Have been a Brooks saddle fan for years, the love continues! Western bike works really hard, I had some logistics that I needed help with. WBW really strives to keep their customers. Happy in NW MONTANA.
I had the R1 on my road bike and bought the R3 for my gravel bike. Used it on my ride across NY,390 miles. It was comfortable the entire ride. This was a "B" grade purchase, not sure if that is the right terminology. The discount was super. It appeared to be new. No scratches or any indication it had be used. The price was great.
Bought the Shimano XTR PD-9120 trail pedals, for a gravel bike I bought last year. Took some time trying to find the pedals, given limited quantities available. Referred to these pedals by a fellow rider, who has a previous year model. Wanted a solid shoe-pedal interface, to go with the MTB shoes I also purchased from WBW's at same time I bought the pedals. Also wear a size 11 (Euro 45), so was very important for a very stable platform pedal that offered easy clip in, clip out, but at the same time, a good size stable platform to generate power through the pedals to the drivetrain. Also, wanted a pedal that I could easily clip in, clip out of, for varied trail terrain. Paid a bit more money for these pedals - however, based on reviews, these should offer longer term durability and ease of use, for lots of trail rides to come.
Like all saddles, each one, and its relationship with any individual backside is totally subjective. I've been through a fair handful of saddles for the gravel bike, ultimately landing here with the Selle Novus Boost Gravel Tech. I've not been on any centuries or close yet, but have done a few 30-40 mile rides along with plenty of shorter adventures. It's comfortable, and on the longer rides I've done, have gone a long way in helping me eliminate that dreaded perineal numbness. Whether that holds true on really long rides is kinda beyond what I was hoping for anyway, so it's helped out in one major area I was hoping this would help with. The padding isn't overdone, but with a chamois, it does the trick. The seat is light enough and balances form and function really well. My only semi hangup is how short it is. Great if getting rowdy and not wanting the seat to hang up, but it does provide a slightly more limited surface area to move around on when wanting to shift to get comfortable on long climbs, or the like. That said, it has been easy to overlook considering all else it brings to my table. Big fan.
