[QUOTE=big chainring;17067166]I've had similar failures. You just never know. Some saddles get so dried out. I had a Brooks Pro from the early 70's, from a Gitane TDF I bought last year, that was never reslly broken in. Put proofhide on it and rode it for a few hundred miles. The saddle just started developing cracks all over it. Weirdest thing I ever saw. Really upsetting as it seemed to be a perfect saddle.

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Like this? 70's pr0 off of a trashed Moto. Looks like reptile skin but it's what I do most of my "training" rides on. As bad as it looks, it's hard, comfortable as all get out (for me) and never been tensioned. Just token proofhide and it's been in regular use for 15 years now. The cracks are only skin deep, nyuk.