[Closed] A saddle review.

From the Brooks B17 page.

B17 Titanium
I have a Brooks B17 standard (three hole) saddle which I used for 68 years. The saddle is in beautiful condition, being firm and in perfect shape. During its early years I treated it regularly with Proofide and properts white shoecream. It was first fitted to my taper-tube Selback in 1936, being subsequently transferred over the years to replacement machines, including the F.W Evans, after WW2 it adorned a Gillot, then my two George Longstaff trikes.

While on active service in the Western Dessert with the RAF in 1943 I contracted Polio. In 1944 I was invalidated from the RAF, and resumed cycling, on the same B17 saddle. I have ridden over 220 miles in a day on the B17. And also had the honour of riding in the first of the annual ?Stan Spelling? 25-mile time trial in Staffordshire. This was the only time in the 100-year history of cycle racing that a full field of 120 trikes had assembled for a time-trial. In 1997 I suffered a recurrence of Polio, and so had a lightweight trike built with an open frame. This I continued to ride, fitted with the same B17 saddle.

Unfortunately, now in my 90th year, I am unable to get on board the trike, due to the Polio. If I had a couple of strong neighbours to lift me onto the trike I could still ride it. But as it is it stands under a dustsheet, still with the original B17.

I hope you have found this of interest.

Yours sincerely

Len Levesley"

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Turns out Len really knew his bikes.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/may/31/fausto-coppi
"In the war Coppi's unit surrendered to the British. He cut hair in a PoW camp in Tunisia, where one soldier, London bike-shop mechanic Len Levesley, recognised him from magazines. He was afterwards known as "Holy Head" by his cycling chums."