Length: 240mm
Width: 205mm
*Cost excludes shipping
My purchase of the B17 S Imperial was the best decision during the building up of my first touring bike the Surly Long Haul Trucker. My bike shop told me they had just the right saddle for me and went to their wall display and pulled down this one - the B17 S Imperial. What a fit, the first time I sat on it I loved it. I've always heard about Brooks, but never had the opportunity to fit one to my bike, well that's over now. This saddle will be on the Trucker until, well, who knows when. Go Brooks!
Q > How do I determine if I need the S model? A > "S" stands for short, so normally these saddles are for ladies.
I got a Brooks B67 saddle a few weeks ago and I must say that I am loving it! I have had no end of problems trying to get a saddle that suited my backside. The saddle that came on my last bike actually caused me a pelvic sprain by pushing my seat-bones apart! I tried those GEL saddles. They are okay if you are only going to ride for about 20 minutes. My bicycle is made for commuting AND long-distance touring. Only a few weeks after using the B67, my backside was singing because no more was I suffering from pressure in the softer parts of my nether regions, and the springs just ironed out all the annoying little bumps and jolts in the road. I am looking forward to a long-distance tour on my new B67. It is really quite astonishing how comfortable they are! My friends poke it with their fingers and say that it is hard and can't be comfortable, but I tell them that I happily spend all day riding with it under my backside. I run my bicycle lock through the frame of the saddle because I don't want it stolen. Thieves can have the rest of my bicycle - I want to keep that saddle!
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
Q > I'm curious, why do only the aged saddles come with pre-punched holes for laces? Is it because the softer leather leads to earlier flattening of the saddle requiring the laces to be tightened? Also, if my B66 should ever get to that point, would Brooks be able punch the holes? I could do it myself but the result would undoubtedly be less impressive.
A > Yes, we do it on the Aged and Imperial because they have a weaker structure. Our other saddles occasionally would flatten, but that thakes quite some time and lack of care.
COMMENT > We would love to see the B 68 Imperial in BROWN. Thanks
REPLY > They just came out in black! Once we start selling them we'll see! :)
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 > I recently bought a Pilen Swedish Classic bike. It rolls silently and like a dream, however, the B66 saddle makes a lot of noise during riding, probably coming from the springs and suspension. Is this normal and acceptable?
A > Some squeaking can happen. It is normally due to the rubbing between the leather top and the metal parts, either on the nose or on the back plate. Try to put some Proofide where you believe the squeaking is coming from.
In the 1890 catalogue, the oldest we preserve in our archives, Brooks presents most of the saddles with "registered cutting, a sure preventive to all perineal pressure". Over 100 years ahead of today's saddle manufacturers, John Boultbee Brooks had already found the solution to a nowadays well known problem. Eventually this line of saddles went out of production in the 1950’s. We reintroduced it on our most successful models with an improved and dedicated solution for men and for women.