Can anyone help me out here. I crashed my Brooks last week and it’s very Picaso now. I always thought it was a B-17, but now I am wondering if it is a Team Pro special. It’s been modified a fair bit before I got it. Was hoping to get a new frame for it but it needs proper identifying first.
howd you figure?
are the back loops cut off?
Turns out all saddles are B-17s
The Pro doesn’t have the three holes along the center of the top.
It looks like whoever did this just turned a B17 into a Swallow?
didnt realize this, despite sitting on a pro for the last 6 years
Yeah, I also have an old Pro sitting in a box from the early 2000s. At that point they had slightly bigger machine-punched rivets than the B17, but smaller than the hand hammered rivets they use today. Seemed like it was slightly thicker leather than the B17 too but I could be mistaken on that.
Yep, loops cut off and a fair bit of leather too. I asked on a local retro FB group. A few thought it was a Swallow too. Some industry folks chimed in.
I only have 5 weeks to break in a new saddle. Is that doable?
I mean it takes my skinny ass easily 1000 miles to break in a Brooks. Do it the fast way
Also if you fit on a swallow they break in a LOT faster
Thanks for that. I broke in my Swift pretty damn quickly by accidentally riding it in the rain without a cover. That looks a bit like version 2 in that list.
I am also looking at refurbing it. Has anyone recovered or reframed a Brooks?
I am thinking that finding the rivets will be the biggest problems. I found some resources last night, looks like they use auto rivets in some cases.
You can make your own rivets. Start with a copper rod and anneal it regularly.
I cant recall where I left my annealer ; )
Uh… You have a propane torch, no? It really ain’t hard. TBH, annealing might be optional.
There’s also this:
Thanks, they look like the right size too, I barely have a shed, let alone a propane torch! Annealing is up there with growing a cow for the hide Heath. Thanks tho. Shipping is the next thing. Will get a new saddle locally today and put the refurb on the back-burner.
Yeah…
I bet you want a #8
https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Solid-Copper-Rivets-Burrs/dp/B07RX8Q2LK
Those are too long, but they can be trimmed.
I’ve tested the power and it wasn’t right for me at all, but then I went to the Power Arc and it was perfect. My sitbones have measured 92-96 and I got a 143 arc, which seemed insane. But the Power is apparently more flat like sitting on a plank, where the arc is rounded like straddling a log.
I’ve been riding an Arione for years and the switch was huge, the arc just disappears underneath me for the most part. The superflow is tricky because the lips of the channel are quite hard and protrude quite a bit, so just be wary.
Cheers, my experience with mine, and I am not sure exactly which one it is… was as the previous poster stated. Its pretty much a locked into one position kind of a saddle which would be no good long distance. It felt like it would be an excellent time trialling saddle for up to maybe 2 hours. I feel like there is anywhere I can sit on the B-17 and I am comfy. I will look into the Arc.
Yeah… I’m not sure it fits you we’ll then, it could be the wrong size. But being “locked in” should not be a problem for long days in the saddle, if that position is good and the weight distribution is even (you want to have quarter sized contact patches). I’ve done 1000 mile weeks on the saddle with zero issues, and plenty of long distance folks love the power. I’d visit the local spesh and trek shops and do their sit tests, they should both be able to loan you saddles or let you return them quite easily.
I liked this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMHE8zN_aQ4
Thanks, yes, according to the spesh test I am a 155. I will see if they do loaners around here. I thought the 168 may match the B-17 but sounds like not.
