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"I just wanted to express my extreme satisfaction with the Brooks Champion Flyer I am using on my Trek Calypso. I have been through many, many seats over the years and regardless of how physically fit I am or have been the seat ALWAYS would bite me in the you know what. I used to own a Fuji roadbike and with the seat it came with it made my male anatomy numb after 40 miles or so. I don't need to be told I needed to adjust the seat, handlebars, etc. I tried everything and I am knowledgeable on that end too (was a bike mechanic for a while actually). I have over 25 year of riding experience and the best I could find was just tolerable, but never comfortable. I would say the best bike/seat combo prior to my current one was a Peugeot Urban Express (mid '80s aluminum framed hydrid bike... great bike) with its standard seat. At first I thought the standard, super comfy looking, seat on my Trek would do just fine, but a quick 80 mile trek (ha ha) out to Biloxi proved otherwise. Anyway, to make the Brook saddle work correctly on my Trek Calypso, with the desired adjustment range, I bought a seat post from you and it works great! I mean I am in awe of the Brooks saddle now. I made quite a bit of fore/aft, angle, height adjustments with the seat over the first couple weeks until I found a perfect 'spot'. Now, with 3 months of steady riding, as I use my bike as daily transportation when I have the choice, the seat feels as if it isn't there when riding. It's great! I look forward to long rides to the coast now. Additionally, I have made the Trek Calypso fit me to a tee now. Yeah, I know, it's a cruiser. But it is pretty light for what it is and I switched from a 38 to 46 chainwheel, put on longer cranks with cages, etc. In other words, I like riding pretty quickly, but I also like comfort. For that end, the Brooks Champion Flyer works like a champ."
"I recently ordered an aged champion flyer and have been more than pleased with its' comfort right out of the box. This saddle replaced a well broken in B-17 standard so I was unsure whether the sprung saddle would be that much better. After putting about 200 miles on the new saddle I can definitely say the springs provide an increase in comfort. Anyone who is on the fence and doesn't mind a little extra weight I believe will be well safisfied with a sprung vs unsprung saddle. The aged version greatly minimizes break-in time and receives my highest praise as well. Thanks."
"I just ordered my second saddle from you and wanted to let you know that you and the Champion Flyer are soely responsible for my being able to ride uprights. I'd completely written them off and had switched to recumbents some years back due to saddle pain and numbing. I tried plenty of popular "wonder" saddles. None addressed those problems. About 5 years ago I discovered your site and decided that, due to your guarantee, I had nothing to loose. I inspite of painful distant memories of leather saddles in the 70s I gave one a whirl; I was no leather or classic partisan. I got the CF, put it on a borrowed bike and immediately knew I was in different territory. Within a day or two there was no question that this was a lasting paradigm shift - nothing else I'd been on worked - this did. I was able to ride an upright, all day; no pain, no numbing. Without that saddle I would certainly not be riding uprights, wouldn't have discovered touring and would have missed out on two tours in Europe with more to come. I also wouldn't have discovered the larger and more interesting world of European bicycles of the last century, courtesy of VBQ, or have become an amateur framebuilder. The recumbents are a distant memory."
"I just wanted to tell you that the new saddle (Champion Flyer) is perfect. Thank you for allowing me to exchange the B67. Both are great saddles, but the Champion Flyer is just what I needed. Thanks again."
"Who would have thought that I, an admirer of Reynolds 753 and short wheelbases, would install a thick leather saddle with heavy steel springs on my Jeff Lyon custom steel commuter? (I am also the only one in the pack with a set of fenders and a handlebar bag.) I will never scoff at a Brooks sprung saddle again. The Champion Flyer is supreme comfort, right out of the box. Thank you Wallbike for a great recommendation."
"Thanks a lot for the new Champion flyer it fits great. After trying 5 gel and foam seat's I found the one that fits like a glove. I have a Peugeot with a Ideale saddle on it that showed me what I needed to get.Thanks "
"I recently ordered a Brook's B17 Champion Flyer from wallbike. I used
this saddle on my solo tour around Lake Erie (http://glt_lakeerie.crazyguyonabike.com
). Part of the route I took on the south shore of Lake Erie is also part of
the Northern Tier route across the US. During my tour I met many Northern Tier
cyclists who were heading east to finish their crossing at the same time as
I was headed west to complete my circle around the lake."
"Of interest to me was that although I met ten or twelve riders every
single one of them was using a Brook's saddle for their ride (emphasis
ours). All expressed happiness with their saddles. One rider did mention
wanting to go across again in a recumbent in the future. His reason however
wasn't due to saddle pain but rather to reduce hand pain."
"I got my champion flyer back in March and I now have about 2500km on
it. It is nicely broken in, there are a couple of large indentations where
my sitbones
go. I did not really have a comfort problem with my other saddles but now
that my Brooks is broken in, I notice how much more comfortable it is. When
I ride
my other bikes (with non-Brooks saddles) they are just not as comfy.
I was a little nervous that the springs would affect my pedalling. In fact,
I do notice some rocking when I pedal at high cadences but it does not seem
to rob any significant amount of power. The springs do take the edge off
bumps and allow me to ride for longer periods without stopping. I have ridden
double
centuries with no more than bathroom breaks.I tried mountain biking with
this saddle but the rear part is too wide to easily slide back behind the
seat for
steep descents."
"I purchased a Champion Flyer from you back in January. The weather has finally broke enough for me to go out and try it. Why did I ever listen to the sales people in the bike shops and stray from a Brooks. When you can go out on your first ride of the season and do 50 miles and are still able to jump on it the next day for another 50 you have the saddle of your dreams. I received some funny looks and got some comments about the weight, but who cares when you can still walk after your ride. I absolutely love it. My 47 year old butt couldn't be happier."
"Well, I have to write and rave about our new saddles - the Champion Flyer for me and the Flyer S for my wife. I wasn't at all sure that the springs would really be useful as they seem so stiff but I mounted it on my tandem and its worth was immediately apparent. Perhaps I'm just used to Brooks saddles but there was zero break-in needed. It was perfect from the very start and I could definitely feel an increase in comfort due to the springs. My wife already has the Countess on her stoker position and I put her new Flyer S on her single bike. She, like me, is a Brooks fanatic. Nothing else comes close. My neighbor just bought the identical bicycle to one of mine (a Bike Friday Air Friday) and had them supply the saddle. Very light, very Italian and, sadly, VERY uncomfortable for him. He was so sore that we couldn't ride the next day. He should have known better - all his test rides on my bike were with the B-72 in place. He immediately purchased a Brooks and is returning the original saddle. So, thanks a bunch for making these great saddles readily available. I can't understand why everyone isn't using them. A mystery."
"I just had to send you this note to let you know that I just love my
new CF saddle! This past weekend is the first chance I've had to ride it. It
was great right from the get go. I doesn't seem to need any "break in"
period. My bum wasn't sore at all. As a matter of fact, I believe that I felt
better after 4 hrs in the saddle then when I was using my Specialized Body Geometry
saddle. I had some other work done on m bike this past Friday and the older
owner of the shp patted the saddle and said "This is going to need a lot
of breaking in". But, as I said, it was a dream right from the start."
"I'm sold. Nothing but Brooks will ever be on any of my bikes in the future."
"Just wanted to update you on my experience with my Champ Flyer. Yes,
it does "boing" a little bit with high cadence. What is remarkable
to me is to feel a bump with the handlebars and not in my seat! I did not think
that was possible. I must say it is not completely comfortable yet, after 150
miles, but it is no worse than any other saddle I have ever owned. I can see
the "break-in" marks that you talk about on the site. So, I suppose
it is all headed the right direction. Thanks for making this product available."
"I have had a lot of fun with the comments and looks of other cyclists
since I fitted the Champion Flyer to my old Trek 6000 mountain bike turned tourer.
Folks in the know share stories ("last year I took my Brooks across Australia.
. ."). Folks who once had one reminisce and ask where I got it. ("I
didn't know those were still available!") One riding partner, using a (brand)
comfort gel monstrosity _and_ a suspension seat post invited me to commiserate
about numb genitals after a ten hour day of cycling but I had to dissapoint
him - everything was fine.
"I had one day in the first week of using the Brooks when my sits bones complained
a little right when I got on. When I checked in five minutes later, tey were
fine, and tht is the extent of the discomfort that I have felt. I know that
you aren't suposed to do anything wierd to accelerte break-in, but I did take
the suggestion that came with the Proofide tin of treating the underside of
the saddle and not wiping it off. After only three hundred miles I had two lovely
dents where my lopsided-from-motorcycle-crash sits bones go, and I put my old
saddle in the communal parts box at the local bicycle coalition."
"A note for folks who know they want a Brooks and aren't sure if the Champion
Flyer is the one for them: It's the widest saddle that is appropriate for a
moderate, modern riding position (around 40-60 degrees). Remember those car
ads that said "wider is better?" They have a point. The seat supports
your bones, instead of punishing tender flesh. All this you get from the excellent
B.17. However, the Champion Flyer also has steel springs, for shock absorption.
I weigh over 180 lbs, and the springs seem stiff to me, so they do not rob pedaling
efficiency with bouncing up and down, but they do save you from hard bumps,
or when doing miles of off road riding. Afer I got my saddle and couldn't stop
raving, my sweetie, who hated her old (brand) and off-road riding, got the Champion
Flyer S, and has been talking about a back roads tour of Canada ever since."
"If you pick any of these saddles you may have bought your last bicycle seat
ever! Be prepared to have strangers fondle it with admiration, and don't be
surprised if going to work doesn't seem as important as going to see what lies
over the horizon."
"I've written enough now and my butt is starting to hurt from sitting in this ergonomically computer designed chair. I'd better go for a ride."
"My first Brooks was standard issue on a 1971 Schwinn Super Sport -- a
B.15. I think it had thinner leather than the B.17 which gave a softer ride.
Anyway, I was hooked. I've been riding Brooks ever since, thanks to my local
bike shop (Cardinal) in Roanoke, VA.
Until last year, the B.17 was my favorite saddle. It has been replaced by the
Champion Flyer. At 52 years of age, comfort becomes a priority. I still use
my B.17 for the daily commuter, but the Flyer is my long-distance cruiser. Brooks
is the only serious saddle out there."
"I ordered a Brooks Champion Flyer for my newly-acquired '93 Bridgestone MB-2. Not wanting to introduce hydraulics, air, or high-tech elastomers to this collectable, venerable bicycle, the Flyer was selected because of its B-17 seat and those totally cool springs. The bottom line? This saddle rocks (pun intended)! It soaks up the bumps perfectly, and it is completely comfortable. No numbness, no bouncing up and down, no slippage. A friend recently called me a hardass for having a leather saddle, but I'm no masochist I'm into comfort and low-tech elegance, and the Flyer fits me to a "T."
(note: the softening method that this next writer uses is not endorsed by Brooks or Wallingford Bicycle Parts.)
"Love this saddle!!
I ordered this because I was concerned that the Conquest would be a bit narrow
and too rounded across the top but I still wanted something with some
suspension. Just like the B17 on my Softride equipped bike it was comfortable
out of the box but, once again like the B17, I made it more so by thinning the
leather a little bit along the saddle's ridge (from below.) It doesn't take
much to make the saddle much more comfortable for me. After that, and with no
other breaking in, it has been great.
I do wish, however, that Brooks could work out a bit better system for their
saddlebag loops. It's next to impossible to thread the leather straps from my
Lowsaddle through the loops from below and doing it from above means that the
straps have to be taken completely out of the bag to remove it. Spacing the
loops out a little bit from the coil springs would greatly improve their
utility."
"I ordered a Champion Flyer a few weeks ago (quick delivery...nice!) and,
having never experienced a leather saddle, much less one with springs, I
have to tell you that I am very pleased with the comfort and the look of my
new saddle. I find I'm riding more, but I don't find myself standing to
relieve the pressure.
Even on trails...riding over tree roots, etc...I don't have to be soo
careful to stand..in fact I can stay in the saddle for most jolts.
It looks much cooler than the ubiquitous 'sprung' seat posts, I've already
had some compliments about how good my bike looks (an 8 year old Giant ATX
760, a lot of wear and tear), never happened before!
Thanks for giving me access to such a great product.
PS Your 6 month garantee made the decision easy...nothing to lose, and the
material that was included for caring for the saddle was much appreciated."
" So i was like a little kid at Christmas when i received that brown box at my doorstep. I'm of course very impressed with the workmanship that went into this saddle. It did seem a bit unforgiving to the touch when i first picked it up, however all my worries were dispelled as soon as i saddled up and rode down the street. This is a surprisingly comfortable saddle right out of the box! I'm looking forward to using it on my future long distance rides."
Comments are excerpted from e-mail correspondence with customers and Brooks owners. I have tried to fairly represent the range of comments that I have received about these particular models and I have also tried to avoid taking comments out of context. Parenthetical italicized elements are editorial insertions. -Bill
See the Champion Flyer in these Brooks Archives Catalogs:
1937 Brooks Catalog
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Jeff Patterson makes these interesting hybrids in Jupiter, Florida. He says they are great fun and they attract a lot of attention. The bike in the foreground sports a Champion Flyer and the other is crowned with a B.130. You can contact Jeff at globalartx@cs.com |
Jerome Hsu has fixed up his Bike Friday just right. Jerome sits on a Champion Flyer and his stuff goes in one of the special green Carradice Nelson Longflap bags that we had in 2002. |
Want to see your stylish Brooks-equipped bike on these pages? Send us a reproducable photo or a jpg file.
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Updated December 2008
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