Length: 260mm
Width: 205mm
Height:62
Weight: 530g
*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!
Used the saddle for months now and is still in one piece. as mentioned in my email the problems some men have riding their bike doesn't seem to be on chopper and cruiser bicyels as the position is different to roadracer or mountainbike..we sit more on the back part of the saddle as it seems...so I can not say anything about this issue.
the saddle itself looks good and I took of of my bike when I sold it last week being over in canada for a meeting, not because I have to send it back to you guys, but as I like it...while being parked in the shop we had a lot of remrks about the saddle as peolpe wondered why or if we had done the cut ourselfs...we do a lot of custom stuff
the shoestring is a nice thing...gives this extra to it
being from amsterdam and doing more or less all on bike I have no idea how much I cycle a year, so yearly average is tours (meetings) we do
Happy cruisin
rhalf van heusden
The Chopperdome
Q > i need a saddle for my Pugsley MTB, with high rise bars (upright position) i have wide sit-bones at 160-170mm and an unfortunate flat pudgy bum! im currently on a dirt style padded mtb seat that is only 140-150 wide, which has cause a small (now repaired) hole in my lower abdominal wall, serious pain in the baby-makers, and perenial discomfort. SO i am buyng an imperial ASAP, just dont know which is best? where i am its special order only on these saddles. I definately want imperial, so do i get a b17 standard, b17s or b68? so i have a few queries i would love addressed..1 will the extra .7cm of the S model make a big difference, and will the less length be good or bad for my condition? and whats the b68 recommended for, is it for a different purpose to the b17, or for a different bum? FINALLY, i notice a different texture on the imperial b68 to the imperial b17, is the leather different? how so? will this effect break in time and over all feel, if so, how so? is one thicker etc? i appreciate any help i can get as i really need to make the purchase ASAP, i really am in a terrible hurry, the bike is brand new and i just wanna ride it but have only to choose a saddle!!!! kindest regards, Adrian.
A > For a mountain bike we would advise you to go fro the B17. It should be wide enough to give you comfort and narrow enough not to look grumpy on a sports bike. The B17 is our most versatile model. Please read the many comments we have published. Regarding the different textures of the B17 and B68, they are due to the use of different parts of the same hide. In other words the leather is the same, but the sports models are cut from the stiffest part of the leather butt and... Please watch the video on the main page of the SADDLES section. My colleague Dave explains it quite well.
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!
For the first weeks it is hard work to get the B68 Imperial saddle in your unique form. Brooks Aged saddles have here an enormous advantage. But after you have modelled this saddle in your shape, it is even with a dutch traditional bike a good way to cycle fast in the city. Because of the hole in the middle, you ride perfect with an automatic air condition.
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.
This saddle was sent to my son for testing. Unfortunately, he has a problem with his male anatomy that is precluding his testing routine. He let me take the saddle to ride. I live 9 miles from town with 4 miles of very wash-boardy dirt and gravel road. This is giving me an opportunity to evaluate the comfort of this saddle in this harsh environment. I have lost water bottles out of my racks on these washboards due to the severe oscillation of the bike, especially when both wheels are either hitting the tops or the bottoms of the bumps. I ride platform pedals as I commute to the office and need to be dressed appropriately when I arrive. I have lost my pedals a couple of times on the corrugations. So far, the Brooks Imperial is helping me ride with more comfort. I have a simple suspension seat post on my bike that seems to take just a bit of the edge off the worst bumps and the Brooks then kicks in. I only have 88 miles on it so far but will hopefully get at least 50 miles per week from here on out. I've had the saddle for 2 weeks. My bike is a 1993 Bridgesotne XO-3 which I restored. I have 26X1.5 tires and am running 90# pressure in them. I'm sure this also helps make for a rough ride but they fly on the pavement! I had a B-17 previously and sold it (much to my regret) because I thought a padded saddle would be better. It wasn't! I'm glad to be back on a Brooks. I think a B-67 with the cutouts might benefit me. I ride in an upright style (ala Grant Peterson's doctrine, Rivendell). I experience numbness of the hands if I try and carry too much weight on my hands. I have a Nitto Albatross handlebar with a long Nitto Technomic stem with 5cm front extension. A wider saddle with the cutouts seems like an ideal setup for me. I am riding the saddle in a somewhat nose up position to keep from sliding forward and putting pressure on my hands. I wear civilian clothing with no padding such as bicycling apparel has.
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! :)
COMMENT > I have had a few Brooks saddles, most of them at my pleasure after a few weeks of 'getting used to each other' My bikes with Brooks saddles tend to get stolen every now and then. So I bought a new bike, with a new Brooks saddle. After about one year I had to stretch the saddle. But then the sides of the saddle became to wide, therefore hindering my legs to move smootly. It seems that this latest Brooks saddle has weaker leather than my previous ones. Since the saddles problem caused me too much pain I had to buy another one, non-leather saddle. Stil not so nice as a good Brooks.... Since a good saddle is not chap I did not try for another Brooks again... Anyone here that can persuade me to go back to Brooks again?
REPLY > Leather being a natural material can vary from hide to hide and within the same hide from the center to the end of the butt. So each Brooks saddle is unique and can be softer or stiffer. You might have bought a soft one! Anyway if your problem are the flaps opening you can punch holes and tie them together as we do on the Aged and Imperial lines. Or simply buy a B67 Aged or B68 Imperial, which have the same exact shape of the B66. If you like the B66 but want to spend less, try the B67, which is slightly cheaper because it has single rails.
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.