nancy sv

I just posted this question in the touring forum, but I know you guys you Brooks quite a bit, so thought I would post it here too.

I just bought a new Brooks -I've wanted it a long time and finally decided to hit the button. I don't have it yet, but I can't wait til it gets here!

Anyway, I've read posts about people destroying their Brooks by riding in the rain and I"m sure I will have no choice but to ride in the rain on occasion. How do I take care of this puppy? I plan to use it on our upcoming tour from Alaska to Argentina and want to make sure it survives the whole 30 months!!

Thanks for your help!

Jet Travis

I'm sure you'll get lots of tips. When I'm touring I use the Velox cover, which I purchased from the good folks at Wallbike. Info here: https://www.wallbike.com/brooks/veloxseatcover.html

PS--You're trip sounds fantastic!

Tom Bombadil

You are riding from Alaska to Argentina???

I am not worthy to post in this thread.

tpelle

I have a seat bag hung under my B17 (to carry my flat-fixin' stuff), and that pretty well shields the bottom of the saddle from anything coming up from the road. I've hear that some folks stuff a plastic grocery bag under the saddle (between the leather and the rails), which shields the bottom of the saddle even better. The assumption is that, if you're riding in the rain, your bottom shields the top of the saddle from the rain, and you cover the saddle with the plastic bag if you have to get off and leave the bike parked in the rain.

Of course you put a good coat of ProofHide on the underside of the saddle when you get it, as well as on the top, then every month or so re-use the ProofHide.

I understand that if the saddle gets wet (like if you get caught in an unexpected downpour) occasionally, as long as you don't ride it wet it's not a big deal. After all, it used to be a cow, and cows stand out in the rain all the time.

Ken Brown

No Velox cover for me. I use a grocery bag and tie it underneath. My saddle is >25 years old.

BluesDawg

Avoid putting a lot of crazy treatments on the saddle. A little (really just a little) Proofide per Brooks instructions will do it. Repeat maybe 4 times in the first year and once a year after that. Worry more about using too much than not using enough.

You can ride a Brooks in the rain without hurting it. You can stretch it out of shape if you get it soaking wet and then ride it before it dries. I don't let mine sit in the rain without covering it with a plastic grocery bag or myself.

nancy sv

Thanks guys!! It's funny - I hear so many people talking about all the stuff they do to their Brooks, but then I hear that we don't need to do anything. I'm going to take the view of "do nothing" (except a bit of proofide) and go with it. Hopefully, mine will last 25+ years too - and by then I'll be too old and decrepid to do any cycling anyway.

Terrierman

I put some proofride on mine when I got it. Not a lot. I've ridden it in the rain several times since. When I do, I take it along with the seatpost in the house and just let it air dry. You cannot tell it has even been wet afterwards. They are hearty, I think.

stringbreaker

Read and obey the instructions that come with the seat. Proofide underside and top liberally then let it set overnight then buff the top. Thats pretty much it. Re proofide once a year if I remember correctly and don't let it get wet and if it does let it dry naturally (read no hairdryer) then proofide as instructed. I use a cheapo showercap on mine when I get caught in the rain and have to get off the bike. A plastic grocery bag will work just as well. These saddles have been around for ages and have gotten a lot of abuse and still hang in there. But its best to take a little bit of care with them anyway. Good luck on your trip. Wish it was me.

nancy sv

Thanks! My parents lived in England during the Korean war and when Dad got out of the military they bought bikes and set off touring around England. We had their old bikes around here for years and years - Dad's was still in great shape and I rode it a lot. They both had Brooks saddles on them and I could kick myself for not taking those saddles when we got rid of hte bikes!!

rodrigaj

Rain will not damage a Brooks saddle. If it could your sweat would damage the saddle.

I've been riding Brooks saddles since the mid 70's and since I sweat so much I would have seen the damage since I never carry a plastic bag. I don't baby the saddles; I've never seen the need to.

I have owned 3 saddles. The first was destroyed in a garage fire and the other two are still in use. I have ridden in horrible conditions as a commuter and I logged 10's of thousands of miles on my Brooks saddles.

Sorry, I don't buy the rain problem. What I do know is that people do all kinds of things to them to break them in... and hours of direct sunlight is far more damaging to the saddles then rain could ever be.

If anyone can show a picture of a brooks saddle that has been damaged by rain, and only rain, please post it.

RalphP

I have used Sno-Seal on my leather saddles when I knew they would be going through a real tour. Lay it on thick underneath and not so thick on top. A hair drier is supposed to be the ticket when applying this stuff, though the closest I've come to that is warming the Sno-Seal. I'm no chemist but I've never experienced too much leather stretching from Sno-Seal. If some one else knows of such a thing, hopefully he/she will pipe in. I'd recommend making a sturdy saddle cover. I've used thick soft plastic in the past, and loved it and currently have one I made from that dry-bag material. Grommets and nylon cord. I have read many posts over time where people say that the leather saddle wont be damaged by getting wet. I agree that a little wetness now and then is nothing to worry about. On a tour, even a credit card tour, the bike is going to be sitting out in the pouring rain. Camping, much more so. I do not believe that an uncovered saddle will not be destroyed by a few weeks of this treatment. It is a nice piece of thick leather. Nothing magic about it.

divingbiker

When I bought my Brooks, Bill at Wallingford Bikes said that if you're riding in rain, it's best to have fenders to keep the underside from getting soaking wet. Your butt will cover up the top, and the occasional exposure while waiting at stoplights etc won't hurt it. But relentless moisture from underneath could soak it more than is desirable.

nancy sv

We generally try to NOT ride in the rain - so I doubt we would be riding days and days in pouring rain. that being said, there will be some days when we have no choice so we will go - we will have kids with us and they can only tolerate so much miserableness, you know?? I'm sure the riding day after day after day in the rain would be horrible for it, but I"m sure hoping I don't have to do that!!

Pockets

My last Brooks came with a nylon seat cover

Paniolo

x2 on the Sno Seal ... It's 100% Beeswax. I've ridden my Brooks in some pretty torrential rain for several hours with no problems. Fenders help a lot, and not just to keep the bottom of the saddle drier! If forced to leave sitting out in rain a plastic grocery bag has always worded well.

nancy sv

Where does one get proofide anyway? Does anybody know what's in it? If it is just beeswax, then any beeswax should be fine. Is there some mystery ingredient in Proofide?

BluesDawg

Rivendell has it. Your LBS may have it. Google and you'll find several places.
The label says it contains: tallow, cod oil, vegetable oil, paraffin wax, beeswax, citronella oil.

solveg

I have 4 of them, and I haven't done a dang thing to them. They aren't worn in yet, but to me that's a good thing, as I don't feel them, and they'll last longer that way. I carry a shower cap if it starts to rain.

Tom Bombadil

Are all 4 of them the same type or do you have a mixed variety collection?

solveg

I have 2 regular B-17's, One B-17 with a modifying name afterwards...and a women's version B-17S. The B-17 Something is in Kansas right now. But it's the same as a regular B-17, just a bit prettier.

BengeBoy 

Actually, right now Rivendell is featuring something called Obenhauf's. I just bought some for a used Brooks Swift that I bought:

https://www.rivbike.com/products/list...product=31-344

Seemed to do a nice job on the Swift I bought (it was advertised as about 10 years old, but doesn't appear to have been ridden much, if it all...it was a little dry and the Obenhauf's brought it back to "new" appearance).

I think the active ingredient is beeswax, pretty much the same as Proofhide. I'll bet you could smear some Burt's Bees lip balm on a Brooks Saddle and it would likely do the same as either one of these products.

rodrigaj

Careful with the Obenhauf's - It will darken a honey saddle. (but so will riding it). I use obenauf's on on regular boots and shoes and saddles. It's great stuff. I've been using it for 7 years.

BluesDawg

Obenhauf's, Proofide or sweat and wear will darken a honey Brooks. And it is a beautiful thing.

Motorad

+1. The color shade of a new Brooks Honey handlebar wrap is not the same shade as a new Brooks honey saddle. You can use the proofhide to put a bit more on whichever is the lighter shade ... and you wind up with a closer color match between the saddle and the handlebar wrap.

When I treat my saddles with proofhide, I put more on the bottom side than the top, and I don't wipe it off the bottom side. I hope this is not putting too much on the saddle, but my theory is to keep a film of proofhide on the saddle-bottom ... to kind of waterproof the leather from the roadspray.