I also prefer the B17 over the Pro on bikes with handlebar on level or lower than the saddle. The Pro model seems to be stiffer perhaps not because it has thicker leather but because of its narrower design. I don't have a Swallow but I think the reason it is more pleasant on the butt is that it is longer than the Pro and B17.
On B17s, I noticed that the standard model has a little more flex or bounce that I find more pleasant. But I cannot resist the allure of the bigger copper rivets on the champion special model. So I have both the standard and the champion special. But on bikes with handlebar which make you more upright riding, I like the aged special model B68. -- Rene -----Original Message----- From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Noel Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 8:20 PM To: RBW Owners Bunch Subject: [RBW] Re: B17 vs Team Pro... any direct comparison wisdom? I'm surprised to see the comments to the effect that the Pro is "flatter" than the B17. I have a couple of each and find them all to have that distinct "hammock" shape. The key differences, as far as I can tell, are that the Pro is a narrower at the back and is made of thicker leather. (I have one Pro that is at least 15 years old. I periodically mount it on a bike and use it for a few hundred miles, then take it off again, because I just can't get it to break in. I figure it's got at least 3000 miles on it at this point, plus several different (increasingly radical) attempts at softening it. It's still hard as a rock and looks/feels exactly like it did out of the box.) Overall, I just haven't had great success with Brooks no matter what I do, for exactly the reasons outlined by James: if I get the rear section level enough so that I'm not sliding onto the nose, the nose is angled so steeply up that it digs into me. Lowering the nose just causes the rear section to angle downward, sliding me back onto the nose. Arg. Even with a two-bolt post, there is no happy medium. For some reason, though, the Velo-Orange saddles don't do that to me, even though they have the "hammock" shape too. Go figure. It's just too bad the V/O saddles aren't quite as nicely put together as the Brooks... Noel Orange County, Ca. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
