Brooks England

B17 Imperial Saddle - Men's

10K mile review

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

OSFA

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

195

After spending several hundreds of dollars searching for the "right" saddle for me I finally found the Brooks Imperial. Before mounting I used a HEAVY amount of Neatsfoot Compound, (leather treatment), on the saddle & let it soak in thoroughly. After that I wipe in Neatsfoot Compound after EVERY ride. The 1st 500 miles, during the break in period, I rode with the saddle unlaced; it is very stiff to start out but once broken in it really molds to your own arse & sit bones. After that I followed the instructions from a youtube video & double laced the saddle. I have had to tighten the bolt once that takes the excess leather out to prevent sagging. I ride a Specialized Roubaix have thousands of miles on this saddle now. I rarely give my posterior second thought. I have Trek Madone that I ride for shorter faster rides, it has my old Selle SMP Lite 209 mounted & I will be replacing that saddle for another Brooks Imperial in the near future... Is it a little heavier than a lot of saddles? Yes... Could I drop a few pounds ? Yes. So please don't listen to the "it's too heavy" critiques. the few extra grams of weight on this saddle are nothing compared to the creature comfort you'll find riding this saddle. If you're that worried about the extra weight, lose a pound...