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Why the Brooks B-17 is such a great saddle

July 24, 2009 in Past Rides with Comments Off

I’ve been asked several times this week about the Brooks B-17 that I now have on all three of my bikes.

If you’re looking for informaton on Brooks, check this helpful post from the people at Wallingford Bicycle Parts.

The official Brooks site is at www.brookssaddles.com

Essentially Brooks has been around since 1866. Each saddle is made of high quality leather near Birmingham, England. They started with, what else, horse saddles. But their bike saddles have nearly as long a history.

The saddles are an icon of bicycles. They have a near cult like following. The B-17, which I have on my three bikes, has been largely unchanged for more than 100 years. It takes about three days to make a saddle.

I’ve found it takes about 250 miles of riding to completely break them in. After that, they just get better. But even from the first ride, it’s comfortable. Twice a year, I rub in a product called Proofride to soften it up. And because the saddle is high quality leather, I put a cover on it if it’s out in the rain and I’m not sitting on it (like when in a bike rack on the back of the vehicle).

The manufacturing process is pretty amazing.

Here’s a video from Brooks that touches on the history and the manufacturing process:

My new Brooks saddle

July 23, 2009 in Past Rides with Comments Off

My new Brooks saddle arrived today and will go on my Gary Fisher Superfly mountain bike.

I have the B-17 on my Trek Madone 5.5 and my Bianchi Axis and after riding the Michigander bicycle tour last week with perfect comfort I want the same on the ‘Fly.

The down side was I’ll have to get a new clamp. Maybe a post, too. The carbon post and seat camp that comes with the ‘Fly wont take the rails on the Brooks.

I was hoping to use it Saturday on the Rural Pearl of a Ride in Oxford. Will take to a bike shop in the morning to see if it can be done in time.

I’m fighting a serious cold that kept me working at home today, instead of contaminating my co-workers. So I’m not so sure how far I’ll be able to go Saturday . Feeling pretty miserable today.

UPDATE

Saddle installed just fine on ‘Fly.

Homemade bike camper

July 22, 2009 in Past Rides with Comments Off

We’ve all seen truck campers, right?

How about a bike camper?

On the Michigander last week, I ran into Willie Hatfield, a 23-year-old University of Michigan grad who quit his day job as an engineer to travel the country by bicycle.

Except he has a very unusual bike. It’s a bike camper, made out of salvaged bike parts from several different bikes, welded together into what becomes a nine-foot long “camper” at night.

You have to see it to believe it.

Here’s a video I shot on my iPhone:

Back in the Saddle Again

July 20, 2009 in Past Rides with Comments Off

A week ago, we were pedaling 62 miles to Bay City on the Michigander.

This morning, after a weekend off, I was back on the bike missing my fellow riders but delighted to again be riding on such a nice day. I perked up, though, when I ran into Annie on Paint Creek Trail. She was running instead of biking and visiting with her for a few minutes eased the post-Michigander malaise. Wonder if others feel similarly down? After looking forward to such an intense week for so long, it’s always a little sad when we surface back in the real world.

But this morning’s ride was delightful. I rode 25 miles on three trails. The Paint Creek Trail, the Clinton River Trail and the Macomb Orchard Trail.

We really are blessed in this area to have such a network of interconnected trails.

I rode the Gary Fisher Superfly today and am generally hapy with it except for the saddle. I’m ordering a Brooks B-17 for it. That’s what I have on all my other bikes and it’s the most comfortable saddle I’ve used. I’m not sure, however, whether the carbon post on the Superfly will take the Brooks. My carbon Trek Madone 5.5 didn’t. I had to replace the post and clips. I’m thinking that I may have to do the same on the ‘Fly.

I’ll ride the Oxford Rural Pearl of a Ride this weekend on the ‘Fly. Doubt whether I can get the new saddle by then, unless I can find it in stock at a bike shop for a reasonable price.

Wet trail

July 17, 2009 in Past Rides with Comments Off

From the Michigander, Saturday July 11,09-Wayne Watson on the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail between Edmore and Greenville, Photo by Tina Laurie

More Michigander 2009 Photos

July 17, 2009 in Past Rides with Comments Off

As friends send me their Michigander 2009 pics, I’ll post them here. Click any photo to see it larger. Check this over the next few days as we add more.

Here’s some taken by Tina Laurie: