taking care of a brooks saddle

so i bought a brooks saddle for my bike, seeing how it is a leather saddle and there are a lot of people who are knowledgeable about leather here i thought i would post here http://www.ucycle.com/products/components/brooks-b-17 i would like some advice for taking care of it. i leave my bike outside, for now i started placing a plastic bag over the saddle when i am not riding it, to protect it from rain and the intense sun we are having in toronto this week. before it was just left there to bake in the sun when the bike was outside in my backyard, was that a good idea or not? i read not to touch the tension bolt unless absolutely needed, so i will leave that alone. i dabbed the saddle with a tiny thin layer of veggie oil, didnt want to pay big bucks for proofide. vegetable oil has never let me down for my leather goods, it is working great for my saddle still. anything else? does anyone here bike or own a brooks saddle? so far this thing has been great, really comfortable and looks great on my bike too.

http://www.amazon.com/Brooks-Mainten...uct/B0010AJU46. worth every penny, imo

A good wax based compound would be best. Get Obenauf

Originally Posted by iroh

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i would like some advice for taking care of it. i leave my bike outside, for now i started placing a plastic bag over the saddle when i am not riding it, to protect it from rain and the intense sun we are having in toronto this week. before it was just left there to bake in the sun when the bike was outside in my backyard, was that a good idea or not? i read not to touch the tension bolt unless absolutely needed, so i will leave that alone. i coated the saddle with a layer of veggie oil, didnt want to pay big bucks for proofide. vegetable oil has never let me down for my leather goods, it is working great for my saddle still.
Congrats on the purchase. This saddle will provide you with years of comfort and enjoyment, not to mention sartorial bliss (seat matches tanner belt and Swedish army belt perfectly ). I do not recommend leaving this bike seat outside; seats are too easy to steal. You just spent over $100 and most bike thieves know this. On the same note, you did just spend a pretty penny on a seat so protect your investment from the elements by purchasing the maintenance kit. For $20, the kit is a great value. I have owned my Brooks saddle for 4 years now and I still have over 50% of the proofing left. My seat has loosened over the years and the tension bolt wrench came in handy. In addition to the wrench, you also get the chamois which I use for my shoes

vegetable oil? you mean like corn oil from costco?

here is a nice pic of a broken in one

Theres a special saddle grease from Brooks, proofide. Use that on top and bottom frequently during break in, then less frequently. Never tension more than 90 degrees at a time. don't tension the first year. If the saddle gets scratched, immediately use saddle grease. Be careful not to let the bike tip over as the metal parts of the saddle may break.

All parts are replaceable, it's the leather that really counts.

You can get the grease from chainreactioncycles.com. Get the maintenance kit like stated above.

Good buy!

Yeah proofide works well. Have fun with that saddle...looks pretty but boy is it an ass buster.

Originally Posted by fuktard

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Yeah proofide works well. Have fun with that saddle...looks pretty but boy is it an ass buster.

actually it was comfortable right out of the box

just gonna stick with veggie oil, works extremely well

Originally Posted by iroh

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just gonna stick with veggie oil, works extremely well

why did you start this thread again?



NAMOR said:

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is that your bike? the seat looks good, never liked the look of the chain + tube to secure the brooks, i have a quick release seat bolt and i take the seat with me when i lock up. was maybe planning to swap back to a regular seat bolt after the brooks get beat up and used and broken in, prolly no1 will steal it hopefully

If you are going to be using regular oil, you run the risk of the saddle stretching out prematurely. You will most certainly wear it out faster, but using regular oil helps it "break in" (or conform to your sit bones) faster.

I would not use regular oil (or neatsfoot oil, or mink oil, etc.) myself, because I want the saddle to last as long as possible and I ride enough that the saddle breaks in pretty quickly.

Proofide and other wax/paste based treatments provide the correct amount of protection against the elements while not sacrificing the leathers ability to breathe and stay firm.

You are most likely going to need the tensioning wrench if you use regular oil, as your saddle is going to get soft.



iroh said:

Originally Posted by fuktard

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Yeah proofide works well. Have fun with that saddle...looks pretty but boy is it an ass buster.

actually it was comfortable right out of the box

just gonna stick with veggie oil, works extremely well

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Isn't the vegetable oil going to turn rancid and literally make it smell like ass?

Buy proofide, it's worth it.