Upgrading from a Brooks B17 to something narrower, lighter and with Ti rails? Fabric?

I used to be a fan of brooks saddles. I've had a B17 on my commuter bike for a couple of years and my only real gripe was that lycra slides around on it a bit, it's a bit heavy and Ti rails would be better. I was also dissapointed that such an expensive saddle could not be repaired without a riveting machine (unlike the Berhoult saddles, for example, which don't use rivets).

I recently had a bike fit which identified I was too upright and lowered my flat bar by about 4cm, so that I am now in what saddle-maker fabric would call the "shallow" position. Add a recent crash, and bent B17 rails, I now have the perfect excuse to buy a new saddle.

After much research, I think a good saddle for me would be a Fabric Scoop Race Shallow or Scoop Race Team Shallow. The problem is that this doesn't go with the look of my bike which has a navy blue and tan leather scheme. I would be willing to sacrifice the look if everything else about the saddle was perfect, but I'm still not sure about the Fabric saddles. They might be too narrow, with only the 142mm width being available in Shallow with Ti rails. It's a shame Charge no longer sell their Ti spoon in tan brown, as that might work well and I'd be willing to risk the purchase as they are fairly cost effective. I've checked ebay, but nothing in both brown tan and Ti rails.

My dream saddle would probably have some way of absorbing more vibrations, like the elastomers used by Morgaw. Morgaw don't seem to be trading anymore, which is a shame.

Ideally want to spend no more than £75, but if there was an amazing saddle that met all my requirements, I'd consider going to £125. I know it's sometimes possible to get a fabric ALM for that price, but it still seems a lot of money to pay for something which might not be that comfortable. Anyone have any experience with an ALM?

Any suggestions for other saddles that I should consider?

Comments

  • fatted864
    fatted864 Posts: 67
    Try before you buy, Fabric offer a 60 day trial period. I bought the Pro Team Shallow, to replace my Swallow saddle, not tried it on the road yet, just on the trainer, not the same
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    Not necessarily lighter, but a Brooks C15 could tick all the other boxes. I have had one for just over 2 years now and it's an excellent saddle to spend hours on... but at 450 grams, it's just as heavy as a leather Brooks
    left the forum March 2023
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,415
    Brooks C13 145 or 158?
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