Last Gift from Dad

     I think the last gift my dad actually gave me was an old TomTom GPS that he sent in the mail.  But after his passing, my brother and I acquired the last few hundred dollars he had in his bank account.  My mom suggested we each use our share of the money to buy ourselves a nice gift, as a final gift from him to us.  My brother bought himself a beautiful acoustic guitar, and I decided to spend a small chunk of my money on a Brooks saddle.

Metal plate on the rear of the saddle.  December 5, 2012

     I've wanted a Brooks ever since I learned about them, but they have always been out of my budget.  The B17, Brooks' sort of "flagship model" usually comes in at around $120, and although you definitely get what you pay for, sometimes you just can't pay it.  For those uninitiated in leather saddles, I'll shed some light on what the big deal is.

Right out of the box.  December 5, 2012

     What is probably the most objective "big deal" about leather saddles is that as you ride on the saddle, it breaks in for you and only you.  The leather, slung between a pair of metal rails like a hammock, breaks down as it supports your weight and absorbs your body heat and sweat.  The leather will slowly form to fit the bones in your rear-end, and basically creates one-in-a-million saddle made just for you.  The break-in period is the worst thing about a leather saddle (besides the price) and can be lengthy depending on how often the saddle is ridden.  A brand new leather saddle will feel extremely hard and uncomfortable, but this fades away as it forms to fit you.  Some people don't like this, and some say it isn't comfortable even after the break-in.

     Besides that, there is mostly the charm and allure of riding a handmade piece of artisan craftsmanship.  In an age where bicycle saddles are predominantly a combination of plastic, foam and gel, where engineers are constantly tweaking overly-complex ideas on how to make a saddle be ultra-comfortable for a wide berth of people, it can be refreshing to just plant your rear on a single, thick piece of cured British leather.  Brooks has been making some of their saddles more or less the same way for over a hundred years by now, and I consider that impressive.

One of the better pictures of the saddle, amusingly taken on my phone locked in front of a Target.  December 5, 2012

     Getting mine turned out to be a bit more of a hassle than I expected, but I finally got my hands on it.  I decided to go with the B17 Standard, which is their "flagship model", as I previously mentioned.  The B17 has been in Brooks' catalog since 1898, and stands strong as an iconic and timeless pillar in the bicycle world.  The moment I pedaled down the street on mine, I fell in love with it.  It is still taking a little getting-used-to, mostly because the leather is very slick and I find my pants often slipping on the smooth finish.  I got my hands on some of the Proofide, a special all-natural leather dressing that Brooks supplies to help the break-in process, so I will be using that soon.

     I wanted to get something that would last me a long time with my dad's money, and I wanted to get something that I know he'd approve of.  I think a quality, hand-made bicycle part fit the bill perfectly.  He had a great respect for hand-made items, naturally, and I inherited that respect from him.

     And the saddle looks great on my Fuji.