I've owned many B17 saddles, and there is variability, and in my experience, less variability in the Special than in the Standard. So if you don't like the B17 you try, it may just be you don't like *that* particular B17.
I've always thought that Brooks should do a little pressure test mid-way on the saddle to address the variability in the leather. In my experience, some seem made for more robust torsos, and some for much less. I regret selling a just right one to a very nice person here in town, but am more pleased to know how well it suits him. For starters, I always adjust a B17 to nose up by a tip of the thumb thickness at the back from level. That gets me good enough. If further micro-adjustment is needed, I have a small round magnet that Riv provided with my Hobson Zingo (is that right?) Allen key that remains on the bike's head tube and then temporarily set my 4 or 5mm key handy and (ideally) have a seat post with a fore and aft screw for the adjustment. I recall an old video of Eddy Merckx micro adjusting his saddle height while out on a ride. Makes me feel just like Eddy. - Chris On Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 9:26:36 AM UTC-8 krhe...@gmail.com wrote: > I believe that it all depends on your riding posture in the angle of which > your pelvis and your seat bones rest on the saddle. See attachment diagram. > > It is a personal choice and preference as much as one's bum is different > from the next person's. > > I ride in an upright riding position my Clem with my B66S saddle's nose > titled up slightly. I wear padded cycling shorts. > > Kim Hetzel > > On Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 7:28:13 AM UTC-8 Patrick Moore wrote: > >> I was going to speak along similar lines, perhaps not as forthrightly. >> But I found angle more critical on Brookses for some reason than on any >> other saddle, including other leather makes. >> >> After trying several B 17s, a B 17N, a Champion Flyer, and a Pro, the one >> Brooks that I found comfortable *(very* comfortable except for tilt >> adjustment) was the Pro -- the others chafed or pressed or obtruded. I >> positioned the Pro tilted slightly up on a bike with drop bar below saddle. >> But I could never get the tilt just right, and I had a rather nice seatpost >> with separate angle adjustment bolt that allowed stepless adjustment. With >> the slippery surface I was either sliding forward onto the bar or feeling >> pressure, and after I had commuted on it for 18 or 24 months or so I went >> back to original issue Flites which I now have on all my bikes. >> >> I almost never ride in padded shorts and the lined shorts I occasionally >> use have very thin chamoises or (1 pair) a very thin synthetic layer just >> to prevent seam chafing -- I *hate* thick pads. >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Jan 31, 2024 at 6:04 AM Eric Daume <eric...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> My technique for dialing in a Brooks: >>> >>> 1. Loosen seat post bolt >>> 2. Remove Brooks saddle >>> 3. Replace with any other plastic saddle I happen to have nearby >>> 4. Enjoy the better comfort, less slipperiness, lighter weight, and zero >>> maintenance. >>> >>> YMMV :) >>> >>> Eric >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/25bfa66d-8f3b-48e5-a684-4d0ae92dc835n%40googlegroups.com.
