Originally Posted by
doco
It has a Brooks B72 saddle and back saddlebag.
After reading about all you guys using and loving the Brooks saddles, I am going to put this on my crosscheck until I figure out what I am going to do with the Raleigh.
The B-72 is designed for sitting rather upright. Depending on the setup on the Crosscheck, it may not work well, till you put it on the Raleigh. When you sit more upright, you can tip the nose up quite a bit. Many of us find the B-72, B66 or B67 work best that way.
So, the saddle is in good condition, very slight scuffs on the back, and hard as nails.
After 40 years and hundreds of $$ spent trying different saddles, my wife is a recent convert to Brooks. She tells her friends, "The Brooks are hard when you 1st sit on them, but that's the worst they're going to feel all day. Padded saddles feel great when you 1st sit on them, but that's the best they're going to feel all day." She's converted a couple of them and now they say they'll never ride anything else.
Should I just go ahead and ride it without some sort of treatment or should I do some sort of pretreatment before riding it?
Proofhide, accept no substitutes. I do it in 3 steps.
1. Smear a thick layer on the underside, in 2 areas directly under your ischial tuberosities (sit bones) then drive it into the leather with a heat gun. On the Honey saddles you will be able to see it discoloring a little on the top.
2. A thin coat on the underside while its still warm. I prefer an acid brush for getting it under the hardware. No additional heat.
3. A thin coat on top, let it sit for a couple of hours, then wipe off as much as you can.
My method may or may not be Plan A, if you want your saddle to last for 100,000 miles. But it should be comfortable right away.
Will an older Brooks even break in for another rider.?
My 3 favorite leather saddles were pre-owned.
Remember butts are like snowflakes, no two are identical. If the wide ones, B-72, 66, 67 or 68 don't work for you, that doesn't mean another model won't.
oh and the raleigh is a sports 3speed everything is original and in very good condition and sa 3speed works fine, worth fixing up?
I saw a Harley Davidson T-Shirt that read, "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.".
They are a different riding experience, one that you may not enjoy. Worth a try, and if it's not your style, you shouldn't have a hard time finding a buyer.