Length: 242mm
Width: 176mm Height:58mm Weight: 460g The B17 is our flagship model, ideal for long distance sports touring, trekking and atb use. It has been on the market for over 100 years, being featured in as early as the 1898 catalogue . The model is available for gents and ladies: the B17 (gents) and B17 S (ladies). The Standard models feature black steel rails, the B17 Special features copper plated steel metalwork, and the B17 Titanium … Both the B17 Special and the Titanium also feature hand hammered copper rivets.
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I've had my Brooks B17S for about a fortnight, and all I can say it that I am absolutely stoked! I put up with a "stock" saddle that hurt after 20km for nearly a year, and after much searching and forum-lurking, went with Brooks. I'm glad I did. I have now put about 200-300km on it (mainly limited by the heat). I had no trouble with the saddle being hard from the word go (I did apply Proofide 24 hours before using it, and my behind is accustomed to years of horse riding). I spent a while getting the position right, so for someone new to Brooks: if it's uncomfortable, keep persevering! Perhaps the best thing is I no longer need to wear expensive padded cycling shorts and can instead rely on cotton tights or compression shorts. I didn't even need padded shorts the first ride, with no pain after 40km. It's hard to believe it will only get better! A testament to excellent aesthetic (as well as functional) design, the saddle looks quite at home on my carbon framed Oppy C6. The only problem is, I now want a steel framed bike to put another one on! Thanks to Brooks, I not only now want to ride my bike more and for longer, but I also have gift ideas sorted for quite a few loved ones ;)
My whole family is now equiped with B17 saddles and we love them. The Kids are using the B17S on their hardtails - my wife and myself are using them on fullsuspension bikes. The feeling was great from the first day of use. There is no more need for a cycling tight, we can use conventional shorts if we want to. Thanks to Steve Green, which gave us advice to try the B17S for our children.
I was looking for a beautiful saddle for my Brompton, at least better then what they give as a standard; a good friend of mine told me to consider a Brooks and i answered "are you crazy! we are in the third millenium and i should buy a 100 years old saddle just for fashion??!!..no way"..After two years, just in these days, i'm going to buy the third B 17, my B M2 L, my wife's city bike and my father Microbike 26''. everytime i ride my bike i'm surprise about comfort and performance of something bornt so many years ago.
More of a general comment on the service received concerning a new saddle that turned out to be defective - the problem was resolved extremely well by Brooks who definitely went "above and beyond" duty's call. Gold Standard! The replacement saddle has had its maiden run and is perfect. Very satisified.
This is the most excellent saddle EVER! I was happy with it on the first ride. I can only expect it to be even better with age. The B17S has made riding my vintage lugged steel frame bike even more enjoyable than it already was. I wish I would have bought this years ago instead of waiting and wondering if all the hype was true. Believe me. It is.
I can't praise brooks enough. Some people talk about the break in period, some talk about the saddle making them want to ride more. I'm both of those people. The first time I used my b17, I was amazed, and wanting to break it in more gets me to ride more. I love this saddle. Thank you brooks.
When the leather cracked on the Brooks B17 seat on my 1943 BSA Airborne Folding Bicycle I was prepared to carve a wooden mould from the original leather and use that to shape a new piece of Oak sole leather for it. To my surprise and considerable satisfaction I found that a) you're still in business, and b) you still have the model I needed in production. My replacement B17 recieves the proper attention that the original should have had - an occasional wipe with saddle soap and a bi-annual brush with neat's-foot oil, which should massively prolong its' working life, even under the heavy use I put to it - over 50 miles/week on the road.
I haven't been able to ride on a saddle for many years due to a medical condition that has finally been fixed. During that time I tried the most expensive drop nose, wide cutout, carbon, fancy wancy saddles and they all hurt and kept on hurting. As I've just joined the Fixie fashion mob and since the supplied saddle was a rather pretty example of sitting on a broken brick, I thought I'd grace the bike with what it deserved - a proper leather saddle. I assumed that derrieres haven't changed much in 100 years, so today I received my Brooks B17 STD Honey and it certainly is a honey. Why I ever thought that plastic, foam and vinyl was better than leather I'll never know and I'll never make that mistake again. They say you have to break these saddles in. Well it's going to be seductively comfortable then, because today I rode for an hour and it was heavenly. It's manufactured - not stitched together in a sweat shop in a back alley. You just have to open the box to see that this saddle will last. I loved the presentation and I love the saddle. Pass on my thanks to the production team. Thanks to their efforts there are a lot of behinds saying thank you in the nicest possible way. Go Brooks!
I've been riding on a Brooks saddle since I appropriated my dad's (an expat-Englishman) bike as a teenager over thirty years ago. Our aluminium touring tandem has always been equipped with a Brooks B17 up front and my 26 year old Miyata touring single now sports a brand new Team Pro copper saddle. Both are great saddles and I've found both comfortable right from the start, even the much stiffer Team Pro on my now much older posterior. A firm saddle is the best present you can give to your sit bones.
I have been a commuter for several years now aboard a Devinci Monaco "hybrid" I have gone thru all the expensive perches that I can bear to sit upon. 2years ago I purchased a B17 standard. This saddle has proven itself to be head and shoulders above all contenders in my humble opinion. At the risk of sounding pedantic, I will say that I will NEVER sit on any other brand of saddle henceforth. Nothing else can compare to my B17. And I have tried 'em all! Excellent work and I would gladly pay double to have this saddle on my bike! Keep up the fantastic work Brooks, you have a customer for life in me.
This is my first brooks saddle and it will not be my last! Fantastic saddle, superb quality and easily the most comfortable saddle i have owned, well done brooks keep up the good work!!!!
I installed a B17 on my bicycle after fifty miles on a foam-and-plastic saddle left me sore for three days. I was scheduled to do another, more difficult ride (fifty miles and 4,300 feet of elevation gain) two weeks later, and worried that I wouldn't have enough break-in time. And then I got a head cold and couldn't ride for one of those two weeks. I did the second ride on the new saddle (it had under 100 miles on it at that point, though I did give it a second go-round with the proofide), and despite it being essentially straight out of the box, I was much more comfortable throughout the ride and had no soreness at all the next day. My saddle has only continued to improve over the last few weeks. I am a mother of two, the second of whom weighed almost ten lbs. at birth, and my sit bones are wider than most. I had gone through four saddles in the last 18 months, and I am very happy to have found a product which does so much to improve my cycling experience. I would also mention that I very often ride in a skirt in the summer and I have no trouble doing so even on the longer-nosed saddle. The only problem I have with the B17 is that I will have to get a second one for my other bicycle.
My feelings were not of joy when 20 miles into a transcontinental journey across the USA the frame on my trusty stead snapped. I had travelled thousands of miles on the bike and we had moulded together. The success and joy of the trip now relied on the stock of the local bike shop. Although I did not realise it at the time it was probably the best thing to have happened. Located at the back of the shop behind all of the mountain bikes lay the proprietors wife's almost unused touring bike with what at that time I considered a dinosaur in place of a seat, a Brooks leather saddle. In order not to offend the proprietor who had specified and built the bike I rode off with the dinosaur in place with a view to swapping it a the end of the day. A few additional trips and 7500 miles later the seat has still not been removed and i have not intention of removing it. Almost instantly the seat was the most comfortable I have ever had, 500 miles in and was perfect. Other people have ridden with the saddle even with it bedding into my shape and have gone on to purchase a brooks saddle. Best piece of cycling equipment I have ever purchased.
After riding on a Brooks saddle for 36 years i have decided its time to break in another one - for my next 36 years of riding. I believe the model is a B17 standard, although i'm not sure since all markings have long since worn away. It came on a 1973 Schwinn Super Sport bike purchased when i was a freshman in high school. Little did i know that the saddle on this Schwinn would grow into the gem it is today - it draws frequent comments for its spartan look as well as looks of awe from those who know the legacy of a Brooks saddle. I have owned three bikes since this one and each time i would try the new saddle that came on the bike and they were never as comfortable as the Brooks. And my bikes do not spend alot of garage time. The bike that it is presently on - a Trek 520 touring bike - i would estimate it has over 50,000 miles on it. The previous bike about the same. In the past 25 years i have been an active touring cyclist completing a week-long, self-supported tour about once per year, and last year completed a 4,300 mile summer-long tour across the U.S. No gel seat can touch the comfort of my beloved Brooks! Although i will not part with this one, i do feel that it is time to start breaking in another. i would like to send a picture, if possible, so i might get some advice on what model to purchase (you may be able to tell which model it is as well as see how it has aged over 36 years). i look forward to hearing back - thanks for you time! Sue Fisher Apex, NC
I have ridden on your B17 Special saddle for a month and now I cannot bear to ride on any other saddle. I have no choice but to replace the remaining four non-Brooks saddles, which is going to cost me a pretty penny! Curse you, sir, for your infernally comfortable products!
B17 is the best saddle I ever had. I bought few saddles before (different gel, air ventilation ... ). Most shops in Germany sell a lot of gel stuff but nobody recommended me leather saddles. Some shops even advised me against. My B17 was comfortable from start on. I regret I didn't trust you before. Now I'm driving often longer distance without pain.
Q > How do I determine if I need the S model? A > "S" stands for short, so normally these saddles are for ladies.
I wonder why no one comment on this saddle? I am a Brooks lover, all my bikes have brooks on them, so it is only natural that I recommended the S version of the B-17 to all my female friends. The result.....they love them.
I ordered a Flyer S and was wondering whether I'd try to put vent holes in it like those in my B17S. When I received my Flyer S I was quite surprised that it already had vent holes in it. Every place I've read anything about the Flyer S stated that it didn't have vent holes. I'm quite pleased not to have to make them myself. Is my new saddle an irregular? Is it new that the Flyer S comes with vent holes? Thanks for making such great saddles. I have 2 B67S, 1 B17S and a Champion Flyer S.
I have ridden leather saddles since I was a high school student in the late 1970's. My meager allowance at the time forced me to retrofit my older sister's JC Penney ten-speed with swapped-in parts from the town dump in Gresham, Oregon. Consisting mostly of old cars, the dump also kept two barrels of bike parts in the back and the manager allowed me to rummage through them periodically. In the barrel one day, I found an old, weather-beaten Brooks saddle. I took it home for the grand sum of fifty cents, cleaned it off with a wire brush and applied some of my mom's Mink Oil to soften it up. A few days later I put it on my bike and was surprised at how confortable it was! I scavenged the dump regularly until I went away to college and came up with two more leather saddles, which I put away for future use; these saw me through college and graduate studies. Years later, I am now a bicycle mechanic in Portland, Oregon. Every one of my three bicycles is outfitted with a Brooks leather saddle (a road bike and a citybike both use B17 S; the folder has a B67 S). Nicest of all has been the opportunity to get family members to try and switch to Brooks saddles. My partner, who had ridden vinyl saddles her whole life and found them lacking, tried a B67 S this year. On a recent group ride of 30 miles, she exulted, "Finally, this is the right saddle for me! We've gone thirty miles and my butt doesn't hurt!" My sister had joined us on the same ride and told me afterwards that she needed to find another saddle if she was to go on these longer rides with us in the future. I saved up and bought her a B67 S for her bike. Word is still out but I expect to hear a positive report soon. Thank you for making some of the most comfortable saddles ever. Please don't stop. Beth Hamon Portland, Oregon. USA
I'm in love with Brooks saddles. I first had a B17 aged and then upgraded with swift chrome and titanium my two bikes. I try to convince my girlfriend to get one, but she is scared because "it's hard"! Anyway, I was wondering does women really need Short saddle? I suppose it's larger in the middle, but I found my regular B17 already quite large... I actually wanted to propose her the narrow version, for her racing bike (also for the aesthetic ;) ). Could you advise me on this point please? Thx!
answer - Not necessarily! What is important here is rider size. Please visit a Brooks Dealer of Excellence to find out more.
...I ride a 70's Schwinn Cruiser to the beach, to surf, regularly. It's only a six mile round-trip, but the usual, big, fat, foam-padded cruiser seats can get pretty uncomfortable on a hot day. I've always admired the styling of Brook's saddles, my brother-in-law had one, but never thought the expense was worth it. All I can say is, Wow!, was I wrong! Not only does my cruiser stand out in a town chock-full of classic bikes, but it's more comfortable than I'd ever imagined. I've only put about thirty miles on it, and it's already like sitting on a cloud. Cheers! Brook's. I'd like to say that I'll buy another, but I think this one's gonna last forever...
Short and sweet, I never think about my saddle when I'm ridding, it's that comfortable. I have a B-17 on my Peugeot, a Flyer on my 3 speed Club bike and a Swift on my Raleigh Clubman. Excellent workmanship and design!
Q > Will a B17S Special ever be produced? I would like to get the shorter saddle, but I also love the larger copper rivets!
A > The B17 S Special already exists under the name of Team Pro S. Despite the different name, the saddles have the same top. The Finesse is their expensive sister with titanium rails.
Hi I recently purchased a B17 special (the brompton version, brown top, copper rivets, standard black frame) I have only put 70 kms and it's by far the most confortable saddle I have riden, by far much much more than my previos gel saddles (one with ventilation) they were fine for a few kms then it's was a pain in the butt, literality. Q: My concern is only one, I sweat a lot from the buttocks and I can't always wear padded short, which helps a lot with this matter, so when i use jeans sweat stays there in touch with the saddle, and leaving a very embarassing trace in my jeans. Would this sweat damage severly the saddle eventualy? Because I noticed in some parts of the saddle it has become darker just like a few spots, and in the back part has a little brighter spot as if the color has fell off.
answer - Sweat will not damage your saddle!
Q >>> Will the B17 Special mount directly to a Crank Brothers Joplin Seatpost? I am in need of a GOOD saddle and hear rave reviews about your products. I ride an all mountain type of bike. Through wet and mud and muck. Is this a good product for its intended use? Thank you. Derek Johnson
A >>> All our saddles have standard 7 mm rails, so it should work!
Q > I bought the B17 S, the ladies version of the B17, and I must say that I find it rather hard - how long does it take, on average, to break it in! I bought it in April and would say that I have used my bicycle a fair bit. I also hadn't appreciated that it needed tensioning before use because prior to doing this the saddle nearly brought tears to my eyes!!! My previous saddle that it replaced was a Selle Assanc and I bought a Brooks because the CTC article reckoned it was the most comfortable saddle ever! Thus far, I can not agree with this. I would appreciate your comments in due course. Janet Jones
A > Please try to adjust the saddle differently, moving it forward or backwards. Also try to lift the nose up or down. Sometimes small adjustments can make a great difference. If your problem persists, maybe you should have chosen the B17 S Aged, which is softer to begin with and easier to break-in.
Hi, I was always very content with my Brooks which I bought from a friend about ten Years ago until this morning on my way to work through a snowstorm the Metal under the leather cover broke. Can you repair it?
answer - All Brooks saddles may be repaired, please visit the Getting in Touch section of this website!
Q > Hi I am about to buy my third brooks b17 for my Africa tour and apart from the break in period (as with most leather products) I find the B17 the best for the role. My question is... Why does the seat bought from the factory shop cost over twice as much than buying the same seat from a local shop?
A > Sometimes local shops forget to update their prices based on our indications!
Q > Your saddles (B-17 Ti, standard and Special) are on each of my three road bikes and are exceptionally comfortable. The Special is around seven years old and has about 7000 miles. I use Brooks Proofide three or four times a year, and seldom is the saddles wet, however the leather is cracking a good bit around the back upper most four rivets. Is this detrimental to the life/quality of the saddle? Is it repairable?
A > Leather is subject to detriment, as any other material. This depends on the climate and use. Unfortunately we can only repair the metal parts...
Hi, Why doesn't the B17 S come in all the awesome colors that the B17 men's version does?
A> We sell far fewer of the S models, we're afraid...
I have just been out on my bike for the first time since Christmas. The B17 was a gift from my wife and replaces what I can only describe as a plank. Every time I rode my sit bones would be screaming by the time I got home. Then I got a brain wave and remembered the comfy old Brooks saddle my bike was equipped with when I was a teenager. Back in the 70's Brooks saddles were standard equipment on virtually every sports/touring bike it seemed. So I did a bit of research and asked my wife to get me a B17 Standard as my Xmas present. It possible qualifies as one of my favourite presents ever. It's a beautiful saddle and it's packaged and presented so well that it was an absolute delight to receive it. The only criticism I have is that the instructions state that Proofide should be applied prior to first use to assist with the breaking in of the saddle. If that's the case then why on earth do Brooks not supply a small tin (perhaps just enough for the first application) of Proofide with the saddle? They supply the adjusting spanner so why not this treatment if it is so important? Anyway, my first ride on this saddle was like a dream. No pain at all in the backside! I thought this saddle needed breaking in to be comfortable? For me it was comfort straight off, and hopefully things can only get better as it moulds itself to me. The combination of Brooks saddle and steel framed bike has brought back to me a level of comfort which I thought was gone forever. Thanks to all at Brooks.
A> Proofide is included with our premium saddles, unfortunately not in our standard line.
I am having a problem with my B17 ladies saddle in so much as it stains my clothing. I have used the proofhide on it from time to time, but I think the black colour must come out of it as the seat of my trousers, after riding the bike for a while, turns grey. I have had the saddle for 3 years now and do not want to change it as I have broken it in nicely, but do need a solution. Do you have one? (apart from wearing black trousers all the time!!!)
A> All leather saddles (including the ones made by our competitors) stain light clothing over time. The best solution is to use a saddle cover when wearing light trousers. This is also the reason that cycling shorts traditionally are black, btw.
I liked this saddle when I opened the box. When I started using it though i quickly noticed that the sides flair out and chaff on your thighs. I read online that this is very common and that people can chop them up and tie the center together to stop this. But to me I feel the design has a flaw. I really wanted to experience the Brooks magic saddle but instead I have soreness and disappointment. Tightening the bolt helps for a short time then again it flairs out shortly after.
A> Your saddle should not flare this much, please return it for a replacement. Or drill holes along the skirt and tie it up as others have done. This is not done by "chopping" but in fact drilling, and is a added method of controlling saddle tension preferred by some. (but by no means all)
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION REQUIRING AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER, please visit the GETTING IN TOUCH section of this website! The COMMENTS section is for general comments, and is only maintained periodically.
Thank you, The Brooks Team