Brooks Swallow Review

The saddle. It is hard to find a more controversial product in the cycling industry. Everyone has a different take on it. Specialized likes the center cut out. Bontrager likes different padding. Fizik determines which rider should be on which saddle through a flexibility profile. And then there are the fringe saddles like ISM triathlon saddles.

And while all of these saddle makers have their "proof" and "science" claiming their seats superior, there is one saddle company that for over a century has captured the hearts (or would that be ischial tuberosities or sit bones) of countless riders. Brooks. This company creates saddles using a brilliant (and common) design dating back to the late 19th century: a single piece of thick leather supported at the back by a band of steel and at the front by a stretching mechanism. Over a quarter of the riders I have met crossing the country ride Brooks. A few of my instructors at UBI rode them. Several people I ride with day to day have logged tens of thousands of miles on Brooks saddles.

So I decided to give a Brooks a try. Not just any Brooks, but the top dog, racing saddle, the Swallow. My test saddle came to me through a customer who had found it to not be the one. He offered to let me ride it to see what I thought of it. I have put in about 200 miles on it over the past week or so and have reached the point where I can give you all something worthwhile.

Every time I jump on the Swallow it doesn't feel quite right. It is either too tight or too loose. On a few rides (one 26 miles, another 32) the saddle hit its stride about 20 minutes and I never thought of it again (a good thing in my opinion). On other rides I was still trying to find the right position as I rolled home. The one definitive thing that I have to say about this saddle is that it is not designed for riders who like to slide around. I found that I was comfortable in one particular spot. Too far forward and the bump from the tension mechanism pressed me. Too far back and I was sitting on the rivets. Unfortunately, I like to slide around. After talking with a few Brooks riders, it seems that the Brooks best suited for me is the Swift, a slightly flatter saddle.

This is a beautiful saddle. The honey brown of my model is amazing. It makes every bike it goes on look better (and a little heavier). But this saddle just isn't for me.

Up next: OMBC #4 Race to the Hills: Lake Hope report (racing it tomorrow) and sometime next week some photos of my new steed!