Jet Travis

You can also get it here: https://www.wallbike.com/tools.html (Keep scrolling).

badmother

I just learned from the seller of my third Brooks NOT to put proofhide under the saddle, just on top. He said this is to allow the moist to escape this way. I always carry a plasticbag, worries that someone want to steal my seat I often cower it up for that reason also.

I turn them upside down and pour oil into them, leave it to soak in and then pour /wipe off the rest. He said this is yhe thing to do, oil under, proofhide on top. This is the big bikeguru over here.

For x-mas I got a saddlecower in plastic with a fluffy tigerpattern "fur" top- and a small tail (can be remowed). Great fun. In the winter I often use a sheepskin cover, makes it a bit warmer.

BluesDawg

Suit yourself and believe the guru of your choice, but Brooks specifically advises against using oils as they clog the pores of the leather and don't allow it to breathe.

nancy sv

I've heard so many times NOT to put oil on it that I think I'll forget the oil and go with the Proofide. I want this puppy to last and last and last and last and...

wagathon

For the new saddle, oil is your friend.

These are the directions on an old container of mink oil:

HOW TO USE

Apply liberally in aciruclar motion to penetrate
leather, with a soft cloth. Wipe off excess and
let dry overnight. For best results, use regularly.

For a new saddle, you will want to follow the above instructions for use for about three times.

Here's a tip: rub some mink oil (or whatever emolument you wish to use) into the flaps, and ask some dude that thinks he has a strong grip to force the flaps past the frame and try to curl the leather flaps under the saddle with his hands and fingers: it's tough to do on a Brooks because the leather is thick and stiff (it is hard to do, even on a preconditioned B-17). If you've got a strong pair of hands, you can start that process right away; otherwise, you can do it yourself but it may take a few more treatments.

The more you work the leather the more it likes it. The only thing bad that you can ever do to a Brooks saddle would be to not put oil back into it, or if you left so much oil on it that it attracted dirt and grime that never got wiped off and got ground into the leather. Leather can stretch but only when it is getting broken in--so that's not a bad thing--and, that is what the tensioning bolt is for.

You have to keep the saddle properly tensioned or it would be nothing but a sling--rock hard is better than that. However, best is proper leather conditioning so that the saddle is compliant and springy.

Skipper

/\ /\ /\ /\ Yikes!

chipcom 

My proven 5 point system for protecting a Brooks while touringL

1. Fenders
2. Rain Cape
3. shower-cap, velox cover or grocery bag
4. Don't leave the saddle exposed to a pouring rain (that means without your okole or a cover over it)
5. If the saddle does get soaked, let it dry completely before riding on it again.

rodrigaj

I love these Brooks discussions.

The different treatments that have been presented show that it basically doesn't matter what you do to a Brooks saddle. Common sense, of the type you would use for any piece of good leather, is the important thing.

It has not been explicitly stated but I know that the Brooks Pro's leather is significantly thicker than the B17. I can't comment on the other styles, but I know these. Therefore, some of the conflicting approaches to care, treatment and break in times may be due, in part, to the particular style of saddle you choose. Also, the layout of the grain of the leather is different on a B17 vs a Pro.

One day I will own a swallow. That has to be one of the most beautiful saddles on the planet.

Tom Bombadil

Of course, you can pay another $15 or so and purchase a Pre-Aged one from Brooks. One into which they have already worked various oils. The leather is a bit softer.

Harhir

I know this is an old post but I stumbled across it while searching for care of Brooks saddles. I just wanted to mention my experience. I have a Brooks B66 which came with my bike in 1994 and both are still in use today. It was a special edition bike from the vsf Fahrradmanufaktur in Germany. I never treated this saddle in any way. No wax, no oil... Nothing. It still holds up perfect. But the bike has never been sitting in the rain for a longer period. Only occasionally in front of a store/restaurant but it was always stored in the dry. Either covered bike rack, garage or shed. And the bike has fenders too so the saddle never got wet from underneath.
I really like it and would buy one again. The only thing I don't like: Mine came in black. And the black color has worn off a bit over the years and as discolored some pants of mine. Yes I would buy one again but only in a natural non colored version.

rootboy 

EDIT!!! Jeezum, I just noticed this is a seven year old ZOMBIE thread!
Nevermind....

Wise choice. The above mentioned "guru" reminds me of some of those whacky cult leaders. Dead wrong. Oil only will prematurely kill a fine saddle, unless used very sparingly. But that's why they make Proofide. So you can control how much oil goes into the leather. Very little, ideally.
Some great advice here. And some not so great.
Listen to the manufacturer. And if not them, the guy who contracted Brooks' saddle repairs for roughly two decades,
Tony Colegrave. He is against putting Proofide on the underside of the saddle, as it clogs the pores and doesn't allow the leather to breathe. Which it needs to do, especially when it gets damp or wet. The suggestion of using fenders on a tour like yours is a must do.

Then again, if you are taking your kids on this monumental tour, you'll have far more serious concerns than your saddle!
Good on ya! Sounds like an amazing, once in a lifetime adventure.