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I have a Brooks leather saddle that i got new in March this year. Its on my tourer which has full mudguards. I have treated it with the Brooks proofing wax but im still wary of getting it wet. When i wash the bike if it gets spots of water on the saddle they immediately become dark damp patches, not with water beaded up in droplets.
Am i doing something wrong? Im worried about using it through long wet days. Can anyone share any experience of longterm use?
I just got my 1st Brooks. The instructions said to apply their snot like stuff (I forget their name for it) to the underside of the saddle if it was going to be used in the wet. The underside is much more porous and absorbs more than the smooth leather surface, which should also be treated. IME, the little packet had just enough for single treatment of the saddle top.
Most important thing is to never tighten/stretch a wet saddle IIRC.
Ok, i will apply much more! Its quite hard to get on the underside when its on the seatpost....
snow guard,by moneysworth and best.works well
i used them for years, including leaving the bike sitting outside all day. they are pretty durable.
It also depends on your weight and the style of saddle....B17's are pretty good for heavy treaders like me!
I nearly ruined a conquest all terrain once in the wet, but managed to block it out, back to its original shape afterwards.
I always stuff a carrier bag under the saddle rails, which helps to protect from upwards splashing, and if the heavens really open, wrap it around the saddle, and carry on as usual......
Ok, thats all sounding good! Thank you
I just let mine get wet and proof it again when dry. It doesn't appear to have done it any harm but does give it a nice aged patina.
I cover mine with a plastic bag if it's going to be left out in the rain. Brooks (or maybe Carradice) made/make nylon waterproof covers for them, but the one I had didn't work that well. I don't cover it when I'm riding.
When applying Proofide to the underside, I put it on fairly thick, and don't wipe it off.
The saddles do stain/mark, but most of it polishes out when you apply Proofide to the top surface. However, they're not too happy being kept in permanently damp conditions where they can be affected by mould.
I smear my B17 once in a while with Brooks Proofide (top and underside) leave it to penetrate for a couple of hours then polish the top side.
Seat is two years old and still like new. Used daily.
poly bag under the seat on mine.
i did have the brooks cover on my swift ti but it was crap.
I have a 15 year old b17 in brown used at least half the year when im in the uk office - full guards
i have a black b17 i use on my cross bike - no guards
and i have a ti swift on my MTB that i use year round - ive just got heaps of proofide on the underside and make sure its covered when im off the bike - its lasted well given the abuse it gets but at 7 years old its starting to crack around the rivets so i suspect its days are numbered.
Squeek. Squeek. Squeek.
The underside of my B17 was treated when new but I've done nothing to the top. Maybe helps that it's a black one?
yep thats the leather moving about at the rivets.... i even tried to lube them.
its not long for this life.
wonder if i can get the chassis re leathered - it wasnt exactly a cheap yolk.
I had one on my Audax bike. I used proofide but found it couldn't cope with sweat let alone rain. Mine developed a matte finish on top that no amount of polishing etc could shift. Then it started to stretch and require tensioning. After a couple of retensions I gave up and sold it.
My understanding is you need to be very careful of overdoing proofide for fear of making the leather too supple. It's supposed to be a couple of times a year thing?
I used a Brooks saddle on my year round commuter for a couple of years. Just used Proofide on the top/bottom occasionally (can't remember how regularly but not that often) & dried it off after a ride if it got wet. Never had any problems, the leather got a bit water-stained & changed colour in a few places (just adds to the effect though)!
Those saddles have over 120 years of history of being used in all weathers.
Just keep them treated and never be tempted to over tighten them because once overstretched, they'll keep stretching.
A mudguard is a good thing to protect the underside.
Mudguards and a brooks saddle cover for when it's raining and you'll be fine.
good point - always make sure its dry before you tension.
If you tension when wet - its trashed.
Looks like you can buy lots of repair parts but not the leather from Brooks:
[url= http://www.brooksengland.com/en_us/spare-parts.html ]http://www.brooksengland.com/en_us/spare-parts.html[/url]