Breaking In a Brook's Saddle - the first few kilometers

I finally did it, I've bought a Brook's saddle. 

Now I know for some people the idea of throwing 100CHF at your bike would be quite a simple transaction. For me, however, it was a long and protracted decision-making process. That's a lot of money to me, and I wasn't convinced it would improve bum-comfort levels enough to warrant the price tag.

My two main concerns were a) which saddle should I buy to make the most of my money, and b) how long will it take to "break in" before I feel the benefits?

Now the internet is a wonderful thing, but when it comes to the world of saddles it is quite confusing. For every ten people raving about their B17's, there are the same amount moaning about how much their arse still hurts six months into breaking in their saddle. There are also a heck of a lot of people talking up their Fizik saddles, or their Bontrager, or even just their good old Selle Royal, so really is a Brook's saddle just an expensive accessory? Let's be honest, they are aesthically beautiful, so was I just being shallow even just considering them? Goodness knows I'm a sucker for a good-looking bike.

But consider that Brook's have been making saddles since 1882, and they've never changed their designs, you realise there might be something in it. Surely Brook's would have died out ages ago if they were shifting shonky saddles? So the decision was made, I was going to buy one, but...

Which Brook's saddle should I buy?

I found Lovely Bicycle's post on the subject ridiculously helpful, and as a result plonked for a B17-S Standard Lady's saddle. In honey. 

How long will it take to break in?

Well, here's the thing, it was remarkably comfortable instantly. I treated it with Brook's own Proofide, which had no noticeable effects other than making the saddle darker in colour and a little slippery for a few hours (when mixed with Lycra shorts). But on day one we spent 42km together, with no pain or uncomfortableness.

Now everywhere, including Brook's website, say that it can take 100 to 1000 miles to break it in. Which seems a odd way of measuring, given that one person's 100 miles is one day, another is a year. So I am going to keep tabs on what it looks like and how it softens, as I spent more hours using it. Hopefully that will give future customers an idea of how long the breaking in process will take.

I'll link future updates back to this blog post so be sure to check back.