Brooks Heritage Saddles B17 Standard Aged Saddle - Men's Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Classic Brooks B17 has a lot going for it. Mine is a Honey colored classic. It took me about 500 miles to break it in. I sped the process up with inundating in a substance I will not describe. I risked ruining the saddle, but the treatment seemed to set it in nicely. Be careful with advice to speed the break-in. You can ruin it. I'm a 165# male, FWIW.
The saddle for me, is very comfortable on the sit bones once it settles in. However, I recently changed my riding position, lowering my handlebar to a more aggressive stance, and I can no longer use it. I was recently 'fitted' by a professional to address other issues I was having on my bike.
Especially on the drops the Brooks caused problems. One one-hour ride and my 'taint, as they say, was screaming. It's a day after my ride and I still feel something a urologist could explain better than I. I've also had urological issues towards the ends of very long rides (60 miles and up) when your form and technique start to degrade.
I gave the saddle 4 stars since it is a classic and is still the last word for long distance riders whose handlebars are pretty much level with the top of the saddle, and who rarely need to use the drop position on their bike.
That said, using heavily padded shorts and bibs may exacerbate the soft tissue problems while improving sit-bone comfort.
Where is my saddle now? It's on my hybrid commuter where I "SIT" on the Brooks in a more upright position. If I had a Trek 520 or LHT, it would still be on my road bike.
It's not for everyone, but if it is for you, you will be one of the many many true believers. Just watch out for the 'taint!
Saddle selection is famously anecdotal. But the Brooks B-17 is certainly worth your time if you're a serious tourer. The saddle holds it's value very well, and even if you don't like it after-all, I doubt you'd sell it. I'm not selling it!
Happy trails.

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Get used to idiots making lame comments about grundle-suffering when you bolt a Brooks B17 Aged Standard Saddle to your two-wheeled partner. To those not in the know, cracking jokes about a hard-looking torture device of a saddle is hee-larious. Just grin and bear it, and make a comment about your tougher-than-average nether region. Keep to yourself the fact that this supple, handmade leather saddle has conformed to your posterior and provides more comfort than the boobtube-addicted, comedy-genius' worn-out couch.Product Features
Cover: leather
Shell:
Rails: Cro-Moly
Seat Length:
Seat Width: 170 mm
Compatible Components:
Weight: 525 g
Recommended Use: cycling
Manufacturer Warranty:

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Brooks Heritage Saddles Proofide Leather Dressing Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the one and ONLY proprietary treatment for Brooks Bicycle Saddles directly from the manufacturer. Brooks doesn't recommend using anything else -this is the only treatment they say to use. Perhaps this is gospel, but read on.
A leather bicycle saddle is a different application compared to just about any other leather product. The leather itself is the stressed load-bearing item -unlike a horse saddle where the leather sits on the horse (and maybe some inside material that makes it thicker and stiff). The leather on the Brooks bicycle saddle is suspended between the nose of the saddle and the rivets in the back. It's bearing ALL of your weight that you put into it by sitting on the saddle. You don't want to put any overly-oily product on it that will soften the saddle TOO much or the fibers of the saddle will relax and slide past each other and then stretch -which would be bad and require you to adjust the tension, and you only have so much tension to adjust before that runs out. Once leather stretches it doesn't want to stop. BAD BAD BAD.
So don't use the wrong treatment or you'll ruin the leather -and don't use TOO MUCH of the proofide either as you can also cause it to get over-saturated and damage the leather. Use it sparingly -the larger tin should last you for many, many years and the small tin should last nearly as many. If you are using as much as a teaspooon for one treatment you are probably using way too much.
I give it a 4-star rating only because it is TOO EXPENSIVE for what it is (not all that different than saddle soap but a slightly different ratio of cow fat, oils, and beeswax.) You might save a few pennies a year by using saddle soap but after paying so much money for a Brooks saddle the price of the proofide is nothing -especially how little you should be using.
Proofide doesn't make your saddle water-proof either. You still need to cover it when it rains, even when you are riding on it. This isn't water-proofing, it's a long-term conditioner that shouldn't be over-used.
Use another product at your own risk. Is it worth it on a saddle that costs so much in the first place? That's just not Cricket!

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After you get a new leather saddle, treat it with the Brooks Heritage Proofide Leather Dressing to help along the breaking in process. Just apply a little Proofide to the finished side of your leather saddle, let it soak in and dry, and then polish it off. Brooks Heritage specially formulated this dressing from natural ingredients to condition, protect, and add water-resistance to your leather saddle. Once your saddle is broken in, it's a good idea to reapply this dressing every three to six months.Product Features
Ingredients: Tallow, cod oil, vegetable oil, paraffin wax, beeswax, citronella oil
Size: 40g
Recommended Use: Conditioning leather saddles
Manufacturer Warranty:

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