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For Brooks B17 Imperial, 239 customer reviews collected from 3 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.7.

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4.7.2014

This is one of Two Brooks Saddles that I purchased. The first one is a Swift Saddle by Brooks. The second was the B17.The reason I purchased these saddles is due to the theory that they act like a hammock (leather suspended by a frame with no support directly under the leather) this is supposed to cushion your Butt on long or short rides. The reason this is so is because the leather flexes like a shock absorber. Not sure if the leather saddle molds to your Butt?I must say that my purpose for the B17 because of the large surface area is for my early Spring riding. The saddle is larger and therefore will be more comfortable. So basically get rid of your huge Gel Seats because this will replace that and offer more style and comfort.The B17 is also smaller that those Gel Seats in general. Once your Butt gets used to the pressure on your Butt Bones you can move onto the more sport oriented Swift saddle. Well at least that is my plan.If you have a real sport rode bike the B17 will look a little dorky! Honestly I like it and so does my Butt so I don't care. I need all the help I can get early in the season. Remember it is still smaller than those big Gel seats. The B17 in my opinion is a better alternative.I mentioned the Swift saddle by Brooks. Well that is the Saddle I have been using now that my Butt is accustom to riding. It looks like a sport saddle but retro. They are in my opinion a work of art and truly beautiful.Now you may ponder the thought of a Titanium frame Vs. Steel? Well the Titanium Saddles are at least $200.00 more and drop the weight by 1/2 pound. If you feel a half pound is worth an extra $200.00 then go for it. For me it is not.How too decide if you want a B17 or a Swift? Well you can do what I did and purchase one of each but if you only want one saddle then here's how you decide.....Basically if your handle Bars are lower than your seat/saddle then go with the Swift because it has no skirt and if your riding with low handle bars your in sport mode and the skirt of the B17 will rub your Thighs in that riding position. If your Handlebar position is equal too or higher than your saddle then go with the B17 or the Swift.Breaking in your Saddle by Brooks????? That will be different for everyone. What I did is purchase the Proof hide conditioner. I rub it with my Fingers under the saddle and on top. Placed in Sun Light after it was absorbed I put another coat on top of saddle then went for a 40 mile ride. Came home put another coat on etc. I did this three times riding in between coats. Basically do not go by mileage put in the saddle, use Time it is better because will all ride at different speeds so basically boils down to time. Well I just finished a Five Hour ride this past Sunday and that basically did it. It is broken in. I must say that I experienced no Numbness at all which I have experienced in the Past on other saddles and my Butt felt great.I must mention that there are other models of Brooks Saddles B17, B15, Swift etc.
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2.3.2020

This listing is unclear about whether it's for the Champion Standard or the Champion Narrow model, but luckily I have both and what I have to say applies equally to the two of them (and also the Team Pro Imperial and Swift). I've been using Brooks saddles (I now have 5) on my rotating fleet of daily bikes for 4 years now and I absolutely adore them. I wouldn't look at anything else. My oldest has well over 1000 miles on it and is on its second bike and it still looks wonderful. I have given the tension nut about 1/2 turn in that time.They come out of the box very hard, but they do soften with use and regular proofiding and become extremely comfortable, that process takes a few hundred miles.I've also found that the colour gets deeper and warmer with use (my saddles are all Honey coloured), which is nice. They look beautiful.Care is very important. You should apply proofide every 3-6 months whether you ride the bike or not, and possibly more if you ride very long distances. You should also keep a plastic bag under the saddle. Never ride a saddle with a plastic bag over it, but do put a bag over the saddle when you park the bike as rain is not your friend. You must not ride on a drenched saddle so if the rain gets it, you're walking home (it should be fine once it's dried out, but wet leather can tear). You also need to make sure you tension it as it stretches, it isn't a lot, but if you let it go slack it won't last as long (or be as comfortable).Obviously crashing your bike or letting it fall will scuff the saddle in a way which can't be repaired, but it has to be a very very bad scuff to damage it structurally.I haven't had any trouble fitting my saddles, though all of mine are attached to old fashioned clamps on vintage British roadsters.
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21.7.2014

The cutout on this saddle is extremely helpful. The laces come rather taught and I found that by loosening them before the break-in period made the process less uncomfortable. While it is unlaced, spend the extra money and follow Brooks' recommendation and use their Proofide oil on the underside and top of the non-aged leather saddle. Brooks recommends you apply it sparingly, but coming from the school that more is better, I lavash it on all my Brooks saddles and wipe it down the next AM. Perhaps Brooks is concerned excess Proofide will stain your shorts and you well may, but there are other stain sources down there much more offensive. You will notice that Proofide seems to smell a bit rancid not too long after purchase.I'm guessing adding preservatives would hamper its purpose, but don't quote me on this. The odor isn't noticeable once applied and as mentioned before, there are other odor sources in the area which are again much more offensive.At the same time I was breaking in this Imperial B17, I was breaking in a pre-aged, allegedly pre-softened Honey B17. I used the same liberal application of Proofide on both and forgot something while doing so...DO NOT APPLY PROOFIDE TO THE TOP OF A PRE-AGED/SOFTENED SADDLE IF YOU WISH IT TO KEEP ITS COLOR. My Honey saddle quickly became dark and blotchy...however, since I keep my sweaty butt on my saddles when in use, I really don't notice. The saddle aged nicely after that. Butt you've been warned.Face it, all leather saddles require break-in and the tail bones pay the price, butt these saddles are worth it.
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7.10.2014

I had been pondering purchasing a B-17 for years. As I get older and less "racey" I find I am liking these more traditional cycling products. I wanted to use a Carradice Saddle bag on my touring bike, this uses the cargo loops found on traditional saddles like Brooks (most modern saddles don't have them), so I thought I would go the whole hog and get the B-17 too.Firstly I love the look of this saddle, its like a work of art, and its traditional style looks great on my steel touring bike. The first thing you notice is how hard the leather is - scarily hard! This worried me. So far I have only done 2 fifty mile rides on this and both times my bum felt like I had done a century. However,when I remember to sit right back in the saddle it's very comfortable on my sit bones, it's just that during riding one tends to work forward onto the middle of the saddle, and this puts pressure on your perineum (thats where I get the discomfort). I imagine that over time the saddle will have more give, and I will get into the habit of pushing myself to the back. I have angled the nose up to try and stop myself moving forward but this hasn't helped much as it's quite a slippery surface at present.I am going to stick with this as I do like this saddle, and I love using saddlebags rather than racks and panniers.I have been cycling for at least 30 years and have never found a saddle that doesn't give me at least some discomfort through prolonged use.I think it's just a case of getting used to it, as with most saddles.
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7.10.2010

I bought this to replace the stock seat on my 2009 Trek 1.5. The Trek's Bontrager seat was absolutely killing me. Rides were very uncomfortable, painful even. And that's with wearing gel shorts. After some research, I decided to gamble on this expensive Brooks Saddle. Well, I'm glad I did. The saddle exceeded my expectations in every category. It is extremely comfortable, despite being less than 1/2" wider than the Bontrager seat. It also has a shock-absorbing design that improves stability. It's comfortable for long rides, too. My rides range from 10 miles to 40 miles. Due almost entirely to this seat, I increased my riding time by almost 40% over last year. In fact I road almost every day all summer.This increased exercise led me drop to my weight by nearly 18% in around six months, which was my goal. Wouldn't have happened without this saddle. I also bought the matching leather grip tape. The saddle was easy to install and took just about five mins. The grip tape was installed at a bike shop. Together, they also make the bike look about 100x cooler than the stock version, which had a white (at least they were white for the first week) seat and grip tape. Bottom line this is a really great saddle, definitely worth the money. I will always use Brooks saddles on any future bikes. A+
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9.6.2013

I've been wanting a B17 saddle for my bike ever since my wife got a Flyer S for herself. The B17 and Flyer share the same leather top, but the Flyer has springs while the B17 does not.There's no denying the comfort this saddle provides, especially after breaking it in for a few miles. The B17 Special I got happens to look gorgeous, too, with polished copper plating on the rails and copper hand-hammered rivets. The weight isn't terribly impressive, but it's not objectionable either. The price might be a bit steep for some, but this is actually a mid-range product from Brooks. High quality saddles cost a lot of money, no matter what manufacturer makes it. For me,the money was well worth it.My only real gripe is with the lack of fore/aft adjustment. There's less than an inch of adjustment available on the rails. This is surprisingly little, and can make fitting the cockpit challenging and expensive. Instead of just sliding the saddle front/back to get the proper fit, you'll need to buy a setback seatpost, or a longer stem, etc. If it weren't for that one issue, I'd probably give this product the full 5 stars.
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26.8.2012

After more than 10 years ago my bicycle was stolen together with a "mounted" Brooks saddle, I did not think of buying a new Brooks saddle anymore. The recurring pain of the most important, combined with a feeling of numbness after driving over 20 km, reminded me of the good experience with my Brooks-saddle and made me move to a new one. I thought this was going to drag on. Probably also because the saddle after a 100 km long ride in three days still looks like on the day, I took it fresh from the box. But I do not have any significant pain, just a slight pull on resuscitation, which is not noticeable when driving and sitting. This is by no means comparable with the previous gel saddles.I was very reluctant to go back the next day. I was really looking forward to the Brooks saddle. And I could continue and drive: the legs become heavy but not the butt. I had the second bike for another bike with Bruegelmann ordered (which was a lot cheaper than the first!).
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14.2.2015

I've only had this saddle for a couple weeks, but it is already the most comfortable saddle I've ever owned. Granted, I'm not your average human; I am 6'8" and weight 260lbs. I imagine that my frame will break in the leather a little more quickly than the average cyclist. Nevertheless, this saddle it great. I treated mine with proofide as directed and I didn't ride it for 4 days after the proofide had been applied. The seat is very comfortable, and places the least amount of pressure on my perianal area of any seat I have owned. If I had one suggestion to make about this seat it would be BUY IT DIRECT FROM BROOKS. My best friend and riding partner bought this seat from one of our lbs,and his is much more firm and the leather seems to be much drier than mine. Probably sat on the shelf for a while. Oh, and he's 6'4 " and around 200lbs, so not a light rider either. Overall, I'm very happy with the seat. Worth the money to not be numb after 10 miles.
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25.3.2017

I have been wanting one of these saddles after seeing them on the Public Bike web site, but didn't want to shell out so much money for such a simple appearing saddle. After checking on Amazon, I found this one and decided to give it a try. This is a really great bike seat with eyeholes for laces (which are included, just not shown in the picture) and a comfort cutout in the center. I applied the included proofide saddle dressing as instructed, the attached this to my bike. I let the proofide dry on the upper part, then buffed off. On my first ride, I think I had the seat tilted up too much in the front as I kept sliding back, so I readjusted the seat making it more level and have now found a new level of comfort on my bike.After just those two rides, I cannot comprehend how this simple seat can work so well. I would recommend this saddle for anyone wanting a comfortable and stylish ride. Highly recommended.
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16.9.2020

This is my third Brooks saddle of this same model. I installed this one on my stationary spin bike and have about sixty hours of use on it. Although saddles and comfort are a largely personal matter, I found this saddle to be comfortable from the first day. Now that it is broken in it is even more comfortable than before. I have found that foam saddles tend to be comfortable in the beginning but the comfort deteriorates with use. Brooks saddles, in my experience, are the opposite as they become more comfortable with use. The only slight negative with this lighter colored one is that it has become darker in the areas where it got soaked with perspiration. From what I understand,the entire saddle will eventually become darker with use. My Brooks saddles that started as a darker color haven’t changed color. I am very happy with my Brooks saddles and expect to get years more use out of them all.
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15.11.2010

I got this seat for a restored 1985 Trek 720 Touring bike, which originally had a Team Pro saddle. Unfortunately the Team Pro saddle was out of my price range, but this honey-tinted copper-riveted saddle looks better and feels as good as the original saddle. I love leather saddles--the extra weight is not a problem in my case, since I'll be riding a bike loaded with panniers, but even so, the fact that Brooks saddles mold to your own anatomy over time and offers flex at the base of the saddle is worth the extra weight. Most saddles have a plastic shell that doesn't give until the shock reaches your L4 & L5 discs in your spine. There are some alternatives like Fizik, which uses a special base that flexes,but that saddle won't get better with age. If you are restoring a classic bike or want pure comfort and style, go with a Brooks.
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25.1.2014

I have tried a number of well respected saddles on my Giant TCX2 but I think this beats them in looks and comfort. This is the ultimate saddle in many ways. Not only will you be buying a piece of British cycling history, it's still made in Britain by a small team of dedicated craftsmen. The quality of workmanship is outstanding. It makes me proud to be British. If I won the lottery I'd buy loads of them! It's such a thing of beauty I'd happily put it on my mantlepiece if I didn't need it on the bike. You may read reports that it's uncomfortable until broken in. Opinions vary on the break in time from 100 miles to 1000 miles. It is true that the more miles you do the more comfortable it gets but it is pretty comfy from the off.Look after it and it will outlive you. Highly recommended.
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5.8.2013

It seems counter intuitive to think that an unpadded leather saddle can be as comfortable or more so than some of the higher end gel filled saddles. But, it is absolutely the truth. This is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden on. All of the literature recommends that you reserve your judgement until you have ridden on it for 200 miles. However, I found it to be very comfortable from day 1. The stock saddle on my Trek bike left my butt sore after every ride. My first ride on the Brooks B-17 produced no soreness. Now, after 200 miles, it feels even better. Don't forget to buy the Brooks Maintenance Kit with Proofide leather dressing as it is imperative to follow the proper break-inprocedures in order to get the most mileage and comfort out of these saddles.
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1.7.2011

I have for years used the latest saddles with light weight rails and special cut outs and padding. Every two years or so the padding breaks down and the comfort goes away. I have always thought people with these old fashioned saddles were crazy. This year i purchased a classic steel frame and decided i would give the Brooks experience a try. I choose the special edition because i liked the look of the hammered copper rivets. When i frst put the saddle on my bike i had the seat fairly level and i kept sliding forward. I talked to a few "Brooks guys" and they all said tilt the nose up a bit. This seemed odd but I tried it anyway.After the first month of breaking the saddle in i can say the ride feels better than any of the other products i have ever used.
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19.5.2020

I found the standard saddle on my bike a little too hard and I don't want to search out cycling shorts every time I want to jump on the bike for a ride. I bought the Brookes as it came with good recommendations and also suited my ride. When I first put it on it was hard, however after a few weeks of riding it started to wear in and now after a year of riding it is really comfortable. I followed the instructions and as recommended treat the saddle with Proofride and I am sure that this has kept the saddle supple and in excellent condition. Despite the initial cost I would highly recommend, just be patient with the breaking in period which shouldn't take more than a few weeks,and this is worth it for the comfort you will experiance when it's broken in.
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