Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - brooks b17n and water

hi there... just wanted to get a few opinions regarding my new brooks saddle. i think i being hyper anxious about the whole but its a little hard not to be after reading all the things not to do/to do regarding the saddle.

the saddle is new and has only done approx 50km. i havent used proofide yet or any other conditioner. it is hard but is showing signs of breaking in. this morning i was riding to work after it had rained. i dont have mud gaurds so there was water spraying onto my seat for at least 10km of the 13km ride. when i got to work i noticed there were dents that hadnt been there before, at least not as deep as before. do i have anything to worry about???

proofide it for water protection by coating the bottom of the saddle and leaving it on there. put a little on top and polish it. during heavy rain, cover it with a plastic bag that you keep in the rails.

your saddle should be fine for now, but take some steps to protect it for the long run. the saddle will lose a few years if you dont condition it with proofide - it will dry and start to crack at the rivets. proofide is only, what, 12 bucks for a tin..?

Don't trust just the proofide for water protection on the bottom of the saddle. It will help, but there are more surefire ways to protect it in the rain. You also shouldn't ride the saddle when it is wet because, as you found out, it stretches out the leather. Get a fender and you should be fine. I use only a rear fender and my Brooks is always dry after a commute in the rain. Just make sure that if you lock it up outside to cover it with a rainproof cover of some sort.

brooks is murder

i soaked mine in the rain once it made the leather all soft and flimsy...i let it dry for 2 days and then i applied some proofide before i rode on it again...i keep a plastic bag tucked in the saddle for the really wet days, works well


speaking of saddles...does anyone have any of the new soma saddles like the ta-bo?
if so, how comfy is it? i am thinking about getting one for my singlespeed

speaking of saddles...does anyone have any of the new soma saddles like the ta-bo?
if so, how comfy is it? i am thinking about getting one for my singlespeed

Hey jpdesjar, I just picked up the Soma Hisan (http://store.somafab.com/sohisa.html) and have used it on my SS for about 2 weeks. I chose it because it's a little slimmer than the Ta-Bo and the Okami. So far, I love it. I don't even notice it. It has a rounded top that works pretty well for me, since I have the saddle angle tilted forward on account of the drop between the saddle and bars. I also have a B-17 and a Velo Orange Model 6, both of which I also love for different applications. The Hisan has made me just as happy. Note that I was also tempted by the Ta-Bo and the Okami. And, I might just pick up one of each to have around since I heard the prices were going to go up on these soon.

Get some damn fenders already.

Hey jpdesjar, I just picked up the Soma Hisan (http://store.somafab.com/sohisa.html) and have used it on my SS for about 2 weeks. I chose it because it's a little slimmer than the Ta-Bo and the Okami. So far, I love it. I don't even notice it. It has a rounded top that works pretty well for me, since I have the saddle angle tilted forward on account of the drop between the saddle and bars. I also have a B-17 and a Velo Orange Model 6, both of which I also love for different applications. The Hisan has made me just as happy. Note that I was also tempted by the Ta-Bo and the Okami. And, I might just pick up one of each to have around since I heard the prices were going to go up on these soon.

thanks man
i better snatch one up soon...65 bucks is reasonable, they look like quality saddles
i have considered the hisan as well...decisions

Get some damn fenders already.

+1
at least get a rear fender...the seatpost quick release one is nice

side note-
**
does anyone know where to get a headset cover? i have seen this on one bike...it looks like a little neoprene cover that protects the headset from sand and road grit from getting in.
i don't run a front fender so i would love one of these little covers.

+1
at least get a rear fender...the seatpost quick release one is nice

side note-
**
does anyone know where to get a headset cover? i have seen this on one bike...it looks like a little neoprene cover that protects the headset from sand and road grit from getting in.
i don't run a front fender so i would love one of these little covers.

http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?ord=p&nd=9&tz=2&st=headset+neoprene&auct=on&lp=&hp=

brooks is murder

murder is comfortable as ****.

ya, eBay or lbs. my lbs use to keep a bucket of them by the register. they were out once. so i took a piece of neoprene and made my own. took about 5 minutes. i still have that one on my mountain bike. it's YEARS old. lasted about 100% longer than lizard skinz.

http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?ord=p&nd=9&tz=2&st=headset+neoprene&auct=on&lp=&hp=

thanks

thanks man
i better snatch one up soon...65 bucks is reasonable, they look like quality saddles
i have considered the hisan as well...decisions

A shop here said they were going to increase to about $80. We'll see how durable the saddles are in the long-run, but mine has been comfortable from the start. Since I'm crouched over quite a bit on my SS, I liked the thinness of the Hisan. If I were going to be more upright, or at least have the bars and saddle even, I might have opted for the Okami or Ta-Bo. They all look nice, IMO. Also, I wanted a cheaper saddle since the SS is what I ride around on at night and lock up in all parts of town when I'm going to a show/bar/restaurant, etc. Didn't want my leather saddles to get boosted and didn't want to have to carry either a cable or do the chain trick. I haven't heard of anyone's Soma saddle getting stolen, yet. In any event, they're a good deal right now!

does anyone know where to get a headset cover? i have seen this on one bike...it looks like a little neoprene cover that protects the headset from sand and road grit from getting in.
i don't run a front fender so i would love one of these little covers.

If you're terminally cheap like me, you can just cut a couple inches of dead tube (big fat downhill tubes are the easiest), pull the fork and slide it over the lower cup.

brooks is murder

Would you rather they just toss the hides in the trash after slaughter?

brooks is murder

God I hate vegangelicals.....


Never ride your brooks when it has been soaked through from rain, it will get destroyed quick. I was getting my bike from the rack and someone with a brooks was unlocking next to me. The saddle looked old and worn and had major dimples where he sits so I asked how long he had it. He told me he had it for about 6 or 8 months. It was so trashed looking for being that young, it was sad. Apparently he had been riding it in the rain and never covering it or letting it dry out between rides. Don't do that! Treat with proofide and cover it with a plastic bag when it rains, it's not that difficult.

brooks is murder

And synthetics are supporting the petrochemical industry, so we're screwed either way.



OP - If you don't want to shell out $16 for a tin of Proofide, get some SnoSeal or Obenauf's LP instead. They're both essentially the same thing as Proofide without the Brooks price hike.

+1


side note-
**
does anyone know where to get a headset cover? i have seen this on one bike...it looks like a little neoprene cover that protects the headset from sand and road grit from getting in.
i don't run a front fender so i would love one of these little covers.

Try a length of old inner tube.

i soaked mine in the rain once it made the leather all soft and flimsy...i let it dry for 2 days and then i applied some proofide before i rode on it again...i keep a plastic bag tucked in the saddle for the really wet days, works well


speaking of saddles...does anyone have any of the new soma saddles like the ta-bo?
if so, how comfy is it? i am thinking about getting one for my singlespeed

Think theyll get called on copying the vintage "Turbo" saddle? Looks just about exactly like it!

Think theyll get called on copying the vintage "Turbo" saddle? Looks just about exactly like it!

That's exactly what Soma does--make cheap copies of classic designs, from bars to saddles, etc. Here's the description of the Ta-Bo and Hisan: "Classic full profile saddle shaped similar to some Italian saddles of the 80's/Features a sleek form reminiscent of some Italian saddles of the 80's, but built more for durability than for lightness." Their Oxford bar is "reminiscent" of the North Roads, much as the 3-speed bars are to the Nitto Moustache bars.

i am going to order a ta-bo soon, it looks comfy