General Cycling Discussion - Saddle similar to Brooks?

Building my girlfriend a bike
I'd love to get her a B18 but I KNOW she will eventually leave the bike out in the rain and the saddle will be ruined.

So I would like to find a saddle that has the classic and sophisticated styling of a Brooks but the weather resistance of a vinyl

Building my girlfriend a bike
I'd love to get her a B18 but I KNOW she will eventually leave the bike out in the rain and the saddle will be ruined.

So I would like to find a saddle that has the classic and sophisticated styling of a Brooks but the weather resistance of a vinyl

Honestly, a couple of times getting wet, especially if it is not ridden while wet, is not going ruin it. My B-17 has gotten soaked about 3 times now and is fine and I've heard similar things from other Brooks users. Heck I even rode mine in the rain 1 of those times and it just ended up making it a lot more comfortable (I am a lightweight though).

I can't imagine you will find anything like a Brooks in vinyl and even if you did, vinyl may look a bit like leather on the surface but it doesn't breathe or wear in nearly the same way.

For that reason of possible rain, I chose to go a somewhat different route. I use Nirve or Electra saddles intended for cruisers. I find that they are just as comfortable as Brooks for me and I do not worry about rain.

See: http://www.nirve.com/parts.asp?cid=3004 (http://www.nirve.com/parts.asp?cid=3004)

and: http://www.electrabike.com/home/ (http://www.electrabike.com/home/)

These saddles styles range in the gaudy to the very conservative (like Brooks) and you probably find one to fit your own (and your girlfriend's) own taste.

Occasionally getting wet will not ruin a Brooks saddle. Leaving it outside to be rained on for extended periods of time might, but that would be the least of the bike's problems.

Putting a cheap vinyl shower cap over the seat when it looks like rain will eliminate any worries about the saddle getting wet.

But even if the saddle gets ruined, it will take considerable time (not going to just happen overnight) and you can just buy her a new one.

I don't mean to doubt her too much I just can see a situation where she forgets to bring the bike inside or forgets to put a cover on and it sits in the rain all night. Just can't be good for leather. The rainy season is just now starting too and it can rain unexpectantly.


Thanks for that Nirve site, I am about ready to pull the trigger on this saddle with the matching grips
http://www.nirve.com/largeimage.asp?id=1610

It isn't the water that hurts Brooks, it's the stretching that occurs when you ride it when it's wet. Let it dry without weight on it, and it will be fine--but that can take days.
I goop mine about twice a year with Proofhide and carry a heavyish plastic bag (thicker than a grocery store bag) to put over it in the rain, and it's 12 or 15 years old, It's been wet many times, but never ever ridden that way.