What is the nastiest stuff you've been through with your saddle? Since touring is the stronghold of leather saddle users, I've decided to ask you all your opinion. I'm considering a Brooks or Velo Orange saddle. I ride in a variety of conditions and all year around so a saddle would be exposed to rain, snow, and should I do some cyclocross racing, mud. A guy at Velo Orange said as long as the saddle is protected with Proofhide on the underside and is cleaned off should it get excessively dirty, it should last a long time. He reasoned that early bicycle racers would've used similar saddles during races like Paris-Roubaix or the Tour De France and so they would have been exposed to all kinds of inclement weather. My main concern is the saddle getting frequently wetted down in the winter time. I know fenders can help a lot but they're not going to eliminate road spray or flung-up mud. Also, I don't know how good of an idea it is to try racing in muddy conditions with fenders, unless they're the type that don't sit so close to the wheels. I really like the idea of the leather saddle and the comfort factor but I'm also really leery of the long term durability issue with lots of inclement weather riding.