Brooks Saddle Question
 

I found a Raleigh Sports that was going to be thrown away, so I took it home.

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.

So, the saddle is in good condition, very slight scuffs on the back, and hard as nails.

Should I just go ahead and ride it without some sort of treatment or should I do some sort of pretreatment before riding it?

Will an older Brooks even break in for another rider.?

Any advice welcome, I would like to try this saddle because it's free and a good way to see what everyone is talking about...if I like it I might spring for a new one.

Thanks all

oh and the raleigh is a sports 3speed everything is original and in very good condition and sa 3speed works fine, worth fixing up?

Sure, you can use it. The thing to do first is to work some Brooks Proofhide into the underside surface of the saddle (use a toothbrush to get some in the tight spots between leather and saddle frame). Let the saddle absorb that and do it again -- and then do it again after riding the saddle a bit. If you let the leather absorb as much Proofhide as it will, there's every chance that you'll get a lot of use out of the saddle. (Snoseal -- a beeswax-based waterproofer -- will do as a Proofhide substitute. Petroleum-based compounds are to be avoided.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

thanks guys for the help on how to apply the proofhide...I will do the treatment this weekend

it should work pretty good on my crosscheck, I have it set up with riosers for my everyday rider

thanks again

After you apply proofide wear dark or old clothing for your first few rides.

why wear dark clothing? does the proofhide bleed or something?

not really the proofide
but the dye in the saddle + the proofide, yes

If you use SnoSeal, no color leaching will occur. Just heat the saddle in the oven on low. Then, with some type of applicator, like a foam paint brush, slather it on the underside only. It'll melt in like butter on toast. A very light coating on top with your fingers, otherwsie it could get a bit sticky in hot weather. Buff off the top after the saddle has cooled. The SnoSeal will not over condition leather and will add good water resistance.

If you use Proofide, as MnHPVA says, you won't need to re-apply it for at least six months.