For a long time, I loved my Brooks B17 leather saddle. Lately, it’s becoming less comfortable, and less practical.

Here are the problems I’m having.

• The leather is sagging. I’ve tried tensioning. I’ve tried lacing up the sides. I can make some improvements, but it’s not enough. The saddle simply isn’t as comfortable as it was when I got it. I will probably try tensioning it more, but at this point I am resigned to the possibility that the saddle may never be as comfortable as it once was.
• The dye has started to stain my clothes. I wouldn’t care if I only wore bike shorts on the Long Haul Trucker, where the Brooks resides. But I commute on that bicycle. I have to be able to wear normal clothes on it without staining. I have been riding with the saddle cover on, but this scuffs up the surface of the saddle, and it’s not as comfortable.
• If it rains, I have to worry about whether the saddle is covered, or make sure the bike is indoors. For a commuting bicycle, this isn’t very practical.
• I can’t seem to get the saddle angle set correctly. The angle I need changes as the leather stretches. I realize this could be rectified with a better seatpost, but given all the other problems I’m having, I can’t justify spending money on a new seatpost. It’d be money much better spent on a new saddle.

Maybe I’m asking too much. I’ve put somewhere around 8,000 miles on this saddle. But, I have read stories of people who use their Brooks saddles for decades. I can’t understand how that can possibly work, given the issues I am having. Am I doing something wrong? Or, maybe I’m just too heavy to expect more than this? Would a “normal” saddle last longer?

Meanwhile, the synthetic saddle on the Bianchi is working great. I had only minimal discomfort during a couple of century rides, and the Ride Across Indiana. I don’t have to worry about getting it wet, or staining anything. Maybe it’s time to get another saddle like that one. It doesn’t look nearly as good, and doesn’t have the same appeal, but I’m starting to think it’s more practical.

For what it’s worth, that saddle is a Selle Italia X2.

I should point out that the Brooks normally gets ridden in normal clothes, whereas the I usually have bike shorts on when I ride the Selle Italia.

Despite its recent problems, I seem to have a certain, irrational attachment to the Brooks. It’s served me very well until recently, and I’ve been very reluctant to give it up. When I bought it, I felt like I was buying much more than just a comfortable saddle. I loved the idea behind the leather saddles, the entire aesthetic, the workmanship, etc. I like the way the bag goes with the saddle, and it all goes with the bike. I like the way the saddle ages, as if it has stories to tell.

The Selle Italia is just a fairly comfortable saddle, nothing more.

What should I do?

So, after a little teaser, it’s time to reveal the new ride. Barturtle guessed correctly — it’s a Bianchi Imola.

My dad had a Bianchi when I was a kid, and they have always held a certain mystique to me.  This bicycle, while still steel, is a much more modern build.

Highlights include full Shimano Tiagra drivetrain and brakes, and a Reynolds 631 steel frame. The ride is incredibly smooth, but also very responsive. Exactly what I was hoping for.

Based on a shakedown ride today, there are some things I don’t like. First of all, the “compact” handlebars, which are narrow and have shallow drops, are just awful. I don’t really mind the shallow drops, but I need a wide handlebar. I tried adjusting the angle, and that helped a little, but these bars will have to go.

The stock saddle could have been worse, but I didn’t care for it.

My wife snapped this shot of me riding the bike.

A few nitpicks aside, I love it so far, but I’m still getting everything dialed in. I made a few adjustments on my ride today, but I will have to make some more later. I already swapped out the saddle for the Selle Italia that was on my mountain bike. We’ll see how this saddle works on the road. I’ll probably eventually get a leather saddle for it.

More details to follow. We”ll be hitting the road again tomorrow.

I have a Brooks B-17 saddle on my Long Haul Trucker. It was very comfortable for a long while, but lately it’s feeling less so. After around 6,000 miles, it had sagged a bit, so I tensioned it about 1/4 turn. That brought some improvement, but I can’t shake the feeling that something else needs to be done. The problem is the leather is a little higher in the center than on the sides. I also feel like it sits a little lower now so it feels like the nose is pointed up a little more, even though I haven’t changed that.

I think the answer is to add laces to the bottom of it, to push the sides up and provide more support on the sides. Has anyone out there done this? Was it successful? I’ve read about a few different ways of doing it and I thought I’d get some more input before I take a drill to my saddle …

Thanks in advance!