I think the danger posed by rain to leather saddles is wayyyy overstated. Unless you drop the thing in a lake, or leave it out overnight in a thunderstorm, rain is not going to hurt it. Even then there's not really much danger unless you ride on them while they're still wet. I don't think I've heard of a single instance of somebody leaving their bike in the rain, only to find out that their saddle self destructed simply because of that.

Yeah...I bet that never happens.

Did you ruin one this way?

you'd have to pay me an awful lot of money to buy a saddle made of the flayed skin of a sentient animal that is cured with toxic chemicals.
i did look at the cambium but it's way to heavy for my tastes.

How do you avoid riding on it when still wet if you still need to ride it home?

By covering it if it's raining cats and dogs outside, instead of being a dope?

Everybody acts like a few drops of rain or a little splash or spray will destroy a leather saddle. It's pretty easy to avoid soaking it to the point where you'll ruin it.

I suspect you haven't spent much time around cows.

How much water IS dangerous?

ive applied enough proofide so that the saddle doesn't absorb any more. But I'm looking to ride to the pool, swim some laps, and then ride back. Without ruining the saddle. Doable?

Right, and I always bring a cover for mine. Still, putting pressure on them after they've been allowed to get soaked probably is what does them in the fastest.

Yep. Get some larger Ziploc-type bags (the 1 or 2 gallon "turkey bags", depending on the model of your saddle) and keep it on while riding back.

I have a Selle Anatomica. Now that it's summer time my seat is covered with sweat when I finish commuting twice a day. Once the seat is covered with water/sweat, it doesn't seem like more water will matter much. I'd have to think my saddle gets as wet from sweat as it would if I road home from the pool. The leather seems to be holding up pretty good.

For some time, had a B-17 on my country bike, it is 5 km to one fishing spot and about 8 to another, suspend my halved fly rod from the top tube, wear J&G touring shorts and sneakers. Cycle to one of these spots 2-3 times per week, wade waist deep into the water; when done fishing, ride back home and hang it in the shed to dry, saddle is fine. Apply proof hide about twice per year. My other leather saddles (SA & GB) have also gotten wet at fairly regular intervals, all are ok. When parked and going to rain, I do cover them with a bag- would do the same if saddles were synthetic. Last week, rode the GB saddle on three rainy days - it got wet each day, probably going to ride it later today- saddle feels a little damp yet, looks fine. The GB is an Aravis model, my impression is that it might be more sensitive to "wetness", than the Brooks or SA saddles. Third season with this saddle, going fine & no problems.

One of the comments previously was that the Brooks was poor value, meaning quality for price. The REI comparison says, I tried a bunch of low-price saddles hoping for high quality at low price, but the quality was always unsatisfactory. After several tries, the total price is at least that of a B17, without achieving its quality. If satisfaction is more related to quality than price, the Brooks is a good solution for satisfaction.

When looking for satisfaction, price may be a lot less important than quality. If you're looking for the best product to stock in your bike shop, value at minimum price with a warranty policy might be the best value system.

There are many value systems at play here. Yours is only one of them.

I'm not sure how Proofide became expected to be a waterproofer, but it just isn't.

To this point, I have tried a number of Specialized at $100 plus, some based on exchanging the one I didn't like. I liked a few, but only for a few months. I'm now back to leather. I've found a Brooks Pro to work very well, a B17N Imperial very good. Best was an early Selle Anatomica (standard), and probable contender for new best is my recent Selle Anatomica X.

I wasn't meaning to be critical nor to take a shot at your "value system" - but your comment was confusing to me.

I can understand trying low priced saddles looking for a winner but am I correct in understanding that you did not return the saddles that you tried but did not like? REI has one of the most generous return policies in retail and it's routine in most LBS's that I know, as well as with on line retailers, and speciality suppliers of saddles to offer a trial and test period and especially for saddles. That is an important point to those who have a saddle that does not work well and are unsure of what to try - the industry, by and large, is set up to allow you to try saddles before you keep one.

If that is the situation, then buying all these saddles and having them not work and not returning them is not a comparison of cost equivalency to a more expensive Brooks. That would have just illustrated the point that you pretty much get what you pay for.

J.

You probably don't know how much water a saddle can absorb. It's probably more rain than sweat your butt can produce.

I love my B17 for 4 years now. Creaks alot but the comfort is truly worth it.

If it runs off the saddle and drips on the ground then I figure the saddle is absorbing all it will.

Water running off is not evidence it is saturated. It takes a while for it to absorb all it can.