Gyes saddles, first impressions.

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I just received two Gyes saddles in the mail today. A Gyes CL-10 Classic Look, http://www.crowcycleco.com/gyes/gye...t-rear-springs-leather-bike-saddle-brown.html , and a Gyes 17A, http://www.crowcycleco.com/gyes/gye...-bicycle-saddle-black-laces-copper-rails.html .

Appearance wise, they both look good, but I think the 17A is the knockout. For a roadbike saddle it really looks sharp. It'll add a few ounces to the weight of my Cannondale, but I couldn't resist putting it on there anyway.

The CL-10 comes complete with a fake rusty patina on the springs and undercarriage. I wouldn't bother paying the 10 dollars extra for it. I thought it looked a lot better in the pictures than the chromed or black versions and from a distance it does. Up close, it's more of just a textured, rust colored paint job. I took this one for a short ride, but just a couple miles as I'm getting over the flu. The leather Gyes uses is harder than a Brooks. My Brooks B135 felt pretty good right away. The CL-10 is obviously going to take awhile to break in. The triple springs aren't as soft as on the Brooks either, but they do cushion you when you hit bumps. They're still softer than no springs at all.

One thing it did seem to excel in was being reasonably comfortable in a variety of positions. It was pretty good sitting straight up. It's wide enough to support most of your butt and sprung. Better in that regard than a road saddle, even a good one. Bent over 45 degrees it was alright and I imagine that after a thousand miles or so, when the leather breaks in, it will be pretty good. Even hunched over in an aero position it was pretty good and that's one thing I can't say for the Brooks B135.

Surprisingly, I didn't find that the front spring had any effect on handling. I thought it might make the bike seem kind of sloppy and disconnected, but it's a solid enough connection that I didn't notice any problem with handling and I took a few corners very fast. I didn't try riding no hands, but I don't think it will be a problem.

I haven't ridden on the 17A yet, but the leather used on it seems slightly softer and it has extensive lacing across the bottom.


Comparing the CL-10 to my Brooks B135, I'd give the B135 the edge for a more upright bike like a cruiser. The B135 feels good right from the start, and the dual action springs in the back provide a very cushy ride. For a more hunched over bike like a road bike or a touring bike, I'd favor the CL-10. It's simply more comfortable in that position. The B135 squashes the tender parts when you hunch over and if you adjust the angle to avoid that then it wants to make you slide forward when you sit upright. The CL10 also costs about half as much.
 
I've had my Gyes for over a month and have yet to try it out. I wasn't about to pay $100+ for a Brooks!
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I LIKE BIKES
 
My buddy Harry got a Gyes; he's happy with it, and it looks like a Brooks from a few feet away. I've held off buying one b/c i think they're flagrant knock-offs and I'm a loyal Brooks guy, but they seem like quality saddles. The "hand" is definitely much different from a Brooks, though.
 
They definitely feel different and I think some of the proof might be in the longevity. I have a Brooks professional I bought in the 70's that's still in amazing shape. I frankly don't expect the same from my Gyes but I probably won't be riding it in 40 years either.
 
They definitely feel different and I think some of the proof might be in the longevity. I have a Brooks professional I bought in the 70's that's still in amazing shape. I frankly don't expect the same from my Gyes but I probably won't be riding it in 40 years either.

So far, Harry's saddle is holding up just fine. The sad truth about Brooks is, even thought they're still building saddles like they used to, the World simply isn't building cows like we used to. Current farming techniques produce really big cows very quickly, but he leather never thickens/toughens up like the cowhide of yesteryear did. The Professional model uses the thickest hides, and are still the sturdiest Brooks in terms of the leather, but theProfessional of today isn't nearly as hardy as the Professionals from the 70s. That's why they came out with the even pricier "select" series, which is made from the hide of, like, organic Swedish cattle. (It probably sounds like I'm kidding, but I'm actually not.)

Now, all the Brooks imitators/competitors seem like they're doing a "laminate" underlayer, and you can see the difference if you flip the saddle over and look at it's underbelly. (I bought a Selle Anatomica, it's like that, and the feel is more similar to the Gyes than it is to a Brooks. FWIW, apparently the Cardiff, Velo Orange, and Gyes saddles are all made by the same Taiwanese firm. Brooks was bought out by Selle Royal of Italy, but are still made in the UK. Selle Anatomica is made in the USA....) I think the laminate underbelly will better preserve the leather, but it effects the hand in ways I'm not into. I still look to Brooks for my suspended leather saddles; when I want something unsuspended and racier, I get leather offerings from Selle Royal or Selle San Marco, such as the Turbo or the Rolls. These last really well, and are actually kinda cheap if you shop for sales....
 
My buddy Harry got a Gyes; he's happy with it, and it looks like a Brooks from a few feet away. I've held off buying one b/c i think they're flagrant knock-offs and I'm a loyal Brooks guy, but they seem like quality saddles. The "hand" is definitely much different from a Brooks, though.

I really like Brooks myself. I've got a B135 and a Cambium and while they're both great saddles, they're also stupid expensive.

I'm holding off on making many quality judgements here because I just haven't put any significant miles on the Gyes saddles yet, but just looking at them I think that Brooks has an edge in that regard. In a few ways though the Gyes saddles are better. They have a coated underside to protect the bottom from water spray, the rails are longer, they come with holes and laces already on them so you don't have to worry about the bottom spreading out and, of course, they're cheaper...way cheaper.

The leather Brooks saddle I've got had better finished leather than the CL10. The dye on the CL10 was uneven. The leather on the Gyes 17A however was finished on par with my Brooks. The undercarriage of both Gyes saddles just seemed a little less "nice" than either of my Brooks. The Cambium is especially good in that regard.

At this point, with very few miles on either Gyes, I'd rate the Brooks as a better saddle, but not by a whole lot. If the Gyes saddles wear in well and hold up well then I anticipate buying more of them in the future. I'm sure I'll buy another Brooks sometime too.
 
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It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here, but I thought I’d give an update on my Gyes saddles. I had one of the mounting rails on one of them break today.

Now in fairness to Gyes, I mount these saddles improperly, using a modern seatpost and attaching it to the bottom rail only with the second rail riding above the seatpost clamp. Also, until now, this was a 9 year old review, so it’s a saddle that’s had a lot of use and probably over 3000 miles on it and I am a big guy at around 220 lbs.

I’ve got more than one of these saddles however and I notice that the others have slightly bent at the same location where this one broke. So this seems to be a weakness in the design. I’d chalk it all up to my being a knucklehead who insists on doing things wrong, but I have my Brooks saddle mounted in the same incorrect manner and the rails on that are still perfect.
 
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