Brooks Professional Select suggestions
 

Hi folks,

I have a Brooks Professional Select saddle that is in very, very nice condition. Only one small, shallow scratch and a few chips in the rail paint. 1980 date code. As we all know these are tough saddles that are hard to break in. I've gat a couple of late 70s/early 80s bikes that it would look great on. I've tried it few times and have put maybe 100 miles on it. I'd like to keep it and don't want to wreck it, but I gotta soften it up a bit. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and regards,

Van

I have never had to really break one in, those that do say it can take way more than 100 miles. I have several of many models, ages, miles and presumably levels of break in. The one or two that were not reasonably comfortable soon enough, I loosened the tension screw a couple of turns, treated both sides of the leather moderately and rode until they started to cooperate more with my backshide, tightened the screw back up and went on my merry way.

Some will say not to use this much treatment or ride it with the screw loose, well if you can't ride it, what does it matter, it will sit and become more rock hard until it cracks and becomes useless. It can always just be used for show but I will make it usable so it can do the job it was made for. I have several that are a few years old now that are doing just fine, if one or two of them blew up or sagged out tomorrow, so be it, leather is a wear item and yes these can be expensive but the absolute cool factor, cred and cachet combined with the comfort achievable is well worth the cost and effort if necessary, fortunately for me the effort is and has been minimal which is lucky, I am a huge fan and would still be even if they didn't work well for me.

Tough question. My tribe says if it doesn't feel decent enough while it's hard, you'll have to drastically shorten it's life with various treatments to make it feel right. I use minimal proofhide on the top of my saddles only with great success. You want soft? Use neats foot oil on top and bottom and take 10 years off of it's life. So it sounds like you want a solution somewhere in between the two extremes and others may chime in on this.

Winning solutions always include riding more.

I had a Brooks Select and put several 1000 miles on it and it was still rock hard. I soaked the thing in neat's foot oil for a day and all that did was cause the saddle to leech oil for weeks. It never softened up, so I sold it.

You soften it up and you ruin it. That's all.

Get a modern B17, those are kinda soft to start with and get broken in pretty fast. Or a modern Swallow; same story. I have one of each just broken in I can trade you.

I offered a suggestion at
https://www.bikeforums.net/20923772-post9.html

To the OP: Let me get in line - if you find you have not ruined it and don't want to deal with breaking it in, I'll buy it. My wife saw mine when I brought it home from the bike swap, and immediately said "wow, is that for meeeee?" so I should be looking for one for her. Somehow she loved the shape immediately - perhaps if it looks like sculpture, she knows it will fit her.

We have a few Selects. My wife's B17 has a shape that she loved instantly, and therefore banished me from putting my saddle on my bike. Hence it became hers! I Proofided it once when maybe 300 miles had gone by, and again a year later, maybe up to 1500 miles (she's been doing 40 mile rides several times a week. Another one has gone on her second road bike after Proofiding - comfortable but she doesn't ride it very much. I have a Swallow Select bought for the tandem - in about 4 hours of indoor testing it is starting to give under my sitbones, so that is good - also Proofided once. I'll Proofide the Pro when I'm going to take it outdoors.

I have a used Pro Select in very good condition. It was a bit tacky on the surface, but hard and stiff - I guess it had been Snowsealed, which contains rubber of some sort. I haven't ridden on it yet, I need another deep-setback seatpost. But I have Proofided it and it feels less wooden and has a little resilient give. The surface texture seemed to open up a bit, too. My guess is about 1980. I'm kinda saving it or the Swallow for my 1952 Rudge Aero Special - a Swallow would be period-correct, but the Pro is a bit wider - competition style with a little more old guy comfort.

My Pro shows me something - even if a Brooks saddle has not been ridden for a while, it benefits from gentle Proofide treatment. I apply it in one thin coat on the outside, just with my fingers, then just let it absorb. Then ride - that's it. I totally agree that a softened Brooks saddle is a lost saddle - usually the leather has lost strength and will not maintain its shape, hence not support your butt properly. As well, Brooks says to only adjust the nose screw rarely and in small increments. I don't know why they even put in an adjustment. When I tried to improve a bad one by adjustment, the sitbone areas became lower than the central ridge all the way back to the cantle, and the saddle was an irreparable ass hatchet.

I also have some Obenauf's. I use it on a Rivet and on leather straps, et cetera. I think it was @65Clubman who said Ob would harden leather. But the Head Rivetress recommends Obenauf's for the saddles she designed and sells, and mine has not hardened. I also haven't seen hardening yet on the straps, but I have on a leather desk coaster that gets coffee on it all the time. I'm not going to take chances on potentially collectible saddles, like the Selects.

I agree with not thinking about "breaking it in," beyond getting on it and riding the bike. For me I do not want the sit bone areas to collapse - ever!!

Hi all,


for the feedback. Sorry for the slow response, but I’ve been sidetracked by a bum left shoulder. It’s a combination of pinched nerves and tendonitis. Lots of testing, x-rays, appointments, etc.


It appears that my choice wording in the original post was poor. Instead of asking for “softening” info, I should have asked about ways of “facilitating” break in.:foo: In addition the Pro Select, I have a 40+ year old Brooks that originally came on a Raleigh Competition. This one has been well taken care of and is very comfortable. It probably has several thousand miles on it. Also have a pair of Brooks copies from Spa Cycles in the UK. One has about 500 miles on it and has been comfortable from about 50 miles. The other has only seen about 150 miles and is still not quite there. All have been treated regularly with Proof Hide. My favorite is a Selle Anatomica, but the Brooks types are a close second.


An interesting bit of info; the leather on the Pro Select is about 1mm thicker than my other leather saddle of that style. So, since I don’t want to wreck it and some prefer these, trades, anyone? Send PM or text if interested.


Thanks & regards,


Van
[MENTION=28632]Road Fan[/MENTION]

You have to break in your butt to match the saddle, that's the real reason so many miles are required to "break it in".

That is pretty much the whole deal. Ride more and your butt gets better. Pretty soon the only saddles you don't like are the ones that are way too wide, way too narrow, or just too soft.

Another perspective: I find the brooks pro fairly comfortable when it is new and hard. I find it uncomfortable when broken in. Went back to B17 after a couple years on a pro.

My advice, one light treatment only with proofide. Don't overdo that stuff; you will ruin the saddle. Then ride it for a while (month or two?). If you don't like it, you aren't going to. Trade for something else.

All the info above is good IMHO. Remember that you want to put the Proofide on the UNDERSIDE of the saddle. Having it slightly warm will help it soak in.

The shape of the current Pro is not to my liking, but I have 2 vintage Pros that are super comfortable.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

This often comes up...once more into the breach. From the Brooks website

" The primary function of Brooks Proofide is to nourish the leather to keep it supple and to prevent it from drying out with age. With this in mind, it is generally not necessary to apply Proofide to a new saddle. Instead, it is recommended to apply it after every 6 months.
Proofide should be applied sparingly to the upper surface of the leather using just enough to cover the entire upper surface area. This should then be left on the leather for several hours (perhaps overnight) in order to allow penetration through into the inner fibres, before buffing off thoroughly with a soft cloth."

So that's what I do.

Or as Shakespeare wrote "Once More Unto the Breach"

The comfort from a Brooks saddle comes from the saddle leather being locally stretched by your sit bones with use. So if you select the style of saddle to suit your intended use, and match the saddle to the width of your sit bones, treat it accordance with Brooks instructions, and use it; it should form to your body shape and give a long life.

So much is written about Brooks can invite readers to reflect on another Shakespeare quote "Much ado about nothing".

[/puts Henry V back in Netflix queue]