Brooks B17 6,000 Kilometres Review

These are my thoughts after nine months and 6,000 kilometres with the Brooks B17 saddle.
It's the second one I've owned. The first one I had back in the 1970s. I kept it for over ten years. I honestly don't know how many kilometers I used it for. I think a fair guess would be close to 20,000 kilometres, and it could have been a lot more, as it was used for everyday riding as well as touring.

Frankly, m experiences with the two saddles couldn't have been more different.

My first Brooks B17 saddle was super comfortable. I never wore padded cycling shorts and I never had problems with any form of discomfort or chafing. On some tours, I would ride in excess of 100 miles a day in back-to-back rides with no issues at all.

When I parted company with the saddle, which I still regret, it looked as good, if not better, than the day I bought it. In all of this time it was subjected to the elements, had never been treated with any leather care products, but still looked amazing.

The current Brooks B17 saddle I'm reviewing has been far from the same kind of experience. In short, I've had problems with comfort as well as some quality control issues. It's been disappointing.

To a large extent, I feel the problems with comfort are down to my weight gain. I now weigh around 95 kilograms whereas back in the late 1970s I weighed closer to 70 kilograms. I think my extra weight has undoubtedly put more pressure on my backside and created a bigger challenge in trying to get comfortable over long endurance rides.

The quality control issues I feel lay squarely with the manufacturer.

The video is divided into seven sections which comprise; introduction, cost, durability and quality, comfort, looks, and final thoughts.

The review of the Brooks B17 saddle relates to my own experiences spanning close to 50 years. I bought the second saddle with high hopes and expectations which have sadly not been met.

I acknowledge the fact that most cyclists get on very well with the Brook B17 saddle. I also acknowledge the fact that it's very much a well-loved saddle, including by myself, and that some of my comments will be unpopular. However, I feel it only fair to give an accurate account of my riding experiences despite this.

0:00 Introduction
0:17 Cost
0:42 Weight
1:25 Durability and Quality
2:23 Comfort
4:37 Looks
5:08 Score Summary
5:23 Final Thoughts


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