Brooks Saddles Flyer Bicycle Saddle (Men's) Review

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(More customer reviews)I Purchased a Brooks Champion Flyer saddle (Black) mid-May 2010.
I've read all the reviews I could get my hands on regarding Brooks saddles, and felt it was something I wanted to try. You have a LARGE contingent of those who swear by them with religious furor and a much smaller contingent who are disgusted that theirs never broke in and gave up.
Thus I felt it was a bit of a gamble. So far I am guardedly pleased. I have about 200 miles on the saddle so far, it appears to be breaking in quite nicely. One gent told me that his brooks to 1000 miles to break in but that it was comfortable after that. Brooks says that their saddles typically take about 300 Kilometers to break in. I'm a 43 year-old male 5' 9" 215lbs.
I've been a Specialized brand loyalist for most of the last decade, and in many respects I still am, I still recommend Specialized Milano type especially for men overwhelmingly. Because of out of box comfort for the price, perhaps a couple K on the Brooks will change that but not yet.
When I first opened the box and felt of the saddle I was worried I'd made a mistake, it feels way too hard to be comfortable when you handle it. I was determined to try so I installed it and found it considerably more comfortable than it looked but not as comfortable as some of the specialized saddles I've used right away.
I made the smart move of packing the larger Allen wrenches in my bike bag think I'd have to make quite a few adjustments to the Brooks and I was correct. In the past with other saddles, I'd moved it a half inch here, a quarter-inch there, etc. I was usually happy with 2 or 3 adjustments. I've made at least 6 adjustments to the Brooks to slowly bring it into where I was happy with the ride, not pitching myself too far forward, etc. The adjustments tend to be more frequent and smaller. The last adjustment I made was to move it 1/8 of an inch forward and yes I really could feel a difference.
The saddle seems to disappear under me when I ride it and I rarely notice or think about it on that bike, I take this as a good thing and that I am on the right track.
I was not prepared for the slippery factor, the saddle is a bit slippery due to the shiny leather, if you're used to synthetic saddles with the grippy fabric on them this will surprise you. I'm not sure the slippery tendency is good for off-road riders, they may opt to stay away from brooks for this reason, or at least try someone else's Brooks before you buy. Speaking for myself, I'm keeping my specialized saddle on the mountain bike. This is not a factor for me on the road bike as I'm using it purely on the road bike for long commutes and some touring.
I'm following Brooks care instructions to the letter, if you buy online be sure to order some Brooks "Proof hide" I forgot to do this and now there is a shortage of the stuff here in town. Luckily a local shop called "Old Spokes Home" put some proof hide on there for me, no charge. That will cover me until I can buy my own tin.
I have noticed some spring squeak on my flyer but this was only for a brief period after a rain. Seems to be gone now, don't know if it will return. The springy feel is not very noticeable unless you pogo up and down deliberately. I feel the springs do take some of the bumps out.
I rode up beside a gent on a surley LHT during my commute one day who had the same Brooks flyer only in brown, he's had his for a lot longer and says "I love it".
So after 200 miles, I'm happy and will probably stick with it. It seems to be getting increasingly comfortable. I feel I can recommend this saddle to the dedicated male touring or longer distance commuting cyclist. (my commute is 20 miles each way). I cannot recommend this saddle to cyclists who only rides the occasional weekend ride, or the off-road cyclist. I suggest that these folks look to Specialized Milano. Women should seek out saddle reviews written by women IMHO.
-Roger


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Brooks Saddles Flyer is a classically sprung saddle for long distance trekking and touring. It is directly descending from the B66 Champion, first featured in the 1927 catalogue. Sharing the same leather tops of the B17 models, they combine the comfort of these popular models with the extra suspension granted by two rear springs. The honey leather seat is available with tubular steel rivets or with hand hammered copper rivets under the name of Flyer Special. This saddle weighs 850 grams.

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