B17 Bike Saddle - Handmade Leather Bike Seat (Steel, Titanium, Copper)

I was expecting to spend a while breaking this saddle in, but found it very comfortable from the start. It may have helped that I'm used to firm saddles (my other saddle is a Specialized Romin). After 100 miles I reached a new level of comfort as it started to mould to my body. Two dimples started to form around my sit bones, and I found myself naturally settling into a comfortable position on every ride. I felt well supported at the rear, and crucially this kept pressure off the softer tissues that would otherwise be resting on the front of the saddle. During a recent tour I cycled 30-40 miles each day for two weeks; at the end of each day my legs and arms were tired but I didn't feel sore on the saddle. It is also comfortable on my 5 mile daily commute. Some disadvantages: Bear in mind it's best not to keep a leather saddle outdoors in the rain (you could always cover it with a plastic bag I suppose), and unfortunately I've heard about someone's Brooks being stolen off their bike when they locked it to a railing in London. Also you should need to spend ten minutes every few weeks rubbing it with proofide, and there are lighter saddles out there if you are anxious to shave every possible gramme of weight from your bike. Overall this is a very good saddle and I would definitely recommend it to a friend. Finally if you buy one, please read Sheldon Brown's article about leather saddles [...] and don't play around with the tension adjustment screw. Also I'd think twice about following advice from the reviewer below who tenderised his saddle with a hammer!

It’s a superb saddle. Needs some care for the year round commute. The cover will be necessary if it’s always rainy.

This is my favourite saddle. Give it 50 miles and a coat of linseed oil on the inside face of the leather. The seat will mould to your shape and you WILL be comfortable.

We all know that a Brooks B17saddle is not an inexpensive purchase, but their comfort once broken is is legendary and they gave a habit of lasting for years. Saddle comfort has always been the limiting factor in my ability to ride longer distances, and I’d tried all kinds of saddles made from synthetics and gels etc, but 8-10 miles was enough to have me wishing it was over. Overall, I’ve almost certainly spent more on inferior saddles than I would have spent if I’d just bought a Brooks in the first place! My saddle was supplied without any Proofide, which was an inconvenience because you have to treat the leather prior to use. I believe that once upon a time they were supplied with a small sachet of it so you could use it straight away, but sadly this no longer appears to be the case. However, once I’d sorted some, it was applied over the underside of the saddle and left whilst the top was also treated but then polished off as directed. A quick try in the garden wasn’t very promising, as the surface of the saddle was super slippery. I knew this wasn’t down to the Proofide, as I had also given it a quick try whilst waiting for the Proofide to be delivered. A quick internet search later, and it would seem that saddle angle is super critical - my fault for not checking this properly first and just doing it by eye. I adjusted the saddle with a spirit level to get it completely horizontal and tried again. Perfect this time, and the slippery feel was no longer an issue. I took the bike out for a quick shakedown ride, as I’d also fitted an adjustable stem and made a few other adjustments so I was carrying a few tools. 16 miles later, I remembered I’d told the wife I’d be back in a few minute . . . oops! Now, bearing in mind this saddle has by no means been broken in, the fact that I’ve instantly been stable to double my time in the saddle instantly bodes very well for the future, but I’m more than happy with my purchase. I just have two negative points to make. 1. A sachet of Proofide included would be a welcome touch 2. Quality control could be improved upon. The rivets have been poorly finished, especially on the underside and the top of the saddle was marked Neither of these are a deal breaker, but a little disappointing on a premium product. Would I buy it again? Sure, but I really don’t think I’ll ever need to. Every product I review is one I have purchased myself. I rely on unbiased reviews when making shopping choices so that’s exactly what you’ll get from me. If you do find my review useful, please click on the Helpful button. Thanks

There's no guarantee that this (or any) saddle will be comfortable you - we're all different shapes and you'd have to try it - but in terms of quality it is exceptionally well constructed. Its heavy so not one for those looking to build a lightweight bike, but for everyone else its hard to fault the construction, this feels like it will last forever. It also comes beautifully boxed and wrapped. It suits someone who rides in a relatively upright riding position - if your pelvis is rotated forwards (aggressive riding position) then it is noticeably less comfortable. I found that getting fit was important, since the leather is relatively slippy and doesn't grip your shorts in position as synethic saddle materials do

The best. Though I do make an adaptation to it by cutting out a slot that was shown to me by people who ride many 100s of miles on most of their rides - see photo - and I've done this with both my brooks saddles, and each one has taken mabe a 100 miles to break in before achieving total comfort. The pic is of my 5yr old saddle as the new one is on my bike at the caravan. It's a nervy time making this cut but if done carefully with a Stanley knife it allows (for me) an improved blood flow and a great reduction in pressure on what are called your public tuberosities - and you'll have to look that up to find the spot where those are re located, but if there feels more to saddle soreness than you thought possible, then this could be the route you need to follow. Expensive if you mess it up, but amazon's price was one of the best. You will need to buy some proofide as it only comes with one sachet, and you need to apply it after each ride for the first 100m or so. This is the only saddle I've ever found to have extreme levels of comfort (when broken in) and a can't imagine how many £'s I've spent buying lightweight saddles that have never worked for me. I'd rather be sat in comfort than be worry about saving a few ounces of weight. On the other hand. If your entering the tour de France, please ignore all of the above.

Great saddle. Need some time to break in. Once break in its perfect.

Ich habe mir einen langen Wunsch erfüllt und mir diesen Sattel gekauft. Er ist für das Standardmodell zwar teuer, aber Moderne hochwertige Sättel von Selle Royal sind weitaus teurer. In so fern ist das Preis Leistungsverhältnis dieses Sattels sehr gut. Erst wenn es Sondermodelle sein sollen, wird es bei Brooks unverhältnismäßig teuer. Dieser Sattel ist der bequemste, den ich je hatte und ich fahre viel und hab viele Sättel getestet. Ich fahre ihn auf einem ungefederten Straßenfahrrad und hab im Gegensatz zu meinem MTB mit Gelsattel nie Probleme gehabt. Dieses wird demnächst auch einen Brooks abbekommen Viele sagen, der Sattel muss erst mindestens 500km eingefahren werden, bevor tatsächlich angenehm wird, bei mir war er von Anfang an bequem und wurde nur besser. Ich möchte keinen anderen mehr haben. Zumal die Optik wirklich was her macht. Natürlich muss das Leder auch mal gepflegt werden, aber einmal alle paar Monate einfetten reicht. Nachspannen muss man erst nach Bedarf, Werkzeug ist dabei. Bei guter Pflege wird er aber auch sehr lange halten, viel länger als moderne Sättel.

Ich habe mir den BROOKS England B17 Herrensattel in Schwarz für mein Faltfahrrad gekauft, weil ich nach einem Sattel gesucht habe, der nicht nur gut aussieht, sondern auch langlebig und komfortabel ist – auch auf längeren Touren. Und ich muss sagen, dieser Sattel hat meine Erwartungen in vielerlei Hinsicht erfüllt, aber man muss ihm Zeit geben. Die Einlaufzeit: Das ist der wichtigste Punkt, den man wissen muss: Ein Brooks B17 ist kein Sattel, den man auspackt und sofort eine bequeme Fahrt hat. Die ersten 200 bis 300 Kilometer waren eine echte Geduldsprobe. Der Sattel ist aus dickem, robustem Leder und fühlt sich anfangs sehr hart an. Es drückt, es zwickt, und man fragt sich, ob sich die Investition gelohnt hat. Aber nach und nach, durch die Wärme und das Gewicht des Körpers, passt sich das Leder an die individuelle Anatomie an. Man sollte ihn regelmäßig mit dem mitgelieferten Brooks Proofide pflegen, das hilft dem Einlaufprozess. Der Komfort nach der Einlaufzeit: Nachdem die Einlaufphase vorbei ist, verwandelt sich der Sattel. Er ist nicht mehr hart, sondern bietet eine perfekte, unterstützende Sitzfläche, die genau auf mich zugeschnitten ist. Das Leder gibt leicht nach und federt die kleinen Stöße und Vibrationen der Straße oder des Trails ab. Ich kann jetzt stundenlang fahren, ohne dass es unangenehm wird. Verarbeitung und Qualität: Die Qualität ist einfach unschlagbar. Der Sattel ist handgefertigt und fühlt sich unglaublich solide an. Das dicke Kernleder, die massiven Stahlnieten und das robuste Gestell strahlen eine Wertigkeit aus, die man bei modernen Kunststoffsätteln vergeblich sucht. Ich bin mir sicher, dass dieser Sattel mich die nächsten zehn Jahre oder länger begleiten wird, wenn ich ihn gut pflege. Design: Optisch ist der Brooks B17 ein echter Hingucker. Das zeitlose, klassische Design in Schwarz passt perfekt zu meinem Mountainbike und verleiht ihm einen Hauch von Vintage-Eleganz. Es ist ein Sattel, der eine Geschichte erzählt und sich von der Masse abhebt. Fazit: Der BROOKS England B17 ist eine Investition, die sich auszahlt, wenn man bereit ist, die anfängliche Einlaufzeit in Kauf zu nehmen. Wer sofortigen Komfort sucht, ist hier falsch. Wer aber einen Sattel fürs Leben möchte, der mit der Zeit immer besser wird, extrem langlebig ist und durch seine klassische Ästhetik überzeugt, der wird mit dem Brooks B17 sehr glücklich. Es ist mehr als nur ein Sattel – es ist ein treuer Begleiter, der mit der Zeit immer bequemer wird. Von mir gibt es eine klare Empfehlung für alle, die Geduld und Wert auf Qualität legen.

This is my 3rd Brooks (two B17 and one B15) and like my previous saddles I've been lucky that they have been comfortable straight from the box. My oldest Brooks is now like sitting on my favourite armchair , these are the best saddles in the world, if they're not comfortable when you first start riding, perciver, you won't regret it.

Quando la provi non la cambi più!