I'm not 100% sure what the saddle i have is made of but it looks a lot like leather. I'm wondering if anyone has found any totally vegan saddles? If so some links would be awesome, thanks.

synthetic leather is now the norm, not the exception.

yup guess its better to use more energy, create more waste, use more petrochemicals in the manufacturing of a plastic pleather saddle, than to use readily available leather that is natural. And lets be serious here, do you honestly think your plastic saddle is going to make a difference in the grand scheme of the earth, considering that everyday millions of tons of pollutants, billions of tons of garbage are created are dumped back into the earth. (dont forget to add your plastic saddle to that garbage when it wears out, it wont degrade any, unlike a real leather saddle that will degrade properly)

haha, so true.

though mr. vegan probably has a point with how much food / water / energy / land goes into raising cattle.

God, shut the **** up. This isn't a ****ing argument on a virtues of vegan saddles, let the guy have his ****ing thread.

+1... get off the OPs dick.

most vegans are very concerned about the environment as well. I am simply pointing out what goes into making a plastic leather saddle (petrochemicals, foam, heavy manufacturing electrical consumption and waste), and the subsequent garbage that results when said saddle is thrown away. At least with real leather saddles the entire thing is recyclable, the leather rots away with no harm to the earth, the steel rails are recycled into new steel or rust away (harmless).

by the way i'm vegetarian.

This is true.
Unless you're Selle Italia. Check out Selle San Marco.

There is of course the option of buying a used leather saddle - it'll already be worked in, doesn't contribute to the cycle in the same way and will, in all likelihood, outlive a synthetic saddle by a longshot.

I'm vegan, have been for about 12 years and I ride on a used Terry Fly which is leather - I never lose sleep over it.

WELL then offer some proper ****ing advice. Don't just go on a tangent. Tell the OP about a saddle that you found that is made out of an environmentally friendly material that does not come directly from the slaughter of an animal. Yeah, I know you had cutesy smirking smiley faces at the bottom of your reply, but guess what, it didn't make it cute and the fact you are a vegetarian doesn't forgive it's rudeness. A post like that shouldn't come around until the OP has a good answer. Your reply could have actually been a useful one had it not been so fraught with bitter sarcasm.

IN REGARDS TO THE OP: I agree with MattRennick^^^ Makes sense to me. Avoid any potentially harmful chemicals in new materials and supporting any inhumane practices associated with the current leather industry. Plus, 'Reuse' is one of the three "Rs", right?

but i like bitter sarcasm...

there are so many more important things to worry about than sacrificing a cow.
do you know how many grass plants the cows kill when theyre chomping? how many birds they kill when farting?
im sure as hell there aren't cows that don't eat.
or maybe there are... FREE ENERGY

My current favorite is the fizik aliante sport. It has a synthetic cover and can be found for ~$50 on ebay.

This happens every time one of these threads comes up.

Huge portions of rich farmland are set aside to grow Monsanto GM corn, then Petroleum-based pesticides are sprayed on the corn, which are then fed to poorly treated, factory-farmed animals whose waste is hugely polluting to local ground waters and our rivers. Meanwhile, the nitrogen-rich fertilizer (required to grow feed-grade corn season after season) runs off into our rivers, where it floats down stream into the ocean, causing massive "dead-zones," which are seriously threatening a number of plant and animal species with extinction. All of this in ignoring the astonishing amount of energy required to raise one cow from birth to slaughter, as well as the disgusting and dangerous chemicals used in tanning leather.

People continue to act like leather saddles are plucked from the ****ing Saddle Tree, while synthetics come from the Once-ler. At best, the difference between the types of material used to cover your saddle is negligible, and claims to the contrary are wholly without merit.

I haven't found any faux leather saddles, but if yours is leather don't bother throwing it out just because a critter died. That animal is already dead and it's not like you are actively contributing to the industry by keeping a used item. Nobody is going to think less of your vegan-ness just because you happen to be using a leather saddle, and if they get in your face about it, don't bother talking to them because they're being a pretentious nit.

Take good care of your current saddle as not to waste it or let it get weathered+destroyed, if your concern is for the animal's sake, it would probably be offended knowing that it died just so it could be thrown into a landfill! If you really do feel uncomfortable or that it conflicts too much with your beliefs, donate it to another cyclist and see if you can find a comparible one from a local bike shop.

btw, I am a very strict vegetarian, only thing keeping me from going back to vegan is my insatiable love of cheese :]

Very well stated, bonechilling. I heard somewhere that not too far back meat in this country was something that people had on a once a week or once a month basis...not with EVERY meal like it is now days. Too bad I nearly lose control of my salivary glands every time someone puts a Del Monico steak in front of me.

What would have to be done to qualify as a vegan saddle...just that it doesn't use any animal products in the process? I think going into a LBS and asking which saddles use real leather and which ones do not would yield the best results.

slaughter a redneck meat eater and cure their skin and make a saddle from that. that'll make all of us feel so much better. plus, it's the genuine vegan option: only vegetables harmed in the process.

what you plan to eat your saddle**********

bonechilling ftw

but check out the specialized saddles
www.specialized.com

most fizik's are synthetic also

so is this sexy little biatch

yes to the Fizik's (though I don't like their look), also the Tioga Spyder that pops up on here every once in a while is plastic and well liked (by some), Kashimax made plastic BMX saddles that the fixie kids like here in Tokyo, you could get a fabric covered one--no names except Selle San Marco spring to mind off hand but there are several varieties of kevlar/cordura/embroidery type saddles floating around.

i've been vegan for almost twelve years, no leather for the first 6, then integrated used pieces to my life (started with a practical motorcycle jacket--save my own skin), and then down the slippery slope to buying any leather good my heart desires. still on the vegan wagon food-wise though.....

The tanning process is harmful to the environment also. However, I bought a leather saddle, because I feel we should reduce how much we buy and I feel it is probably less detrimental to the environment.

I am Vegetarian too, it took me a while to decide to get a leather saddle.

Oh and just because a saddle is not made of leather does not make it vegan.

glue creeps into everything..... or are you talking about something else, level-elph?

glue is probably more synth than not these days. or....is it???

am I the only one that caught that reference?

Nope talking about the process of making plastics and rubber.

No