-VELOCITY-

I can't believe it. I was done with my ride. I leaned my bike on my truck and as soon as I went to open the doors of the truck I felt something tell me to look back. Too late. BAM! I didn't have enough time to reach it. The bike is fine but now I noticed that the ground took a little bit of my saddle. So I got home and applied some Proofide to it right away. I hope this won't be too bad. I just hate the fact that I know it fell. I feel horrible. I almost feel like buying a new saddle. But with my luck I'll just scratch that one as well. I'll just have to get over it I guess.

Banzai

I personally dread the day that this happens to me. I know it will, somehow...but I dread it nontheless.

lsits

It will happen. Just think of it as a battle scar. I have a couple of them on my B-17.

Cyclist0383

Keep in mind that it's a bike saddle. A bike saddle that's meant to be used.

-VELOCITY-

Used is one thing. That I do.
Abused or damaged is another. That I hate.

DataJunkie

Everything I own that is used for cycling sooner or later ends up scratched, ripped, dirty, or abused in some other way. I try not to sweat it when this invariably occurs.

Rockadile

just think in 10 years when the dust collecting on it in a box in the garage accentuates that scratch even more.

-VELOCITY-

No way man. I ride that thing everyday. I'm addicted to cycling. It's therapeutic for me. I'd never give it up. What a horrible thing to say. I have dust on alot of things in my garage. But not on anything that has to do with my bike.

flyingscotsman

that sucks but you knew it was bound to happen, at least now it is done.

I-Like-To-Bike

Then quit worrying about a dang scratch on a saddle. BFD! What difference does it make? Do you sit on it or stare at it? Below is my 30 year old Brooks saddle, used every work day. Well worn, but still does the job as it has from day one. Of course its job is to be a saddle, not a pretty picture. Note the scratches on bike, broken chainguard, dents on fender as well the worn saddle. That's what happens when a bike is used everyday. Get over it.

Click on picture to enlarge.

-VELOCITY-

Of course I do. But I came here to see if it was a big deal if the leather gets damaged. Thank you all for your support and kind words.

lrzipris

No, it's not a big deal.

barba

Just think of it as developing the unique character of your saddle.

bmclaughlin807

Meh. I think you should run out and buy a new one. Tell you what, you can send the old one to me, so you don't have to have it hanging around to remind you, ok?

jcm

Might as well go carve your initals in it now.

-VELOCITY-

Thanks. I guess I'm just a bit paranoid since it's my first really nice saddle. It's ok. I'll be riding again tomorrow morning and forget all about it.

here and there

Ah, understood. Just wait till you put a Brooks on a mountain bike

Cyclist0383

OMFG! I almost spit out my coffee when I read that!! POT CALLING KETTLE--POT CALLING KETTLE--DO YOU READ ME KETTLE?

Stacey

Curious... Any scratches on your truck? Life is too precious and short to agonize over material things. Just wait until you face a life threatening illness or the loss of a loved one, you priorities will change very fast.

Bekologist

I think the OP has a legitimate concern...not about the saddle, but the OP describes that odd feeling of loss when you first damage something new.

I think we are all in tune with that emotion or we would not be human. The feeling you get when you first-

get a spot on a new, white T-shirt.

put a scuff on a wall you have recently painted.

first scratch in the paint on a car, bike or even scratch in the saddle.

(anecdote) I came out of a store in downtown Seattle one day to find someone had vandalized and slashed one of my Broooks, a B-66, leaving a 3 inch gash in the wing. that sucked, but i sewed it up with an awl and got five-six more good years out of it before giving it away to a friend of mine after actually breaking the bike frame that B-66 was installed on...

but i also agree with the other posters, it is just a saddle, get over it. I feel, in the small scheme of biking, all this stuff is cheap, disposable, and replacable......and in the grand scheme of things, a scratch in the saddle leave no cause for worry, but a celebration of use.

I-Like-To-Bike

You are welcome. Mission accomplished. Enjoy your ride on your fine saddle.

lotek 

Velocity,

to answer your question, no a scratch will not affect the B17. You did the right thing in
applying a bit of proofide to it. If the scratch is "bad" you might want to get a bit of dye
to cover it, and something to seal the leather to avoid moisture seeping into the
leather (the proofide should work).

As you probably know, the brooks is near indestructable, the only sure way I know
to mess one up is get it soaking wet and mess with the tensioning nut.

Marty

caligurl

oh..... i embarrassed myself REALLY badly when i got my first scratch on ruby! i cursed like a freaking sailor! it was at a sag stop.... at the hemet century.... i meekly apologized to the ladies working there before i left.... they said it was ok... they understood... but i still was UBER embarrased!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i still get ticked EVERY time i see that scratch... which is every time i ride... cuz it's on the top tube! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR)

flyingscotsman

I remember my first scratch on my current bike, I forgot to unclip and in slow motion down I went.

What made it worse was I was riding with -VELOCITY- and down he went, I thought I had knocked him over, and then to see all the drivers laughing their asses off at us.

My worst ever was when I was 15 riding my Eddie Merckx into the back of an illegally parked car at over 30 mile an hour I landed on the trunk of the car in front and had to buy new forks!!!

What was worse was the old wrench in the bike store had heard what I had done and took great delight in asking me what the hell did you do to the bike when I brought it in.

roadfix

I would just go ahead and butcher this one....