Riding a Brooks saddle in the rain. How's it holding up long term?
02-12-12, 09:36 AM
#26
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Leather saddles provide some of the best comfort and lessened friction than any other material that a human can sit on for long periods of time. Leather is also notoriously long-lasting and good-wearing. And it "breaks-in" to your unique proportions, which synthetics suck at. This extends beyond bicycles -- ask any horseback rider about "synthetic" saddles vs. leather.....I have several in the family and have been around them for my entire life -- I've NEVER met one who doesn't prefer a leather saddle. Most of them also have nothing but hate for other saddle types.
You are perfectly free to make your own opinions about whichever items you choose to purchase, but try to at least keep your opinion "whacked-out hippie activist" as opposed to just ignorant (i.e. people use leather saddles for very practical reasons, not because they like to kill animals).
BTW - you've probably been riding in a car and have killed a lot of insects on the windshield -- like beautiful and rare Lepidopterans. You've probably removed a lot of good bacteria from your skin via scratching and showering -- do you really think that's fair to deny those organisms their right to exis just for your own selfish comfortt?
Oh, and you eat unleavened bread right?
To OP: I do absolutely nothing to my brooks b67 at this point and it's about 5 years old now. I've been in a few rain storms and I figure my butt is usually on the saddle, and once I get home it is allowed to dry just fine....so no issues so far. I think I treated with proofide the week I bought it, but I've done nothing since.
You are perfectly free to make your own opinions about whichever items you choose to purchase, but try to at least keep your opinion "whacked-out hippie activist" as opposed to just ignorant (i.e. people use leather saddles for very practical reasons, not because they like to kill animals).
BTW - you've probably been riding in a car and have killed a lot of insects on the windshield -- like beautiful and rare Lepidopterans. You've probably removed a lot of good bacteria from your skin via scratching and showering -- do you really think that's fair to deny those organisms their right to exis just for your own selfish comfortt?
Oh, and you eat unleavened bread right?
To OP: I do absolutely nothing to my brooks b67 at this point and it's about 5 years old now. I've been in a few rain storms and I figure my butt is usually on the saddle, and once I get home it is allowed to dry just fine....so no issues so far. I think I treated with proofide the week I bought it, but I've done nothing since.
02-12-12, 04:48 PM
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The idea that dead cow skin is more durable than a synthetic is laughable. I have an old synthetic saddle on my 1994 stumpjumper that has seen at least 50K (commuted on this bike for 10 years). I suspect that plastic material will likely outlast all of us.
I am also amused at being lectured about the relative environmental impact of leather vs synthetics. The tanning industry is quite possibly the most environmentally degrading industry on this planet. Many of the 3rd world workers that tan leather die horrible deaths from exposure to toxic chemicals. If the environmental risks of leather production was fairly priced, Brooks saddles would be beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest cyclists.
PS: I rarely drive a car because I don't own one and I have absolutely no problem with eating single celled organisms (like...duh).
I am also amused at being lectured about the relative environmental impact of leather vs synthetics. The tanning industry is quite possibly the most environmentally degrading industry on this planet. Many of the 3rd world workers that tan leather die horrible deaths from exposure to toxic chemicals. If the environmental risks of leather production was fairly priced, Brooks saddles would be beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest cyclists.
PS: I rarely drive a car because I don't own one and I have absolutely no problem with eating single celled organisms (like...duh).
Last edited by spare_wheel; 02-12-12 at 04:55 PM.
02-12-12, 04:53 PM
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Lon Haldeman, winner of the RAAM, writes about getting 40 thousands miles or more out of a Brooks. As Ricebowl wrote, the rest of the cow doesn't get thrown away.
02-12-12, 06:16 PM
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02-12-12, 07:32 PM
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PS: I rarely drive a car because I don't own one and I have absolutely no problem with eating single celled organisms (like...duh).
For the record, some bacteria are multicellular..."like duh".
You'll learn this when you are forced to take BIO 121 at some liberal arts university while pursuing a degree in fecal arts.
02-12-12, 09:57 PM
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02-12-12, 10:05 PM
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02-13-12, 10:34 AM
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I think its amusing to see the lengths that retro fanatics will go to protect leather saddles while arguing for their durability. Plastic grocery bags? Really??? Just buy a nice nashbar lorica saddle for 20 bucks and get on with your riding lives.
02-13-12, 10:41 AM
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For the record, some bacteria are multicellular..."like duh".
02-13-12, 10:50 AM
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Demonizing the people who ride them won't further your argument or gain any goodwill, so I suggest sticking to the objective points.
- Scott
02-13-12, 10:54 AM
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I'll cover my saddle if the bike is sitting parked in the rain, but refuse to ride with the cover on (I don't see the point and find it uncomfortable and awkward).
Heavy proofide treatment makes water bead off the top/bottom (and my ass pretty much eliminates most of it anyway), and fenders keep the underside dry.
So far, so good. The saddle is holding up just fine, and I've let it get pretty soaking wet many times. My own take is that if the saddle requires too much special attention, then it will get replaced with something more practical. I do like my B-17N, but it is not dramatically more comfy than other high quality saddles I've used.
Heavy proofide treatment makes water bead off the top/bottom (and my ass pretty much eliminates most of it anyway), and fenders keep the underside dry.
So far, so good. The saddle is holding up just fine, and I've let it get pretty soaking wet many times. My own take is that if the saddle requires too much special attention, then it will get replaced with something more practical. I do like my B-17N, but it is not dramatically more comfy than other high quality saddles I've used.
Last edited by canyoneagle; 02-13-12 at 02:55 PM.
02-13-12, 11:32 AM
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02-13-12, 01:38 PM
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Everybody knows things made from oil are much better than things from hides.
Last edited by Booger1; 02-13-12 at 01:42 PM.
02-13-12, 02:13 PM
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My Brooks B17 has 28,077 miles on it....bought it 5/15/06 and commute 23 mi r/t daily, plus several tours....In SW Fl during the summer we get a lot of rain.....looks as good as new to me...only care it gets after a ride in the rain is a dry off with a towel.
02-13-12, 03:23 PM
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There is areason after all that horse saddles aren't made out of carbon/lorica. Those individuals who ride them for a living spend more time than probably we do on a daily basis. And don't forget that those are quite comfortable once they are broken in as well. 
02-13-12, 04:46 PM
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Ummmm...people who ride bicycles for a living develop thick scaly callouses on their buttocks that do not need to be babied with expensive emollient impregnated leather saddles. And IMO anything that needs to be massaged with tinctures and mink oil is a bit of a hassle.
02-13-12, 09:36 PM
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Ah well, you can't please everyone, but again we all know what they say about arguing over the internet...
02-13-12, 11:29 PM
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I don't buy products made by underpaid workers in China who work in factories with no environmental regulations. I buy products made by Europeans, Japanese, or Americans who make decent wages and work in safe, modern factories. If you don't mind that your saddle may have been made by a 14 year old girl who is forced to work 18 hours a day in unsafe conditions, go right ahead.
02-13-12, 11:39 PM
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Ummmm...people who ride bicycles for a living develop thick scaly callouses on their buttocks that do not need to be babied with expensive emollient impregnated leather saddles. And IMO anything that needs to be massaged with tinctures and mink oil is a bit of a hassle.
I put a coat of Proofide on my saddles exactly ONCE a year. Look, you have some crunchy hippie agenda here, and you're not going to change anybody's mind. The Brooks saddle has been in production for a hundred years, has a rabid fanbase, and is a good product made by a company which employs talented craftsmen. You feel free to buy your cheap Chinese crap. Also, feel free to buy your carbon fiber bikes(you can't recycle those, you know) that produce all sorts of toxic waste in their manufacture. I believe in steel, leather, cotton duck, and cork. All of those are far greener than carbon fiber and plastic.
02-14-12, 04:26 AM
#47
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If god didn't want me to kill cows he wouldn't have made them so tasty.
I wonder if riding a cow to work would be as comfy as my brooks saddle?
I wonder if riding a cow to work would be as comfy as my brooks saddle?
02-15-12, 09:13 PM
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Solution!
Or not worry about it at all and buy one of these! My wife bought this for my new B17. Randi Jo custom Brooks waterproof cover. Covers the top AND bottom! Im nothing but impressed by the craftsmanship. Truly a top quality item! Check them out at www.randijofab.com
02-15-12, 10:58 PM
#50
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I've had my Team Pro since spring 2008. It gets wet on a regular basis and has stretched a decent amount. I've used up about half the length of the tension bolt. I have a Fizik Arione sitting around. When the Brooks dies in a few years I'm going to give that a go.