Brooks B17 Special Saddle

Product Information

Many women, on the other hand, agonize over the tradeoffs between the the B17 and B17 S. What exactly is the difference?

The granting of a best price is not combinable with other promotions (e.g. "free articles) from Bike-Discount.As the leather stretches with use, sometimes the saddle needs to be tightened to maintain a good fit. Approach with care and do NOT overdo it. Often this doesn’t need to be done for years. When you do tighten, do it gradually, just one quarter turn at a time, and wait to see if it makes a difference. Once you’ve pulled the leather too tight, you can’t necessarily undo it and return to the previous fit. Many men find that this takes pressure off the perinium area. Many women, especially those who have an “outie” genital shape ( explanation here– you know you’re curious!), find that the cutout helps with soft tissue pain. It’s not necessarily magic though, and for some people the cutout just increases pressure in other places that are equally if not more painful. As you can see, different models of the Brooks B17 offer a variety of fits for different pelvic structures and tissue configurations. Whatever you choose, may it feel as though you’re perched atop a soft puffy cloud (hey, a cyclist can dream, right?) as you enjoy warm tailwinds and scenic empty roads.

The cutout consists of a slit in the leather that allows for extra flex in the middle, plus lacing around the sides that, when loosened or tightened, allows for more or less flex. More flex generally takes pressure off the soft tissue between your sit bones and places more pressure on the bones themselves. Usually, this is the lesser of the two evils. My B17 Short Carved saddle from below, showing the cutout and the laces. Why does length matter? Some people on the internet seem to think a shorter nose reduces soft tissue pressure for women. But if you’re a woman or have ever been up close and personal with one, you’ll know this makes no sense at all. What the shorter nose does do is reduce the available fore / aft seat adjustment range, slightly reduce control over the bike in some situations (more on this below), and supposedly make it easier to cycle in a skirt. B17 Short (also happens to be Carved) on the left. Notice the shorter fore / aft adjustment range of the rails. Apply Proofide as needed. Brooks swears that using ANYthing besides their specially formulated, and coincidentally very expensive, leather treatment could harm your saddle. I’m not so sure about this, but they scared me into doing it anyway. Whatever you think about this, it’s important to treat the leather when it starts to get dry and less supple, or ideally before. This is especially good to do after you’ve ignored the warning above about keeping it dry.I’m a proud owner of two B17 saddles myself. My first, the standard unisex model, got me nearly ten thousand miles through Southeast Asia, Patagonia, and across the USA. As a rather narrow woman with a craving for freedom and a mistrust of the whole “female bodies are designed for childbearing” thing, I proudly rode my unisex saddle while proclaiming that “not all women have wide sit bones” (true, but beside the point). I was comfy enough, though during long days in the saddle (as when racing across the US) I sometimes had to grit my teeth and slather on the chamois butter. Brand new Brooks B17 in northern Vietnam on the tour that started my bike travel obsession. Will the Brooks B17 Carved be more comfortable for you? If you ride a non-cutout saddle and struggle mainly with soft tissue pain (as opposed to sit bone pain), you might be a candidate for the Carved / Imperial. If your soft tissue feels comfy but your sit bones get sore easily, you might prefer the regular. Some people say the cutout makes the saddle less durable, so all other things being equal you might want to start with the regular. Caring For a Brooks Leather Saddle