I've owned five other Brooks saddles (B17 standard, Team Pro, Team Pro Special, Cambium C17) and have not found one better than this for my commutertouring bike.
Pros
- Comfortable from day one and gets better with time
- Absolutely gorgeous. The copper rivets set it apart from others and get better with age with a beautiful patina.
- Durable. I've had one B17 for 3 years and only got rid of it because I sold it with the bike. They last a LONG time.
Cons
- Price. Upgrading to the special is expensive. Honestly, the B17 standard is as comfortable and durable, just less beautiful.
- Susceptible to weather. Don't let this get wet! Leather deteriorates if it gets soaked. Buy a cover or use a plastic bag if you have to. If you don't want the hassle of covering it when parked in the rain, buy a cambium, but you will sacrifice on comfort.
This saddle is great for commuting and touring. For sports cycling like road biking and mountain biking, I would prefer the narrower Team Pro, Swift, or Cambium C17C15.
I rode this saddle on Pac Tour Transcontinental 126mi per day for 25 straight days. You will see LOTS of ultra-distance cyclists on Brooks. And I never had a comfort issue from day one, no break-in needed. (But I know some people do.) Downside it's heavy. Small price to pay for most riders.
Put it on my Lynskey tour bike. Wish I had harder gluteus Maximus or a softer saddle.
I put this saddle on my road bike and immediately felt comfortable. It becomes more comfortable with each ride. I am getting another one for my MTB.
Amazingly comfortable - when I sat on it for the first time, it felt like I had been riding it for years (I have had the same saddle on another bike for the last seven years). The brown color is awesome, too!
Not only is this saddle beautiful, but it is also quite comfortable right out of the box. I know it will be even better as I ride it more, but I can tell you that I am delighted with this purchase! So much better than gel or plastic saddles.
Buy one! You won't regret it. Modern Bike is also a very reliable company! And the brown color is a gorgeous chestnut.
Thanks!!
.I'm 6'2 and weigh 205 lbs. Being a touring rider the B-17 is 2 inches wider than my former Fizik and offers more support without being too cushy.
I have three bike and three B17 seats.
If it works it works
Not my first Brooks but the most comfortable. The Brooks I owned before was the narrower Team Pro and was not wide enough for my seat bones and subsequently not as comfy as it could be.. The B17 special I have now is sheer bliss to sit on right out the box.. At $130 ish delivered it was a great price as well. Long rides are free of any numbness and makes the ride far more enjoyable. I am able to enjoy the ride and not focus on the pain in my arse!!!!!
A great saddle - my second one in only ten years - the price was the best I could find and delivered promptly
After 35 years, and tens of thousands of miles, I finally had to retire my old beloved B17. The new B17 special looks spectacular, and in the next few weeks, will begin to feel spectacular as well. A couple of months of decreasing discomfort will be well worth the next 35 years of comfort. I'm glad I ordered the antique brown, but I think the honey also looks beautiful. Fight dependency on petroleum products! Feel the leather!
You can not beat the comfort and great looks of this seat. It changes the look of your bike instantly to a classic style. The black leather saddle with matching leather bar tape looks and feels great.
The best long distance saddle going - no doubt
I thought I was being a bit nostalgic replacing my road bike saddle with one of these, but there is a reason Brooks still exists. This is a comfortable saddle. Break in can be slow and I did defy Brooks admonishment about using neetsfoot oil in my saddle wax formula. A hair dryer gets the wax right into the leather and within 100 miles the saddle was indeed softer. Past experience did not show increased deterioration of the leather, in fact, my 70s vintage saddle is on my son's city bike right now. Brooks seems to get around the cut out center common on most anatomic saddles by actually making the saddle wide enough so that ones hip bones actually are supported. This is not a fat *** issue. (they have saddles for that, too) These comments also apply to the Pro model, which I also have. BTW, those huge copper rivets on a black saddle are classic!
Okay, no one is a stranger to the Brooks name? So much hype? Is it legit? Yes. The B17 special is so much more than copper rivets. I believe they use a better cut of leather for the specials. I have no evidence of this fact, but I believe them to be superior and more instantaneously comfortable. I own two specials and one standard and both of the specials were buttery soft and very comfortable out of the box. The standard made my buttocks ache for ages. TMI? Well, you asked.
So yeah. If you have a larger posterior, try to measure where your bones hit on your current saddle. Or your saddle width - 155 or larger? Don't get the B17. It will be too narrow for you and you'll never feel comfortable. The Pro and Swift are even narrower. You'll have to go B67 or B68 if you or your baby got back, you dig?
Anyways, if you love leathery, supple, beautiful things and are prone to ride lugged frames and wear tweed, you'll dig this. Guess what? If you rock a fixie and a tiny hat, you will too. Also, if your bike is carbon and you live in a castle built of spandex - you will love the B17 special as well. It will last you your entire life if you treat it well. Don't leave it out in the rain, don't feed it after midnight and don't dip it in anything but Proofide (Brooks special saddle goop.) Sometimes the leather color will transfer onto light colored shorts if you put too much proofide on (psst, it's why cycling shorts are black).
So, if you've read this far - you must really want this thing! Buy it already!
Great seat. Love it. Still breaking it in. Going to treasure.
This saddle is fine in quality, however takes some breaking in. It has been a month of rideing 100 miles a week and it is just beginning to feel tolerable. Several club members have the same saddle and love them. One needs a good pair of bike shorts with good padding to reduce the hard surface until the saddle conforms to you.
