yeah, another brooks thread.
I know I'm not supposed to get it wet, but even when I'm riding and its raining, the back section where all my rivets are gets rained on. Should I find some waterproof seat protector to slip over it or am I worrying too much?

Sno-Seal and a plastic bag when you aren't rididng it works.

i think applying something like wax to the leather itself would proably damage it and cause it to not breath(and breathing is why leather is so good)

Do what you want, I've been putting Sno-Seal on my Brooks saddles for over 15 years with in ill effects.....

Ebay has natty Brooks seat covers on sale from across the pond. They look great, I think I'll order one to preserve the old 1930's Pro.

mink oil ya know the stuff you buy it for your boots

Some leather treatments (mink oil for example) may soften the leather too much, causing the saddle to sag. Wax based dressing like Sno-seal probably OK, but Brooks recommends that you only use Brooks Proof Hide on their saddles.

I slather a bunch of Proofide on the underside of the saddle and just leave it, don't wipe it off. Not sure if that prevents water damage. I've ridden in the rain quite a few times and it still appears good as new. Did you check the Brooks' website for info?

Thank goodness they don't have, like, a vested interest in selling Proofide. I'd hate to think I was getting less than impartial advice on saddle care.

Yes they actually recommend exactly that practice in the little care booklet that comes with new saddles.

Some leather treatments do indeed clog the pores and can ruin leather over a long period of time. Sno Seal is good stuff. It has a lot of bees wax in it, much like proofide. I used it on my hiking boots which were immersed in water daily on hiking trips.

I think the Brooks and water thing is a little over hyped. It is leather not spun sugar. When you are not riding it, cover it in rain. When you are riding, as long as it has been properly treated, it should be fine. Brooks are popular among touring cyclists and randonneurs, folks that are not really shy about riding in a little weather.

I made severial mistakes over the last few years w Brooks saddles:

1. Very Old B-72, I used neetsfoot oil and proofide. Got caught riding in the rain and riding with the saddle wet. the leather around some of the rivets started to tear.

2. Spontanious Spash and Dash got the better of me and now there are stains on a honey champ flyer. I had this saddle since new and have used Proofide exclusively and periodically.

Other notes:
1. saw lots of brooks and Wrights in Amsterdam that appeared to have been lefted out inthe rain and snow forever. Many were totally sagged but strangely not torned
2. Snowprof is good stuff, used it on my leather jackets for over 20 yrs

Mine gets wet on nearly every ride (rainy season) I use proofride on top about once a week, just a very light coat polished in, did the underside w/o polishing heavy when I first got it. It's holding up beautifully after about 2000 wet miles.

So I should basically pour the rain over it, covering the saddle with rain?

hte brooks care book says put proofhide on the top, let it sit a while, polish it out.
on the underside, apply proofhide and just leave it...
if it gets wet let it dry naturally.

What**********??? A bike seat that cant be exposed to rain**********?? go brooks!

if it's going to be POURING, i just put a plastic bag over it. sure, it looks like hell, but it keeps it dry. and keeps dye off of my pants.

For real, I just carry a plastic grocery bag with me whenever it might rain. It's kept my Flite nice and dry and neat.

I have never put a plastic bag over any saddle I own. Leather, plastic whatever. If it can't take a little rain it doesn't belong on a bike.

I mostly do it for when I leave my bike outside somewhere when it might rain, then stop raining, then I'd hop on. So more than keep the seat dry, it's for keeping my undies with the penguins on them dry.

If Brooks can't handle getting wet, how can it handle sweat? Don't worry about the rain.

Proofide the saddle once a month and you will be fine. I've done that for years.

don't get it wet! brooks aren't made cow leather, they're made of


i found this out the hard way:

Haha it is kind of ridiculous -- especially considering these saddles come from England.

However, I've been riding a Brooks Pro now for a week or so and I'm really loving it. I can only imagine how comfortable it will get over time. Looks beautiful, too.

I use those cheap shower caps that you get from the motels. It is small an has an elastic band to keep the cover on. As far as riding in the rain, I don't worry about it. I treat mine with a heavy coat of proofhide on the bottom and a light buffed coat on the top.

Aaron

Of course, Brooks has a motive to recommend thier own product. I thought that would be obvious. I did say other wax based leather treatments might be OK. Put what you want on your saddle. I'm sure there are other products that work, but you can be sure Proofide will not damage your saddle if used properly. I would avoid Mink oil and neatsfoot oil.