Brooks Saddle -- which one?

I want to take the plunge. The question is -- which one?
I ride a Raleigh One Way. My handle bars almost nearly even with my seat so I am not riding in an upright position, but I am in road biking position. However, I ride this bike for commuting and am more interested in riding comfortably at a moderate pace; and I am female. Navigating the Brooks website is somewhat cumbersome. Also, any dealers in Chicago? Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by justJason on September 27, 2008 at 7:16am

Try Cycle Smithy. I was there yesterday and noticed they had a woman's Brooks model in stock. Also, you could call Wallingford bikes (wallbikes.com), talk to Bill and see if he can offer any advice. They also offer an unconditional guarantee with their Brooks saddles.

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Permalink Reply by vxla on September 27, 2008 at 9:05am

They're comfortable after a break-in period...pretty much moreso than any other saddle on the market.

The best deals I've found are at Lickton's in Oak Park. Their prices beat anyones (though they sometimes don't have the models you're looking for).

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Permalink Reply by justJason on September 27, 2008 at 5:03pm

My ass has spent a helluva lot of time on saddles in three decades of cycling, and none have been more accommodating out of the box like a Brooks B-17. And after the break-in period (which is pretty much overly exaggerated), you get a proper, comfy ass hammock that's perfectly formed to your posterior. The only other saddle that has come close is the old Avocet leather "racing" model that's no longer in production.

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Permalink Reply by Chucko on September 27, 2008 at 5:13pm

The Brooks B17 is pretty much my favorite saddle in existence. The only reason I don't have one on all of my bikes is that I don't think I'd want one on beaters I lock up all day outside in the city.

They're comfortable because when you spend time in them, they eventually mold themselves to the shape of your posterior. That means the pressure is distributed evenly to the parts of your body resting on the saddle.

Brooks makes a B17 women's version, which I believe has a shorter nose and wider tail. It doesn't have anything to do with the size of women's asses, but rather the distance between the sit bones- those two points of your pelvis that usually bear the brunt of pressure while you're sitting.

Plastic saddles can have good foam cushioning to help with pressure, but in the end they cannot mold themselves to the perfect shape of your ass like a good Brooks can.

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Permalink Reply by vxla on September 27, 2008 at 5:15pm

I've got two Brooks Professionals, but I recently tried a B-17, which was quite nice (and much more comfortable, new). The Pro models take 300-400 miles to break-in, but you can speed that up by laying a damp cloth on the saddle for 30 minutes prior to riding, and then riding with dark shorts/pants.

Any saddle dealer you go to should give you a money back guarantee...make sure you talk to them about that first and ride on it for a day. If you don't like it, exchange it for something else.

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Permalink Reply by justJason on September 27, 2008 at 5:17pm

Preach it, brother!!

(Feel like a quick brew or 2 at the Hop Leaf?)

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Permalink Reply by Weir's beard on March 30, 2009 at 9:23pm

Funny this thread is active today. I just got my Brooks swift in the mail today. Gonna go on my new Engin 29er once I get it built and painted.

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Permalink Reply by Dottie on March 30, 2009 at 10:26pm

B17S womens. I'll be buying this soon for my new bike that's on the way. I have the B67 for my fully upright Dutch bike (soooo comfy), but that's not what you need, of course. My husband has the regular B17 on his Jamis Coda Sport and loves it. Rapid Transit and Dutch Bike Chicago both carry Brooks, though I'm not sure which models exactly. If you can't get it local, you can order it from Velo Orange. http://www.velo-orange.com/brb1forwo.html

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Permalink Reply by alex on March 30, 2009 at 11:41pm

I use the B17 and it is comfortable and looks awesome. To help with the break in period i wrapped it in aluminum foil (off the bike and upside down) and filled it with baseball glove conditioning oil for half hour. Dried it and went on a long ride. Gotta work on that ass groove for a bit but its worth it.

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Permalink Reply by leftovers on April 1, 2009 at 6:35am

i use the B17. took maybe a summer to break in. now it's like butter. i tried the B17S for the ladies but it's short profile drove me mad and honestly (even having a generally wider sit-bone placement) found the 17 adequate. At the time I tried comparing the width of my other saddle to the B17 vs B17S . but i am *quite* satisfied with the B17.

which again, in addition to it's overall utility with butt-contour building, looks quite sexy.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Lloyd on April 1, 2009 at 7:04am

alex said:

I use the B17 and it is comfortable and looks awesome. To help with the break in period i wrapped it in aluminum foil (off the bike and upside down) and filled it with baseball glove conditioning oil for half hour. Dried it and went on a long ride. Gotta work on that ass groove for a bit but its worth it.

I've done this, as suggested by Sheldon Brown, and it worked for me too. The only change I'd make the next time I did it might be to use a ziplock bag instead of the foil 'bowl'?