$10 find
 

I found this at a yard sale yesterday for $10. My husband is beginning to think I have a problem since I've bought a Sports and a Suberbe in the past month. I've never owned a Brooks before; is this one too far gone? I'll post pictures after it's been cleaned up and is looking all shiny

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1341/...36dc727d44.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1153/...ef28cc1ba1.jpg

If that saddle is comfotable and structurally sound, treat it with Proofhide and use it. After 50k mi / 80k km, my Brooks Pro is understandably nothing great to look at, but I figure it still has a bit more wear left in it.

I like that classic British green color.

There's a blue one at the dump up here in NH. Personally, I find Brooks B-72 very comfortable. Other than the paint splotches, it looks great.

Sweet find! Matches mine:D I would clean the saddle up with some saddle soap first, then go with heavy coat of proofhide top and bottom. FWIW I coat the underside of mine about every other year, tops maybe once or twice a year. Yours looks like a B72 IIRC the Superbe normally came with the B68, so as a worst case you can replace it if your cleanup and proofhide job doesn't work out.
Does yours have the taillight? If not make sure you get a 3 watt bulb for the head light, otherwise you will burn it out. Normally you have a 2.4 watt headlight and a .6 watt taillight.

Aaron:)

http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/63...425x425Q85.jpg

That's a sweet looking Sport. Good luck with it.

"Structurally sound" is the question. You may want to consider doing some perforating and tying, as that can put some spine back in a saggy, splayed Brooks saddle.

Tell your husband that we would consider you to be a slacker still :p .

Restoring vintage bikes to at least working condition is addicting, and you can always point out that at least cycling is a healthy activity. Oh, and a belated Welcome to Bike Forums!

East Hill

Pay no attention to the advice given to you on the Brooks, you should remove it right away and send it to me, I have a cow missing a piece of hide in that same shape ;) musta been those dang aliens!

What does that mean? Is there a Complete Guide to Fixing old Bikes someplace that would teach me these things? :o

ah, yes. That complete guide would be here...unless you have a really hard question, and then you have to petition the royalty over at the Classic Rendezvous. The flaps of the saddle, in the middle along the bottom, are called the wings. The wings need to have holes punched, and then you can lace a stout piece of leather (traditionally) in between the holes in each wing and tighten the lace to suck the wings in and brace up the saddle for another few years' use.

I'm not sure about the removal of the paint from the saddle, but any paint on the frame should come off with either Goof Off, or in more serious cases, 3M Fine Microfinishing Compound, or something to that extent.

-Kurt

I also picked up a bike, identical to that one other than it doesnt have the headlight and there is no saddle on it. i really only got it for the fenders to use on my varsity i am building. but thats a good find should clean up nicely.

That sounds much easier than I thought. Thanks!