To the cyclists - which saddle ?

In retrospect it is hard to really see why the TdF was so passive. Wiggins and Co. put a marker down but nobody seemed to dare to break them-or force them to change tactics or approach.

Bruce

With the two of them (and Porte etc.) riding so strongly in the Tour, all they had to do was ride tempo as fast as they could to the top of the hill. Wiggins was dominant in the time trial, so him attacking and gaining time was pointless. Their opponents could attack all they wanted, but enough of the Sky train was always going to be there in the end. Surging attacks are slower overall, and only worthwhile if you can use them to isolate your opponent. Sky never really responded to attacks, but just kept riding (at 450W!) knowing the riders would come back.

I can't think of any tactics that could have worked against a team that dominant.

That was my conclusion too, just a dominant team. Part of this was a function of the nature of the route too.

Different terrain used next year may be different outcome.

Froome looks knackered now, and hardly a suprise.

Thanks George,

I wanted to show pictures that even a marked [after the crash] B 17 has a grace and style that no plastic or carbon saddle comes close to, but most of all show how after a reasonably short while the saddle actually sculpts itself the the owners sit bones. 

No plastic saddle will account for the lopsided nature of most of our backsides!

It has a smoothness and directness of contact that defies belief, and being smooth it allows for easy movement without any sense that connection has been lost. One would never get a friction saddle sore with this sort of saddle. The standard B 17 is wide enough for the most big boned [think where your sit bones actually are] person, and the only issue is circulation. If not a problem, then a split saddle is not needed, Though no Brooks saddle would address that one...

Otherwise the great choice from heavily sprung to lighty, or not all all, gives a grand selection for those who are not concerned with an extra 400 grams compared to the lightest saddles on the market! 400 grams is about what one of those triple decker sandwiches actually weigh

That lovely Brooks shown has been out in all weathers - every day of the year. Leather is robust as well ... will last me out!

ATB from George

Remember that the angle between your legs and back must be 70 degrees.

My LBS has a Specialized Ass-o-meter on which I measured 110cm.  They said a 140cm Specialized Toupe would fit me.

Is that some kind of wig ?

I've tried a few saddles over the years, Brooks, Fizik and Cinelli. I couldn't get on with the Fizik at all because I couldn't slide around on it. I tried George's Brooks for a short distance and it is indeed very comfortable. Due to some discomfort in the nether regions I now use this Specialized saddle. It's the most comfortable I've ever used and the first time ever that I feel like I'm actually sitting on my 'sit bones'.



Brooks make a centre cutaway saddle, but I think it looks rather untidy and a half hearted attempt.

that's what I said !

Those are pretty popular and apparently comfortable. Mine (SLR), whilst not having a cutaway is flatter in profile across the top, effectively achieving the same thing by placing the weight more on the sit-bones and less on other more sensitive areas. Numbness and other "issues" have never been a problem for me. I've never "felt" the need for a cutaway saddle, but I like the minimalist approach of this one and many other cutaways.

As for that Brooks. Well, my mum always said "if you can't say anything nice...."

I hope you mean mm!

Well, that's a matter of opinion and of application. Perhaps OK on your Carlton, but I can't imagine a Brooks on my new C59. It would be silly and just look ridiculous.

Dear Winki,

I quite agree about the perception of style! Always personal, but quality is something timeless as well. I have been surprised to see Brooks saddles [quite a wide range though all basically a leather top on a variety of frames, and of varying widths and styles to some extent] on some unexpected cycles. I am sure there are some ultra-modern bicycles where the saddle might seem at first glance a bit out of place! I suspect that this style of cycle itself might not appeal so much to me as my Carlton however!

But apart from use in top competitive road raacing, then I think more or less anything goes if it suits the rider!

There are a few myths that I would like to blow though. That leather top is superb in the wet. It does not go soggy, but seems to keep the posterior dry! It never leads to sweaty nether regions. It is surprisingly good at soaking up jolts, but never feels slack. It is slidy so that no friction sores seem to happen. The standard B 17 is quite wide to look at and yet is narrow where it counts. It may take a year to run in but is comfortable from the first few weeks, and not uncomfortable from day one. After a year it has a comfort level that without parallel in my experience.

But you are quite right. It is a matter of taste!

But the saddle has been in production for more than a century, so it has an enduring appeal over the generations! It is quite a thought that it is probably the most old fashioned thing about my Carlton [which otherwise is equipped as a 1984 frame with parts dated between 1960s and late 1980s, though the tyres and wheel rims are today's production], but even with a mark or two it looks nice, unlike scuffs on a synthetic material top. For example, any plastic saddle would have been ruined in my crash last April. Half an hour buffing up the graze with the Brooks "proofing" soap, and some work with a soft cloth simply left the saddle looking "experienced!"

ATB from George

George, you would have loved my late 1960's CCM Mustang! I was 14 at the time, and my bike had a 24" rear wheel, 20" front, ape hanger handlebars, a 2-speed Bendix hub, and last but not least, a beautiful Brooks saddle! Way more comfortable than the banana seat it came with. Quite the mix of styles and cultures, don't you agree? For a time, I made it really dangerous by extending the forks to look like 'Easy Rider'. Ah the early '70s, those were the days...we were on our bikes all day until our mothers came looking for us.

Dave

shoot, when Specialized came out with their 'body geometry' series, they really were on to something, in my opinion. I still have an old Brooks and some old Concors kicking around, and they are still comfortable to me, but my Specialized Pro Ti (body geometry) saddle is the most comfortable of all.

Dave

110 mm not cm, doh !