I just finished proclaiming my love for my Brooks saddle on a different post, when I remembered that I'd been meaning to ask a question about my beloved Finesse. I will be moving from Los Angeles to NYC shortly (probably in December). How do Brooks saddles hold out in the rain and snow? Must I cover it with plastic (or, as a former DC messenger friend suggested, a UPS waterproof bag)? Is there a comparable saddle (in terms of comfort) that is made of a synthetic material? Must I cover any saddle that I use? Ladies, what saddles have you found to be comfy?

I just got a Brooks on a bike that's not done yet. What I'm going to do/what I've seen is scrunching a plastic bag in the rails, and putting it over the saddle when locked. That way the bag protects from upshots while riding, and from rain while locked. Best to take a brooks with you though.

harris cyclery - www.sheldonbrown.com/harris i think the URL is, sells a brooks cover. no wait. maybe it's gaansari. or gansaari. somebody sells a weather cover... let me find this thing...

aha:
gaansari.
b-17 bonnet
https://www.gaansari.com/baggage.htm

thank you ever-so-much, guy and gal.

I've used a similar type bonnet sold on Walbike.com and it isn't worth the money. I live in Boise and rain is NOT a problem here. It will protect the saddle in a light rain but anything more and it will soak through. I keep a plastic bag tucked in the rails beneath the saddle and a good coating of proofide on the underside.

Brooks bonnet

I tend to tie a bag to one rail of the saddle, that way it doesn't blow into your drivetrain (luckily, a fixed gear doesn't do the same things a geared bike will do if a bag gets caught in the rear derailleur).

Also, a cheapo vinyl shower cap from Duane Reade, Rite Aid etc works well on my swift, packs up really small and has elastic to help keep it on. comes in a selection of fun colors too.

Supposedly there are saddle covers made by Velox that are really good for Brooks saddles.

My Team Pro got a really good soaking, I mean, shoes full, shorts squishing, I was drenched! And well, liking it since we bikers are wierd, but that's beside the point. When I got home I gave the bike a good rinsing with fresh water since it was wet anyway, and better to get the dirt off while it's loose. I just let the bike, and saddle, dry, and put some Proofide on the top surface of the saddle when it was dry. No deformation or change in shape of any kind, you can't even tell it was ever wet.

i dont think its a big problem. as long as you proofhide it or something similiar (i use nikwax, which i also use on my shoes/boots) you'll be relatively fine. of course, you can scrunch a bag in the rails if its gonna pour for hours and hours, but i think sometime life is for living and not for obsessing about covering everything you own with more things. i know plenty of people (including some mess'rs) who have put their brooks thru rain/snow everything and with no problems. your mileage will vary.