September 24, 2012

Review: Brooks B67s

I had heard people rave about their Brooks saddle, but I didn't realize how much more comfortable a saddle for an upright bike could be until I tried a Brooks. The WorkCycles Oma I rented in Portland was outfitted with the B67s and I immediately loved it.

Once I was back in Madison, I upgraded from the low-end saddle that came with my bike to a Brooks. After tinkering with the angle it was mounted at, I found the perfect placement for the upright, straight-back posture natural to my Dutch bike. Even while I was breaking it in, the saddle was comfortable and caused no soreness.

The compression springs creak a bit along the ride and give a comfortable amount of bounce over bumps without making you feel like you are going to spring over your handlebars. The nose of the Brooks is significantly narrower than that of my previous saddle. This increases comfort by reducing friction on the inner thighs. In contrast to the vinyl of my old saddle, the semi-course leather of the Brooks holds clothing in place, which is helpful when you're wearing a skirt or dress that would otherwise slide up during the ride.

Please note that Brooks offers saddles for a variety of bicycles. While the B67s is great for my Dutch bike, it would be ill-suited for my Fuji Touring. Other Brooks saddles, such as the B17, are popular for touring. Like a pair of favorite jeans, they become more comfortable with wear and it's hard not to become attached.

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