Originally Posted by
Brian Ratliff
This information is about two decades out of date.
LEATHER SADDLES
by Sheldon Brown
updated June 25,2011 by John S. Allen
http://sheldonbrown.com/leather.html
"
"Revolutionary" saddle designs come onto the market every year, and these new technologies have much to offer for many riders. Nevertheless, many others may be best served by a technology that has not changed substantially since 1880, the tensioned leather saddle.From the dawn of history up through the early 1970's, virtually all good-quality bicycles came with leather saddles.In the early '70's, plastic saddles started to make major inroads, and today only a few top-end touring bikes come equipped with leather saddles. Does this mean that leather saddles are obsolete? NO! leather saddles are no more obsolete than leather baseball gloves!Plastic saddles have four advantages over leather ones:- They are lighter.
- They are weatherproof.
- They do not require breaking in.
- They are cheaper.
Leather saddles have only one advantage over plastic, but it is a big one:- They are much more comfortable!
They are not for everyone. Leather saddles are substantially heavier than synthetic ones, and they do require breaking in. A new leather saddle is quite hard and rigid, and it takes several hundred miles to break one in. In addition, they require care, and can self destruct if not properly maintained.Most of the cyclists on the road today became cyclists after the disappearance of the leather saddle as standard equipment on new bikes, so they have no experience with leather saddles. Many others may have had a leather saddle on their first bike, but never received any instruction in the proper care and break-in of a leather saddle. As a result, many otherwise-knowlegeable cyclists are woefully ignorant about leather saddles. They have heard that a well broken-in leather saddle is more comfortable than a plastic one, but they have an exaggerated idea of how difficult and painful it is to break one in.A leather saddle, like a good pair of shoes or a baseball glove, softens with use, and molds itself to fit a particular person's shape. What ever part of your rear end pushes hardest on the saddle causes the corresponding part of the saddle to soften and stretch to relieve the uneven pressure, until the saddle accomodates perfectly to your own particular tush.Most plastic saddles use closed-cell foam to provide some softness, but the foam and the plastic undercarriage of the saddle can only be shaped to fit an "Average" bottom, not yours. Closed-cell foam is an excellent heat insulator, so this type of saddle is a particular problem in hot weather, because it holds heat and moisture.Leather saddles, by contrast, are particularly good in hot weather, because they use no insulating foam, and can breathe. This makes them cooler and allows perspiration to evaporate through the saddle, so they are less likely to cause chafing and saddle sores.In addition, when you sit on foam, the foam under your "sit bones" compresses right away, so other foam winds up exerting pressure on (ahem!) soft tissues that were not made for this.
Good Leather vs Bad Leather
Back when leather was the only game in town, good bikes came with good leather saddles, and cheap bikes came with cheap leather saddles. There is quite a difference. For one thing, good saddles are made of thick, high quality leather. In addition, there is the question of grain. Leather, like wood, has a natural grain pattern to it. When saddle tops are to be cut out of a hide, the cutter has a choice. The cheap way is to get the largest number of saddle tops from a given hide with the least wastage of leather. The quality way is to cut the saddle tops in such a way that the grain runs straight down the middle of the saddle.The cheap saddles that came on $90 bikes in the early '70's are no longer made, but their memory lingers on. Some of them could be broken in properly and give a comfortable ride, but many just had the wrong grain, and just went from bad to worse.There used to be many brands of leather saddles, but two names in particular stood out for the highest quality: Brooks of England and Ideale of France. There is also a Dutch manufacturer called "Lepper", not widely distributedin the U.S.
Who Needs a Leather Saddle?
Leather saddles are not for everyone, but in my opinion, they are the best choice for the many serious cyclists. Racers, particularly those who compete in short events, should stick to plastic because of weight. People who ride a lot in the rain without fenders should stick to plastic because excessive wetness is bad for leather. People who are unwilling to do routine maintenance should stick to plastic, because leather does not thrive on neglect.On the other hand, leather saddles are the best choice for the recreational/sport rider, and the overwhelming choice for the long distance tourist. The occasional weekend pootler is also a good prospect for leather, because an un-conditioned rider has a more delicate rear end and sits down harder on the saddle than a hard-pedalling sport rider.Leather saddles are not the easiest things to sell. Many people have the idea that they are for masochists, based on the exaggerated tales they have heard about how hard it is to break them in and how uncomfortable they are supposed to be for the first few thousand miles. If you take the time to explain how to break a leather saddle in, you can win your customer's undying gratitude. Few shops take the trouble to push leather saddles, and people will know that you are going against the "conventional wisdom". If you succeed in making the sale, and give good break-in instruction, your customer will know in a couple of months that you gave good advice, when others were taking the easy way out and pushing the trendy plastic product..."
ARE LEATHER BICYCLE SADDLES REALLY MORE COMFORTABLE?
by Eric Hilton
November 25, 2009
http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Leathe...le?&id=3327255
In a word: yes. Leather for bicycle saddles is similar to natural down for jackets and sleeping bags, in that no better performing synthetic material has ever been developed. Leather is cool and non-sticky on hot days, and provides comfort even on extended rides. Most importantly, a leather bicycle saddle will never leave you with that ominous numbness between the legs caused by pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in a delicate area of the body called the perineum.
One study on the connection between perineal compression and erectile dysfunction in male cyclists found that 19% of the participants who cycled more than 250 miles per week experienced erectile dysfunction, while 61% reported numbness in the genital area. The problem is not limited to male cyclists. A separate study involving 282 female cyclists found that 34% of them had experienced perineal numbness. The usual culprit here is the bicycle saddle's foam padding, the very softness and compressibility of which results in it being pressed up against the perineum and exerting pressure that can slow or even block the flow of blood through the tiny arteries of the area.
As I mentioned previously, beyond their reproductive health benefits, leather bicycle seats are more comfortable on hot days. Being a natural material, leather has natural breathability and so does not become hot and sticky like synthetic materials do. Moreover, high quality leather has the right mixture of give and resiliency to make for a truly comfortable ride over the long haul. So, if comfort is your main concern, a leather saddle is your best bet.
Leather bicycle saddles do have one obvious drawback: weight. It's not so much the leather itself that's heavy, but rather the sturdy metal frame required to maintain the saddles shape and support that adds weight. The lightest leather saddle available is the 360 gr. Brooks B15 Swallow Titanium. Most lightweight racing style saddles made from synthetic materials range in weight from about 200 to 380 gr. There's even one saddle made completely of carbon fiber that tips the scales at a lightsome 81 gr.
There is an obvious choice to be made here: do you want added comfort, or a reduction in weight? The answer will depend on what kind of cyclist you are. If you are a serious competitive racer, the choice is made for you because every gram saved will help you to win races. If you are a casual cyclist who only uses your bike occasionally, and for limited distances, you might not feel that the cost of a high quality leather saddle is justified. But if you fall somewhere in the middle, that is, you log a fair number of miles on your bike, but don't ride competitively, a leather saddle might be the best choice for you. It's an especially good choice for bicycle commuters and tourers.
Once you've made the decision to opt for the comfort of a genuine leather saddle, deciding which brand of saddle to go with is a no-brainer. Brooks England Ltd. has been the undisputed leader in the field almost since John Boultbee Brooks filed his first patent on "Saddles for Bicycles and Tricycles" in 1882. Back then, Brooks was ahead of its time. In 1890, the company employed "registered cutting, a sure preventive to all perineal pressure."
Today, Brooks bicycle saddles are uncontroversial: everybody raves about them. The undoubted supremacy of Brooks saddles is largely due to the irreproachable quality of their craftsmanship and their attention to detail - the leather used is absolutely the best obtainable, and each saddle top is cut by a skilled and dedicated craftsman upholding over 100 years of experience and tradition.
THE ART OF BICYCLING TOURING
by Neil Gunton
2010-2013
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=148051
"Saddle: Brooks vs the rest, and the Perfect Seatpost
Saddles are different for everybody - what's comfortable as a soft leather couch for one person will be an unbearable hell for someone else. There's just no way to know until you try them out to see what "fits" your butt. The key thing to realize here is that the soft padding which you see on many of those gel saddles hanging up in the bike shop is not actually likely to solve your comfort problems. The reason is that you have two points that will push down into the saddle - these are your "sit bones". When these push down, the soft gel padding pushes up in between your sit bones, which is the soft tissue area that shouldn't get that kind of pressure (especially for men, it's the prostate area). Also, gel compacts and shifts around over time, and won't last. It sounds weird, but those hard leather Brooks saddles can quite often be the solution to your butt pain issues. It's very counter-intuitive, because the saddle feels so hard - how on earth can it feel soft to your butt? The answer is that over time, the leather "wears in", i.e. gets a bit softer and gives in those areas where your sit bones make contact with the seat. So whereas over time those other saddles just wear out, with the leather saddle the time and effort you put in pays off - you get a saddle that molds itself to your particular butt (sit bones) and wears in rather than wearing out..."
Last edited by Fred B; 07-17-13 at 08:52 AM.