When I finally killed that saddle via rain, sun, and neglect, I thought carefully. Should I buy another regular Brooks B17, or experiment with its variations? My saddle pain was reasonably well controlled, but there was room for improvement. Perhaps I didn’t know what I was missing? It’s said that a longer saddle nose offers better control over the bike, and when I bought my Women’s B17 saddle I was worried about giving this up. Now that I’m used to it, I don’t think it’s a problem at all. There is still plenty of nose, and unless you’re mountain biking on technical trails I personally don’t think you’ll notice any issues.

Imperial” seems to have been Brooks’ classy-sounding euphemism for “has a cutout to take pressure off your private bits.” Current models are called “carved,” which is the same thing as far as I can tell. There is a unisex B17 Carved model and also a B17 S Carved version, which is shorter as described above and also has a cutout. Why does length matter? Some people on the internet seem to think a shorter nose reduces soft tissue pressure for women. But if you’re a woman or have ever been up close and personal with one, you’ll know this makes no sense at all. What the shorter nose does do is reduce the available fore / aft seat adjustment range, slightly reduce control over the bike in some situations (more on this below), and supposedly make it easier to cycle in a skirt. B17 Short (also happens to be Carved) on the left. Notice the shorter fore / aft adjustment range of the rails. As the leather stretches with use, sometimes the saddle needs to be tightened to maintain a good fit. Approach with care and do NOT overdo it. Often this doesn’t need to be done for years. When you do tighten, do it gradually, just one quarter turn at a time, and wait to see if it makes a difference. Once you’ve pulled the leather too tight, you can’t necessarily undo it and return to the previous fit. Will the Brooks B17 Carved be more comfortable for you? If you ride a non-cutout saddle and struggle mainly with soft tissue pain (as opposed to sit bone pain), you might be a candidate for the Carved / Imperial. If your soft tissue feels comfy but your sit bones get sore easily, you might prefer the regular. Some people say the cutout makes the saddle less durable, so all other things being equal you might want to start with the regular. Caring For a Brooks Leather Saddle The standard B17 isn’t necessarily tailored toward men; in fact it’s “unisex.” The B17 Short is, according to Brooks, “for women and smaller riders.” It’s 3.3 cm shorter overall and has a more abrupt contour from wide to narrow. Brooks B17 on the left, B17 Carved Short on the right Note that the plain S version doesn’t have the cutout like mine does; more on this below..

Brooks B17 Saddle

The cutout consists of a slit in the leather that allows for extra flex in the middle, plus lacing around the sides that, when loosened or tightened, allows for more or less flex. More flex generally takes pressure off the soft tissue between your sit bones and places more pressure on the bones themselves. Usually, this is the lesser of the two evils. My B17 Short Carved saddle from below, showing the cutout and the laces.

The Brooks B17 leather saddle has a cult following within the bike touring community. The hard leather, it’s said, molds to your most personal anatomy over many hundreds of miles, creating a perch that’s perfect for long days and big miles across countries or entire continents.Protect it from rain. While I feel some people take this warning way too seriously – aren’t we sitting on them all day in our sweaty shorts anyway? – it doesn’t hurt to try and keep your Brooks dry. I cover mine with a plastic bag if rain is expected overnight. Our leather saddles come in different shapes and styles depending on what kind of bike or riding position. For example, a wider saddle with springs is ideal for an upright, 90-degree posture. Middle widths are often used for touring or commuting when the spinal angle of the rider is in a 45 to 60 degrees position. As a general rule, the more athletic the riding position, the narrower the saddle. Why do I need to break in my leather saddle? The granting of a best price is not combinable with other promotions (e.g. "free articles) from Bike-Discount. Many women, on the other hand, agonize over the tradeoffs between the the B17 and B17 S. What exactly is the difference?