Brooks Saddles and Waterproofing
 

For those of you that commute in the rain with Brooks saddles, do you waterproof your saddles, and if so, what do you use?

I recently got this:

http://www.thefryecompany.com/products/7p600

Not sure if there are any better options out there.

I use the Proofide I got with the saddle. I apply it once a year, at the very most. Works well.

I apply nothing. My Brooks Saddles B72 and B-66 have worked well for over 30 years without any waterproofing. Only plastic bags when left outside in rain or snow. Nothing while riding.

I have over 8000 km on my B17. I used some commercial lambs fat oil stuff at first because I couldnt find anything else here. Now I use proofide, about every 3 months.

Just the saddle when I ride, I have a plastic bag stuffed under the seat for when it gets caught out in the rain, but my bike lives inside overnight, and in a stairwell during the day, so it doesnt see a lot of rain when I am not riding.

z

Proofide isn't for waterproofing. It assists in the breaking-in period and shouldn't be used after that.

I use VO Saddle Care as it's designed to be re-applied once water no longer beads off the surface of the leather.

No.
Quoted directly from the Brooks of England website: "Proofide should be used several times during the ‘breaking-in’ period and every 3-6 months thereafter."

Proofide is a leather conditioner, similar in composition to Obenauf's LP (the only other product I suggest). It doesn't fully waterproof, but it does provide a degree of splash protection from light showers and under-saddle tire spray. While I'm a fan of most VO products, I don't recommend their saddle dressing. Silicone oils, similar to petroleum distillate oils reduce the breathability of the leather as well as damage the fiber structure. Stick with a compound like Obenauf's or Proofide and if you want to truly waterproof the thing just use a saddle cover. I like the Velox cover, and for $8.00 it's tough to go wrong; I've had mine for 4 years and it's lasted year-round commuting in the PNW, plus year-round randonneuring in the snow/rain. But if $8.00 is too pricey to protect your investment in a Brooks saddle, you can always go the shower cap route (about $1.00 at the corner drugstore) or a plastic bag (free with the purchase of groceries.)

I use Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP once a year on all our leather saddles. All saddles are in fine working order and still going strong.

I used a wad of proofide , and warmed the saddle in the Oven.. [100F]
it soaks up the waxes, liquified , like a sponge.. that was 30+ years ago.

I too use a couple layers of plastic bags over the saddle .

Long Bike tours of UK, and Ireland, I left the poly bags on at night, camping,
And
when I was wearing my rain over-trousers.
Wet tour, It stayed on for weeks.

Aardvark saddle covers are another choice, easy to use and completely waterproof, good for saddles up to the size of the B-17.

I use Proofide, but not as knowledgeably as CliftonGK1.

I had a nice Gore Tex helmet cover that I use during the winter that I would put over my saddle when I parked on a rainy day. Until some bum stole it. In the north entrance parking lot for the Pentagon, inside the guarded / checkpoint area.

I brush on melted bees wax top and bottom then go over it with a heat gun or hair dryer just hot enough to re-melt the wax. It soaks right in and totally waterproofs the leather forever. It also buff up nice.
Leather chariot reigns and horse whips have been found in the pyramids that were preserved this way and still considered usable.

I put a saddle cover on my Brooks if I ride in the rain, and stuff a plastic grocery bag underneath. Well, I carry the bag there in case I need one, but it does double duty as an under saddle cover. I've ridden for a couple of hours in driving rainstorms with this setup and my saddles remain bone dry. Fenders help, too

Proofide is a waterproofer but it's not like you're dipping the saddle in plastic when you use it. Saddle cover.

Wow, I had no idea hair dryers had been around so long! :p

+1 on the plastic bags when the bike is outside.

I agree with Clifton. Proofide is a conditioner to be used periodically.

To further the quote from the Brooks website:
"Apply a little Proofide to the finished side of the leather. Allow the Proofide to permeate until dry and then polish off. Proofide should be used several times during the breaking-in period and every 3-6 months thereafter. (on bicycles not fitted with mudguards, an initial application to the underside of the saddle will be beneficial. This needs not be polished off."

This I slightly disagree with. Proofide is a conditioner, not a polish. The top of your saddle is highly polished and dyed. For proper absorption, it's more important to apply periodically to the unfinished underside of the saddle regardless of fenders. (As well as a little on the top).

When I posted that I wondered who the smarty pants would be.

Congrats! :D :p

really? that's news to me. I thought Proofide helped make it water repellent.

Proofhide once or twice a year, plus after a fall scrapes the side of the saddle (to protect the damaged part).

When it rains, I slip a shower cap over the saddle and ride. That protects the top and sides. The bottom is protected by a fender.

It does both... the oils soak into the leather, keeping it supple. The waxes stay on the surface, forming a layer that hinders -- but doesn't completely prevent -- moisture exchange. Sort of like Chapstick.

BTW, when Brooks says "polish", they mean the act of using a soft cloth to remove most of the leftover wax. They don't literally mean that you are trying to achieve a shine or anything.

- Scott

I use proofide to keep the leather from drying out. I keep a saddle cover velcroed under the saddle for when it rains. Quick stop and pop it on. A plastic bag works fine in a pinch.

Proofide for general leather conditioning, but I try not to let it get rained on. Plastic grocery bags (two, in case one leaks). If I get caught in a downpour, the Aardvark cover (http://www.lickbike.com/productpage....9;1005-00') keeps the saddle dry. Just an ordinary shower, the fenders help, but my behind is water-resistant. ;)

Snoseal liberally and showercap over the seat when it's raining. Proofide is overpriced.