They keep adding new models don't they but you missed off the most comfy the B17 narrow (yet another one of the family)

Ah, that's because that's on a different page of the website - Road and MTB, not Trekking and Touring.

But the point was, as I hope is clear from the list, that S doesn't mean special. My B17s has black rails and silver (coloured!) rivets.

 

[Pale Rider]

It's always just been ok. But that means that when I get on it, it feels rock hard and unforgiving, but not painful. Then 200km up the road, I feel just the same.

I did a day's ride on a borrowed hybrid with a new Brooks.

@jefmcg experience is identical to my own, the saddle felt harsh, but not exactly uncomfortable, when I got on the bike, and it felt just the same when I got off about six hours later.

I reckon the Brooks would be a good prospect for regular distance rides, as well as being perfectly fine for all other uses.

Were I planning long days in the saddle, day after day, I would be tempted by a Brooks.

 

[byegad]

You either have a Brooks shaped arse or you don't: I don't.

1000 miles on a B17 confirms this, neither do I!

This was before I saw sense and chose to only ride recumbents.

 

[Bikerta]

I have both the B17S ladies version and the mens version B17 and I find I prefer the mens version. As the ladies saddle is a little shorter, I often find myself sitting very close to the nose of the saddle and no matter how long you ride the bike, the nose is never going to soften and is very unforgiving and uncomfortable. The mens is fine for me now that I have put over 2,500 miles on it in the last 6 months. I agree with some of the previous postings that I have never felt that the saddle is like a sofa, but however comfy it is at the beginning of the ride is pretty much the same as it will be at the end of the ride, unlike gel saddles which will be really comfy at the start but gradually become more and more uncomfortable as the ride progresses. I also never suffered with saddle sores on my JOGLE due to the slippery leather surface which reduces friction.

 

[Yellow7]

I have never felt that the saddle is like a sofa, but however comfy it is at the beginning of the ride is pretty much the same as it will be at the end of the ride, unlike gel saddles which will be really comfy at the start but gradually become more and more uncomfortable as the ride progresses.

In my opinion any saddle (for touring) that doesn't have springs is risky. For comfort that matches that of a Sofa, and that which a gel saddle gives (well, at least for the first 2 minutes of sitting on one of those) my advice is to buy a Brooks sprung saddle like the B67. On my present tour I've met a few other tourers whom after stating they'd had saddle sores and numb bums on their bike's I suggested they try my bike for a few kilometres...... they were quite surprised at what difference those big springs actually make - on their bike's they also wore padded shorts which, as with the gel saddle, are great for the first 2 minutes.
Riding on rough roads proves no problem, other tourers having to stand on the pedals over bad patches whilst I - as they commented - stay perched upon my saddle.

Although through a day's ride there will be a small amount of energy loss whilst cycling i.e. bobbing up-n-down, the comfort factor far out-weighs this - in my opinion - negligible effect, the springs are stiff enough so as not to even notice this but some purists say it has an effect, over three tours I've rode just over 43,000 km and would'nt change it for love nor money.

I've read forum replies before with some people saying they don't like Brooks saddles, but with the varying difference in comfort between a non-sprung and a sprung saddle this seems a rather narrow statement to make - unless of course they have compared both types.

I'm presently in Kunming (southern China), a week away from entering Laos where the roads will inevitably become 'slightly' bumpy, I'm glad I've got the ol' B67!

 

[Ruthie]

I love my Brooks B17 on my touring bike, I thought the significant difference was that the ladies' version was slightly wider? My sit bones are pretty narrow anyway, and the men's version is unbelievably comfortable. I found it slippery at first, and kept sliding to the front of the saddle. The narrow bit of the saddle was murder on my genitals. But I persevered (I kind of had to, I broke the saddle in on a tour of Scotland). Riding it in the rain broke it in most effectively, and once my bum had formed dents in the saddle the sliding forward wasn't a problem any more. Saddles are such a personal thing, the only way to see if a saddle suits you is to try it, for a decent distance.

Congratulations on the new bike, I hope you have loads of fun with it!