Anyone running one of these on a hardtail?

Is the comfort / advantage worth the extra weight?

Have had B17 and Spa saddles on a couple of bikes for a long time, so more than happy with the leather side of things, a bit less certain how the sprung versions work/feel

Any opinions?

I have a flyer on my road bike and b17 on the mtb.

B17 is about 15 years old and comfy for up to 6h

Flyer is comfy up to 10h- by which point the rest of me is stuffed.

We did a 100k audax on our tandem last month and it was still fine for that.

On the road it soaks up all kinds of small vibrations and small potholes. I don’t notice it now, it’s just normal to get a smack in the hands and nothing behind if i hit a pot hole.

I don’t do long enough rides on my mtb to need it, I’m shattered long before I need a comfier saddle than the b17.

Why not give it a go? The resale value is good for barely used Brooks.

I have one of those for sale if you are interested?

The flyer is designed for a very upright position i cold never get comfortable on it, got one in the shed its been on loads of bikes but never felt good and weighs an absalout ton

Comfy. Ran one on the tourer for a while.

Used to have a B66, which was superb as the springs really worked. I could stay seated on a fully rigid ’86 Rockhopper when descending landy tracks. Regret selling it with the Rockhopper.

Replaced it with a Conquerer in the late ’90s but by then the springs were far thicker and it barely had any give in it (I’m 12 stone). Apparently some B66 springs broke (mine didn’t) so Brooks sprung saddles moved to heavier springs. Unless you’re quite hefty, I wouldn’t bother with a sprung Brooks, they weigh over 2lbs, cost a fortune and offer little comfort advantage over a regular B17.

Thanks for the advice all

@boriselbrus, thanks for the offer, but I can get a new one at trade anyway.

I think I’ll go ahead and give one a go and report back

Cheers all

Mildly off topic, is B17 really that good ? am upping my mileage in prep to try the Ride to the Sun (Carlisle to Crammond) and longer hours in the saddle are starting to ache….some of which i presume is down to conditioning…

Traditional leather saddles are like leather hiking boots. You need to try a few to find one that feels about right from the outset than break it in over a prolonged period. Once broken in, they’re perfect for long or multi day trips. I’ve used Wrights and Brooks in the past and now have a Gilles Berthoud Aravis on my road bike. It cost plenty but probably less than all the rejected saddles in my loft. Positioning is critical too as you’re pretty static for hours at a time.

Picked up a vintage bike the other day with a white leather Italian saddle got a gold bar on the back says rolls .. anyway its the best saddle I ever put my arse on inspite of beeing 30 odd years old.

downshep – Member
…I wouldn’t bother with a sprung Brooks, they weigh over 2lbs, cost a fortune and offer little comfort advantage over a regular B17.

Give the B72 a go. It’s lighter than the other sprung saddles.

I’ve enjoyed the superior comfort of my sprung saddles on my vintage bikes so I figured it was worth a go on my Pompino. Naturally I’ve given it a bash over singletrack, and the saddle nicely absorbs the lumps that I’d normally expect fatter tyres to handle.

I have a swift on my Pashley and just cannot get on with it, however I have a cambium C17 and that is simply the most comfy saddle I have ever had, go figure!
Just did a 70 mile off road run last Sunday and not a single pain, all my mates have them as well now.