Brooks Swift Saddle

I have 350 miles on my Ti Swift that I use on a bike with rather low handlebars. Other bikes have
B-72, a wide saddle. Yesterday I noted that on a 7 mile climb that I didn't stand nearly as much as
usual. I concluded that it was in large part the comfort of the saddle. Long break in period. Mine
is just starting to break in. Saddle can feel flexible, and I think it's the Ti that does that.
Feels less flexible now that it is getting softer. Flat top with a high spot in middle. I really
like mine.

Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

"Trying" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:2pOOa.14011$Ph3.1486@sccrnsc04...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone used this saddle? Pros and cons? This is the one with titanium rails and costs
a lot.<g>

Tom

Trying said:

Has anyone used this saddle? Pros and cons? This is the one with titanium rails and costs a lot.

I had used a Brooks Pro for years, and then got a Swift to use on another bike. They have
different shapes and feel different. I couldn't ever get comfortable on it, and I gave up after a
couple of months.

Agree, i feel the same, i couldn't get comfortable on the swift, but my B-17 is great. I don't feel
the ti makes a difference at all. I also do a lot of riding and climbing. -tom

"Jay Hill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Trying said:

Has anyone used this saddle? Pros and cons? This is the one with

titanium

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

rails and costs a lot.

I had used a Brooks Pro for years, and then got a Swift to use on another bike. They have
different shapes and feel different. I couldn't ever get comfortable on it, and I gave up after a
couple of months.

"Trying" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<2pOOa.14011$Ph3.1486@sccrnsc04>...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone used this saddle? Pros and cons? This is the one with titanium rails and costs
a lot.<g>

Tom

I've used a Brooks Swift saddle on one bike since 1998. Somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 miles on
it. Comfortable and very few complaints. But I have an Ideale 90 on my touring bike and a B-17 on my
mountain bike. So I like leather saddles.

The Swift is about 5 to 10 mm or so narrower than the Team, Team Pro, and B-17 models. On one 225
mile ride I noticed the Swift's narrowness at the 150 mile mark. But on 180 mile brevets I did not
notice the narrowness of the Swift. So you may or may not notice the narrowness depending on the
length of the ride. If I ever did the long brevets (600 to 1200 kilometers), I would use the wider
Team model.

The hand hammered copper rivets (same as the Team Pro model) will stick up from the leather after a
few thousand miles. The exposed sharp edges on the hand hammered rivets will cut your shorts. So you
will have to use a grinding wheel on a Dremel to grind the rivets down and/or a ball pein hammer to
pound the rivets down. The B-17 and Team have cheaper and less fancy machine stamped smooth rivets
so they will not cut your shorts when the leather sinks below the rivets. And you will not have to
grind or pound the rivets.

On week long tenting bike rides you have to remember to put a plastic bag over the saddle at
night to keep the dew off. And have a saddle cover in your saddlebag to put on the saddle if it
starts raining.

The Swift weighs about 380 grams. Light compared to the steel railed 500+ gram Team, Team Pro, and
B-17. But very heavy compared to the narrow plastic torture devices most bikes have mounted on top
of the seatpost.

Couldn't get comfortable on it, had good luck with Turbomatics previously and it rode as narrow or
narrower. You lose the back edge due to the rivets so while nominally wider you don't get use of it
all. Mine didn't even begin to break in by 500 miles, just using Brooks Proofide on it. Would not
recommend to anyone who doesn't ride very narrow racing saddle already. Sold it to a buddy who rode
Flites and likes the Swift a lot.

Trying said:

Has anyone used this saddle? Pros and cons? This is the one with titanium rails and costs
a lot.<g>

Tom

RE/

Quoted message said:

But I have an Ideale 90 on my touring bike and a B-17 on my mountain bike.

Are Ideal 90's still being sold?

In the photos I've seen, they look a little wider than the B-17. True?
-----------------------
PeteCresswell

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

RE/

Quoted message said:

But I have an Ideale 90 on my touring bike and a B-17 on my mountain bike.

Are Ideal 90's still being sold?

In the photos I've seen, they look a little wider than the B-17. True?
-----------------------
PeteCresswell

You may be able to track down an Ideale 90 from one of those places that sell old classic bicycling
parts. Some years ago I found one online that had several Ideale 90s listed. Around $150 or so. I
guess you would really have to have one to pay that price. I bought mine in the early 80s from Bike
Warehouse when they were either clearing out their stock or were selling a bargain they picked up
somewhere.

I think its pretty close to the B-17 in width. And appearance too. The Ideale might be a few
millimeters wider. Or narrower. Or the same width.

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

RE/

Quoted message said:

But I have an Ideale 90 on my touring bike and a B-17 on my mountain bike.

Are Ideal 90's still being sold?

In the photos I've seen, they look a little wider than the B-17. True?

I think the width at the back is pretty similar but notably the Ideale 90 is a bit thinner in the
center which I preferred over the Brooks.

They are long out of business.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971