hule

so i bought a brooks saddle for my bike, the b17



i would like some advice for taking care of it. i leave my bike outside, for now i started placing a plastic bag over the saddle when i am not riding it, to protect it from rain and the intense sun we are having in toronto this week. before it was just left there to bake in the sun when the bike was outside in my backyard, was that a good idea or not?

i read not to touch the tension bolt unless absolutely needed, so i will leave that alone.

i coated the saddle with a layer of veggie oil, didnt want to pay big bucks for proofide. vegetable oil has never let me down for my leather goods, it is working great for my saddle still.

anything else?

so far this thing has been great, really comfortable and looks great on my bike too.

xizangstan

I have the more expensive Pro Brooks, and I wouldn't use oil. They say oil softens your leather saddle a bit too much. Whatever you do, don't apply more oil. Most people think more is better. But oiling weight-bearing leather saddles softens them to where they sag and fall apart. Just keep it dry. Try multiple layers of plastic bags, and change them out frequently.

Retro Grouch 

Used the way that Brooks recommends, that little tin of proofide will probably last the rest of your life.

According to Brooks, the biggest problems are overdoing both the tension adjustment and the leather treatment. My personal experience is limited to the 4 Brooks saddles that I own. All are kept indoors and none has been given anything but 1 or 2 proofide treatments per year. I keep a plastic grocery bag stuffed under each saddle to put over it if I have to park in the rain.

xizangstan

If not parked indoors, mine gets 3 plastic Walmart sacks, one on top of the other. And I toss them and put on new frequently. Don't want to take a chance on rain getting through a hole. Tie the handles together to keep the wind from blowing them off.

jdon

I take the little shower caps from hotel rooms for that!

ortcutt

I also felt dubious about spending the bucks for a tin of Proofide. But after being caught in an unexpected rainstorm on my fenderless road bike, I was glad I'd broken down and bought some. I think of it more as a protectant than as a leather softener. (That's probably because every Brooks saddle I've owned has fit perfectly from the get-go.) I only apply it to the undersides of my saddles, where they're most vulnerable to road spray.

I use fitted saddle covers (e.g., the ones that came with my saddles, or aftermarket options like the cover made by Serfas). And like previous posters, I wrap several plastic shopping bags around the saddle and seatpost if I have to leave the bike outside in the rain. Who knows: maybe the "junkyard" look adds a bit of theft deterrence!

wahoonc

Spend the money on the Proofide...

I have a couple of tins that came WITH my saddles and they are still half full after many years. I have 5? bikes with Brooks Saddles. They all get Proofide once a year. I heavily coat the underside of the saddle, then a lighter coat on top, park them in the sun for a bit. Wipe the excess off the top and ride. I use shower caps, saddle covers or plastic bags if they are parked outside for any length of time. FWIW Target bags are the best

Aaron

JohnDThompson 

^^^
This.

I bought a Brooks Team Professional in 1982 and the tin of Proofide supplied with the saddle is still almost half full.

Like they said about Brylcreem: "a little dab'll do ya!"

Northwestrider

I've just been issued my wife Brooks that she used for only a short time ( she uses a Selle Anatomica now ). I have a tin of profide, my question is how do you know when to apply it? Just once a year? Is there a visual way of knowing it is time for an application? Will the saddle appear dry? Thanks

abdon 

Veggie oil is a horrible idea. Folks, if you can digest it, so can other things, not to mention that it can break down and become rancid, further encouraging bacteria to eat your leather.

fietsbob

Its the Waxes in Proofide that provide long lasting leather conditioner..
and fish, not veggie, oils ..

I warmed my upside down brooks (Pro) to 100 degrees , liquifying the waxes,
the leather absorbed a a big dollop of Proofide readily ,
and I have not treated it much at all , since. that was '88 ..

wahoonc

I do mine once a year...life is short and I have 7 leather saddles

If you put a heavy coat on the underside and the underside starts to feel really dry and the year isn't up? Go ahead a put another coat on. If your saddle gets lots of use or spends time parked out of doors it may need it a bit more often.

Aaron