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.

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,

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.

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,

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,

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.

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-in

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.

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,

29.1.2012

This saddle is a replacment for another Brooks saddle I purchased about six months ago to go with my Trek 2.3. It was a Brooks Swift saddle that cost more than this one, but I bought the Swift thinking it was a narrow saddle that matched the type I already had. I was afraid a larger saddle would restrict my thigh action while peddling. The Swift actually was rubbing a very sore area beween my legs no matter how I adjusted it. I was advised when I was first was looking for a new sadddle to get the B17. I wish now I had listened beacuse this new B17 is working out perfectly. I am not knocking the Swift saddle...it is just I am a heavy set guy and the wider saddle is much more comfortable and

17.8.2011

It is really difficult to justify spending so much money on a bike seat. However, after using the Brooks Saddle for ~4 months on my touring bike, which I use for commuting to work, I am sold on this saddle.I've been comfortable on 50+ mile days with bike shorts. The leather is high quality and provides a low-friction surface. I can definitely see this seat lasting for years with the proper maintenance. The copper looks great, but the only downside is that you have to clean and polish it if you want to keep it from oxidizing. I still think it looks much better than the black rivets would have.Tip of the hat to Brooks. A+

13.7.2017

A thing of beauty. The copper rivets set it apart. The saddle is obviously stiff when new but it's still better than the one that came with the bike. Absorbs the bumps better and looks classy on my red road bike with flat risers. I bought some Brooks Proofide to help it break in. I can move it to the next bike, so it's a worthy investment.I ordered the Brooks honey leather slim grips to match, but they are too expensive for what they really are, especially with my bar ends and mirror, so I have returned them to wrap the existing grips and bar ends in Brooks microfibre bar tape in honey instead.

14.8.2015

I've bought a few Brooks saddles as I have Brooks on all my (five) current bikes and on most of those I've had in the past.I opted for the B17 standard width as it was for a single-speed with quite an upright riding position. I have subsequently bought a B17 narrow for a road bike and the back of the saddle is about 25mm narrower which works better with drop bars. I really like the honey colour which looks very classy and I'm sure will look even better with use.The B17 special does look lovely with its large copper rivets, and has been very comfortable even from the first ride.

16.9.2015

Previously bought a B17 with steel rivets and a Brooks prof with copper rivets. The B17 is much more comfortable than the Pro as the Pro is harder. However, the steel rivets tend to rust and its an eyesore. The big copper rivets on the Pro is very beautiful but not as comfortable. Hence I decided to buy this special saddle that has the best of both world; hopefully. Havent tested out yet due to bad weather here. But the plated copper is a real beauty. It became the centre piece of my bike. Very glad that I made this decision.

12.10.2019

Superb quality with a copperised under frame and rivets.Comes complete with a sachet of Proofide, Brook's own recommended leather treatment to assist with breaking in.AND a waterproof cover, saving pounds in buying one separately.Guaranteed for ten years which Brooks will honour even if you don't have a receipt as the manufacturing date is stamped on the underside of the saddle.Now looking forward to fitting it tomorrow and going out for a L O N G ride to start the process breaking it in.

Brooks B17 Special - Reviews

Info

Analysis