verktyg 

A few years ago someone in the UK sent me a tin of the old pink Proofide.

The old pink Proofide from the 70's smelled different and worked better. It had more of a beeswax fragrance.

When they changed to the cream color the smell changed too. They added more citronella oil....

I'd done some research on Proofide ingredients because I wanted to make sure that it contained no toxic substances like mercury or heavy metals. Those substances were used to prevent the the growth of molds, fungi and other microorganisms.

Mercury is highly toxic - think "Mad Hatter".... Mercury was used to process felt for making hats. Workers in the hat industry frequently got mercury poisoning.

Mercury compounds like cinnabar ore and Mercurochrome are red. That's why I wanted to check on the pink color of the old Proofide. I was able to get the ingredients from Brooks and they assured me that they never used any toxic ingredients.

The old Proofide contained: Tallow, Cod oil, Vegetable oil, Paraffin wax, Beeswax and Citronella oil.

Recent version ingredients: Beeswax, Paraffin wax, Rapeseed oil, Sunflower oil, Refined tallow and Citronella oil.


There are probably more opinions about leather saddle treatments than there are about tire pressures. Here's a similar thread from 10 years ago that covers the same issues with the same kinds of opinions as this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...s-saddles.html

One thing that Proofide is supposed to do is soak into the saddle and lubricate the fibers without softening the leather. It also provides some moisture and water resistance on the underside much of which comes from spray coming off the rear tire when riding in wet weather.


Everyone's anatomy is different. The myth that leather saddles should be soft is just that. Ideally, for most riders saddles should be flexible enough to reduce pressure areas while supporting the the sits bones point of the pelvic bones. There isn't much enervation in those small areas. For many people their undersides will toughen over those points, especially when the saddle is properly adjusted.


When the tensioned leather in a saddle gets too soft the sits points on the saddle sink down and a ridge forms down the middle - "everyone's anatomy is different". For many it can result in a visit to a urologist, proctologist or gynecologist (unless someone is into self inflicted pain).

See pictures below... Note Ideale saddles and Brooks B17 saddles were more like to develop these problems.


verktyg

Chas.

verktyg 

@olo_olo I've seen Brooks B17's and some of the cost Brooks saddles made with leather as thin as 4mm. These saddles tended to sag prematurely no matter what. Brooks Pro saddles usually had 5mm to 6mm thick leather.
@brianinc-ville


"How about the crucial question: what's least likely to leave a stain on your pants?

I love my Brookses, but as I ride to work in dress pants, I'm kind of afraid to put anything on them. Which stuff will best protect the leather without rubbing off on the rider?"

I was always convinced that the black Ideale 90 saddles, especially the pretreated ones were soaked in rendered goat grease!


The black dye never wore off... except on your hands and pants!


Back in the 70's the cycling urban myth was riders wore black riding shorts so they wouldn't show the black dye from the saddles.


Most of the lower priced Ideale saddles had sprayed on black lacquer or something like that. Most of the Ideale 39 and 80 saddles were made of plywood. They NEVER got soft!!!


Never really had much problems with Brooks Pros. The early Pros with large hammered rivets that came on Mid 70's Raleigh Pros were pretreated and a little bit of oil or something would rub off of them.


verktyg



Chas.