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$Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men\'s$

BLACK

Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's

$120.00

(26)

Item # 784767

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The sporty Brooks B-17 saddle is an excellent choice for touring, century rides, ultra-marathon rides and other demanding types of cycling.

Leather provides natural "give" by stretching and flexing, and because it doesn't need padding, it's a cool option in warm weather
The saddle will age and break in over time
Bag loops permit the use of a traditional English-style touring bag on the rear of the saddle

Imported.

Item 784767

$24.00

with coupon code ANNV13
May 17-27 Details

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Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's

4.5

(based on 26 reviews)

88%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Durable (10)
Comfortable (9)
Good padding (5)

Cons

Heavy (4)

Best Uses

Long rides (16)
Commuting (15)
All around (11)
Mountain biking (3)
Road racing (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid cyclist (18), Commuter (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (19)

Reviewed by 26 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Feb

2013

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Still the best

By Old Dave

from Tumwater, WA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Durable

Cons

Best Uses

All Around
Commuting
Long Rides
Mountain Biking

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

I had a Brooks saddle from 1962 - 1980, then quit cycling. When I bought a Novara Divano last year the stock saddle was killing me, so I went to the old reliable Brooks B-17. This thing is great! First; this thing feels hard, but there is just enough give, right out of the box, for comfort. Second; adjusting is finicky. I have had to make lots of minor shifts to get things just right. Now, I ignore my saddle and just ride my bike - the whole point. Finally, I know this thing is built like a tank. My last Brooks survived incredible abuse and still looked new when I sold it. I expect this one to outlive my bike - heck, it might outlive me.

The only down side to my Brooks B17 is that the rails are too far apart for the bracket that came with my seat bag. I had to jury rig some "hook and loop" stuff to attach the bag under the seat. That is my only issue.

Brooks saddles: still the best.

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

5.0

Comfort Plus

By Biking Hero

from Camarillo, CA

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfort Is The Name

Cons

Best Uses

Touring

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

In 1976 I rode from California to Maine, 6000 miles plus by our route and all of it in a Brooks B-17. Just bought another and I love it.

Comment on this review

Aug

2012

5.0

New Saddle

By Panther the Cycler

from Houston TX

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfort
Dries Quickly
Durable
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Long Rides
Road Racing

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

Had received a Hybrid bike as a gift and it had a nice saddle on it but could never get comfortable so I went to my local REI and asked them to recommend a good saddle and the B-17 from Brooks was there suggestion, yes the cost is high but after a break in period (at least for me) it has become very comfortable and it seems like the more I ride the softer and more comfortable it becomes.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Amazing!

By ericp in NC

from Durham, NC

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

Legend has it these require several hundred miles of break-in. On Sunday, applied Proofide to new saddle per instructions. Mon and Tues had 17+ mile rides. Both were more comfortable than with any other saddle I've used. BTW I am heavy (230) and ride mostly in high end of aerobic range.

This is on a MTB which operates mostly on pavement. When road bike arrives I will transfer this and get another for the MTB. I wish I had done this many years ago.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

The. Best. Saddle.

By Boopie

from Chapel Hill, NC

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfort

Cons

Best Uses

Touring

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

For those in a hurry, here's the Cliff Notes version - BUY THIS SADDLE.

I'm a commuter/tourer who was looking for a saddle that wouldn't kill me after 60 miles. After reading the reviews I decided to give Brooks a try. I'm glad I did. Unlike many people, I found it comfortable right out of the box. As a brand new saddle, it was more comfortable than any of my other three (Selle Italia). I put a couple of light coats of Brooks Proofide on it, logged about 200 miles on 20-milers and then went for a 60-mile ride. Relief at last! I'll never ride anything other than a Brooks B-17.

Comment on this review

May

2012

5.0

Break it it.....and roll

By Jonbrock

from Olympia, WA

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Classic Good Looks
Comfortable
Supportive

Cons

Best Uses

All Around
Commuting

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

My stock seat was absolutely killing me on my daily commutes to work. I commute only 14 miles a day but the stocker was killing me. After talking to a few fellow bike commuters they all talked about this saddle.

Expensive...yeah. Worth it? Every penny. The first few months were tough as I found my way slipping and slidding on the leather and dealing with a hard seat. After the break in period the seat was amazing. I would never go back to anything else after Brooks....awesome quality and comfort. GREAT SADDLE!

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

2.0

For me the worst saddle I've ever ridden

By rangerspdx

from Portland, OR

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Looks

Cons

Heavy
Uncomfortable

Best Uses

Commuting

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

I was very excited when I got this saddle, but after trying constantly in vain to adjust it properly I simply hated it. It has to be the most overrated saddle on the market. I know a lot has to do with personal fit, but looking at a lot of reviews on other forums I think a lot of people are buying into the hype and riding in an uncomfortable saddle.

You should not be putting a lot of pressure on your arms or legs to compensate for the saddle, and this is what I had to do, and what a lot of people I've seen comment say they do.

It takes a lot of miles to break in, which is ok considering that it is durable and will last longer than almost any other saddle on the market, but is a waste if after 500+ miles it is still uncomfortable in every configuration.

Due to the leather it is super slippery when you first get it, and you slide all over. This eventually lessens a bit, but is something to be aware of. This saddle is probably best on an upright cruiser-type bike. As for a road, cross, or somewhat aggressive mountain bike I say stay away unless you can test it first.

This put a huge amount of pressure on my sensitive areas no matter the height or tilt of the saddle. The rails are not as long as most modern saddles, so there is very little room for adjustment. I was always sliding forward, and never got my sit bones anywhere near the rear of the saddle unless I would basically half stand half hold myself back there w/ my arms. I've read a lot of people saying this is what they do, and it makes them a better rider. IMO this is not the proper fit for a saddle, so for me it was no good.

The one good thing about this saddle is that since it is IMO severely overrated you can buy it and resell it without losing too much. For people like me a Fizik or Specialized Toupe is a far superior saddle. My Specialized was head and shoulders above my previous saddle which was decent, and after sitting on this one for a few rides I had to fight myself not to just go buy another, which I eventually did.

Also to note I got a little ruboff of coloring on my shorts, but he manual warns about this, and it may have been to the leather treatment I put on it.

I can't comment on the effect rain has on the saddle because it never really got wet when I rode it, I was lucky enought to have covered parking, had fenders which protected thte bottom.

Most of my rides are commutes or rides < 30 miles, although I sometimes go longer; I usually ride everyday since my bike is my main transportation. I rarely would ride more than 5-10 miles on this saddle before it was so uncomfortable from both the fit and the sliding around that I wanted to go home.

I wasn't paid for this review, and I doubt you could pay me to ride this saddle again. The narrower one looks like it might be slightly better, but for the price I can buy 2 great used saddles.

Comment on this review

Oct

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Wow, it really is that comfortable.

By pdx josh

from Portland, OR

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Commuting
Long Rides

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

I thought the saddle was very comfortable out of the box. I was surprised how comfortable it was when I felt how stiff the seat was. Now that I have used it for a couple months I can feel it starting to loosing up and break in and wow, it is VERY VERY comfortable! Having my last seat stolen was the best thing that has happened to my bike!

Comment on this review

Jun

2011

5.0

Good for long days in the saddle

By Triangle Bike Commuter

from Apex, NC

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable

Cons

Best Uses

Long Rides

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

I have ridden up to 15 hours on this saddle. It seems very hard to the touch, but it was fairly comfortable from the beginning and as it broke in it became unnoticeable. That is a good thing after hours in the saddle. I don't notice any discomfort. I don't find myself trying to shift around while riding either. It is hard for me to imagine getting a bike without a Brooks saddle in the future.

Comment on this review

May

2011

5.0

Nothing Compares to a Brooks

By yoschroe

from Olympia, WA

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable

Cons

Best Uses

All Around
Commuting
Long Rides
Mountain Biking
Road Racing

Comments about Brooks England B-17 Saddle - Men's:

I've owned two Brooks saddles and a half dozen other saddles purported to be unusually comfortable (and fairly expensive at ~$75-$125). I can compare and contrast the merits of my fizik, Selle San Marco, Selle Italia and Avenir saddles as they all strike me as similar products, despite a variety of designs and materials. Some are slightly better than others, some seem to fit me well while others don't, etc.

The Brooks saddles, however, are absolutely incomparable in comfort. Ranking them with the other saddles I've experienced would be utterly silly. It would feel like comparing Mickey Mantle to a Little Leaguer.

I've toured the Pacific Coast of the United States on a B17. My backside wouldn't have survived the trip on any other saddle I've tried. I'll be cycling the Transamerica route this summer atop a B17 or a Champion Flyer (the sprung version of the B17).

I realize that other companies are now manufacturing similar, leather saddles. I suspect that some of these saddles do or someday will rival Brooks' quality. Unfortunately, though, many are manufactured with lower quality materials and fail to provide the same comfort. Until another company manufacturing leather saddles builds an extremely strong reputation, I won't risk straying from Brooks' product line.

BUY A BROOKS! Once you break it in, you'll understand.