Saddles
We stock nearly the complete line of Brooks tensioned leather saddles. Brooks has been making saddles since 1866. Much of their line has changed little for nearly a century, because it’s hard to improve upon. They come stock on most of our better bikes, and they are on all of our personal bikes, too. They are beautiful, durable, and above all comfortable.
The surface firmness of a tensioned leather saddle intimidates some people. Just like fine leather shoes, they can feel a little stiff at first, but they break in typically within 100 or so miles to your unique shape to become supremely comfortable. Some of the very narrow, very long-wearing racing saddles (of which we sell comparatively few) can take longer to break in. The broader sprung city models that make up the bulk of our sales are generally comfortable right out of the box.
Tensioned leather saddles improve both in comfort and beauty with use, developing a rich patina that tells a story over decades. Scuffs rub out with leather dressing. Typical saddles, once the thin cover tears or the padding collapses, are simply spent. When you sit on a padded saddle, the padding presses up into your soft tissue, limiting circulation and compressing nerves. Then, as you pedal, this compressed tissue gets kneaded around, resulting in numbness or pain and chafing. The padding traps heat too. If the saddle cover is plastic, your sweat has no place to go. All of this is painful. And every Spring, when casual cyclists re-discover this fact, they go out and buy an even more padded saddle!
With a tensioned leather saddle, your clothing slides over the smooth surface so it doesn’t rub your skin. The leather breathes naturally, drawing away sweat and frequently featuring ventilation holes along the center to help keep you cooler and drier. Most significantly, it firmly supports your sit bones, keeping your soft tissue elevated above the rest. The fabled break-in period is as much about toughening up your sit bones as softening the leather. If you ever feel discomfort other than at your sit bones for a brief break-in period, or when returning to the bike after months of no riding, then either you have the wrong model or it is improperly adjusted!
Our most popular model by far is the Brooks B67. It is appropriate for the moderate to completely upright riding styles most of our bikes support, with springs to cushion your spine from shocks. The narrower Brooks B17 is appropriate to somewhat sportier riding positions, where your arms and legs serve as suspension. Most other models may be thought of as variations of these key models.
