Proper Brooks care?
 

I just bought a new to me 1974 Raleigh International with a Brooks saddle. What do I need to do to properly care for the saddle as far as routine conditioning, i.e. using what and at what frequency? Also, did I understand correctly one needs to keep the saddle out of the rain? I believe I saw something somewhere about a weather cover for the saddle? Thanks for any and all input.

Brooks makes their own brand of leather treatment. I expect that it helps to preserve the integrity of the leather without softening it, which what some leather treatments do. As a kid, I used to treat my Brooks saddle with saddle soap from the tack shop. I'm sure that you will get better advice. (I own a leather saddle, but it's a Lepper.)

Use brooks saddle proofide it's easy to apply and gives it a bit of splash and sweat protection you can get a cover from them also but I use the cover only when it's raining.

I have way too many Brooks saddles, but they are the pinnacle of comfort to me, plus they look good on my bikes. ;) For treatment I use the Brooks Proofide every now and again. Initially I warm the saddle by laying in the sun or over a heating vent in the house in cold weather. I put a very heavy coat on the underside, and a decent coat on the top side and let it soak in for a few hours, then wipe off any excess on the top. I do keep mine covered if the bike is parked outside and it rains, I use the plastic shopping bags from Target, or a shower cap that I snagged from a hotel somewhere. Both are effectively free and do a great job. As far as retreating the saddles I don't do it very often, only if the coating on the underside seems to have gone completely away or the saddle starts looking too "dry". Brooks claims every 3-6 months I might do mine once every couple of years.

Aaron :)

Proofide, applied sparingly, is the official treatment of choice. It seems expensive, but a little 40gm tin should last a lifetime. SnoSeal is an acceptable alternative, and considerably less expensive (a concern if you have multiple saddles to treat). Avoid neatsfoot oil, anything based on mineral oil, and any product designed to soften leather. You do not want to soften your saddle unless you're looking forward to buying a replacement sooner than otherwise indicated.

That about sums it up. But, more importantly ....let's see that bike! :)

I put on Proofhide about once a year, a thick coat on the top, leave it in the sun to cook and soak in. After a day I wipe off the seat before I ride. I've never done the underside, through either laziness or stupidity.

I rode an old used Brooks Pro in the 70s and 80s, all it ever got was a wipe with whatever motor oil was lying around. Seemed to work fine too...

+1... I try to avoid overtreatment with Proofide. About once every year or so - basically about the time that I can no longer recall when I last treated the saddle. Seems to be effective - some of my Brooks saddles go back a few decades.

The saddle won't be ruined by rain if you don't sit on it while it's wet.

:lol: I like your style. Damn the protocol.

:lol: Yep... I never, ever, thought of using motor oil on my 40 year old Pro...

Sparingly is the keyword here. Many new leather saddle owners (like me...) put too much Proofide on. And another thing... do you need to apply it every year? I don't think so.

I love it! Yet another thread about elfin magic. Remember that bees wax is bees wax whether or not it's excreted by elves. Do a search. There are a number of methods and I have used several them with success. Use your own brain.

True enough. Any concoction using waxes suspended in oils will work. Proofide is one such readily available mixture.

I treat my leather saddles with Lexol about once a month; once every two weeks during the first couple of months of breaking in. During winter I give them an annual coating of SnoSeal. I'd say go sparingly with waxes & sealants and apply them after you've treated the saddle with any penetrating oils, since they diminish the oil's ability to properly do its job. That's to say, the oil has to actually penetrate in order to keep the leather supple, and sealants (of course) are designed to inhibit that. ;)

If you follow Brooks instructions and no else's you won't go wrong and you won't void their warranty, plain and simple. Brooks has been making their saddles for over 100 years, I think they know best about how to treat their saddles.

Do you really think the warranty is worth anything?

I've done the sparing proofide thing on some saddles and not on others. Haven't noticed much difference myself.

Keeping it from getting wet when you are riding it in the rain (fenders, cover, etc) and continuing to ride on it when wet seems to be the biggest differentiator on how well they hold up, again, in my experience.

I agree with this post. I've been using SnoSeal on my B17, it works a-ok.

I'll second that; that's been pretty much my own experience as well.

Brooks may have been making leather saddles for a hundred years, but they're not the sole authority on leather preservation. I use Lexol, saddle soap, & SnoSeal because I've used them on leather jackets, boots, and actual horse tackle.

I think I'll ask the birthday fairy for the saddle cover to protect it just in case of rain and get a tin of their Proofide. It sounds like it's by no means the only game in town but that it's proven well enough over so many years that it should do an adequate job.

I've had several Brooks saddles over the years as well as two VO leather saddles. Proofide is ok, but I have used Kiwi Mink Oil Paste for years without any problem. Every one of my saddles has been soaking wet at different times. No problem, try not to use it more than necessary before it drys. I think is's much ado about nothing.

Marc

SnoSeal is good stuff, and waterproofs a little better than Proofide. Nikwax works too.

But do keep in mind that unlike leather jackets, boots, and horse tackle a bicycle saddle has to be able to support your body weight on a suspended piece of leather. Treatments that soften leather also tend to weaken it, and when used on bicycle saddles can lead to premature sagging.

I just stuff a plastic grocery bag under the saddle and haul it out if it looks like rain. Has the added benefit of camouflaging the saddle when the bike is locked up outside.