Nice leather saddles -- how do they weather?

On 29 Aug, 21:09, Jobst Brandt wrote:
Stephen Harding wrote:
I bought a US$50 Specialized saddle today. Nice, padded, gel, racy
looks, "man's channel". But I got to wondering how this would
weather the seasons (rain, freezing temps, etc.).
Of course I'll use a "Safeway seat cover" when parking it on rainy
days, but it will be parked outside (tarped) during winters.
Will such a saddle survive more than 1 year? Maintenance
suggestions?
I've had leather saddles on all four of my bikes for years with no
real negative side effects due to weather.
Two of the bikes are used as winter commuters experiencing quite a
few forms of moisture (not to mention a sweaty butt in summer) to no
real negative effect.
I put some proofide (Brook's concoction) on them once or twice a
year and that seems to do the trick.
For my first leather saddle, I think I put too much conditioner on
it causing it to get too soft. *Don't over-do it with conditioner,
but certainly add a bit each year.
A well maintained (even if frequently wet) leather saddle should
last you many years.

"Should" but they didn't. *My Brooks Pro's dried out after all-day
rain rides and finally cracked in the course of a season... *in spite
of Proofide (R). *Besides, the rivets, even the nickel plated ones,
exuded green copper sulfate from exposure to body perspiration salts.

Uncle Jobst, why dont you tell us about the day you snapped a Renold
chain and the Cinelli 65's in one weekend, that was a good one that.

Stephen Harding wrote:

I've had leather saddles on all four of my bikes for
years with no real negative side effects due to weather.

My most-used bike has a 1967 "pre-softened" Brooks Professional. Apart
from being a bit sway-backed, it looks absolutely fine. Proofide just
stops the leather from drying out and doesn't really soften it - new
Brooks saddles are like teak and pretty much stay like that; what
happens is that over the first 500-1000 miles your "sit bones" make a
couple of depressions in the saddle and it gradually becomes more
comfortable. The dents are quite visible.

Normally the rails break before the leather tears.

Still Just Me. wrote:
On 29 Aug 2009 20:09:21 GMT, Jobst Brandt wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:

A well maintained (even if frequently wet) leather saddle should
last you many years.

"Should" but they didn't. My Brooks Pro's dried out after all-day
rain rides and finally cracked in the course of a season... in spite
of Proofide (R). Besides, the rivets, even the nickel plated ones,
exuded green copper sulfate from exposure to body perspiration salts.

I have a Brooks that I regularly rode to "the pond" for a half dozen
years as a youth. We'd always swim, then ride home wet. I still have
it today it's doing well. I did use (real) neatsfoot oil it which I
know some claim is a religious sin, but it certainly seems to have
worked.

I always found the opposite with the rivets - if you rode enough, they
would stay clean and polished. Letting them sit was the route to
green.

That has been my experience as well.

The copper rivets get green in very small spots where I presume
"tail rub" doesn't apply as much force. The nickel plated ones
get the nickel rubbed off sections as well over the years.

Never seen copper sulfate "exuding" from any of my saddles.

Perhaps Jobst has a more "sulfurous" personality; or at least
butt, than I.


SMH

On Aug 22, 10:19*pm, DaveC wrote:
I bought a US$50 Specialized saddle today. Nice, padded, gel, racy looks,
"man's channel". But I got to wondering how this would weather the seasons
(rain, freezing temps, etc.).

Of course I'll use a "Safeway seat cover" when parking it on rainy days, but
it will be parked outside (tarped) during winters.


Uhhhh ... take the seatpost and saddle OFF for the winter?

Even if you live in your VW ... you can find room inside for that....



Will such a saddle survive more than 1 year? Maintenance suggestions?

Thanks.

On 6 Sep, 15:18, Neil Brooks wrote:
On Aug 22, 10:19*pm, DaveC wrote:

I bought a US$50 Specialized saddle today. Nice, padded, gel, racy looks,
"man's channel". But I got to wondering how this would weather the seasons
(rain, freezing temps, etc.).

Of course I'll use a "Safeway seat cover" when parking it on rainy days, but
it will be parked outside (tarped) during winters.

Uhhhh ... take the seatpost and saddle OFF for the winter?

Even if you live in your VW ... you can find room inside for that....

He said parked, not stored, not laid up.

On Sep 6, 11:25*am, someone wrote:
On 6 Sep, 15:18, Neil Brooks wrote:

On Aug 22, 10:19*pm, DaveC wrote:

I bought a US$50 Specialized saddle today. Nice, padded, gel, racy looks,
"man's channel". But I got to wondering how this would weather the seasons
(rain, freezing temps, etc.).

Of course I'll use a "Safeway seat cover" when parking it on rainy days, but
it will be parked outside (tarped) during winters.

Uhhhh ... take the seatpost and saddle OFF for the winter?

Even if you live in your VW ... you can find room inside for that....

He said parked, not stored, not laid up.


Okay. That wouldn't /really/ affect my comment, though.

QR = five seconds to seat removal. With a Sharpie line marking your
preferred height ... another 5s to re-insert.

If there was ANY worry about weathering ... wouldn't that be a fair
solution?

In rec.bicycles.tech Neil Brooks wrote:
Okay. That wouldn't /really/ affect my comment, though.

My bike is stored inside all year long. When I ride it to work I have
to lock it up outside. I'd much rather ride with my Brooks all winter
and plastic-bag-cover it while at work than have to ride on a less
comfortable saddle all winter.

--
K.

Lang may your lum reek.

On 6 Sep, 18:33, Neil Brooks wrote:

QR = five seconds to seat removal. *With a Sharpie line marking your
preferred height ... another 5s to re-insert.

If there was ANY worry about weathering ... wouldn't that be a fair
solution?

Worse than a thin polythene carrier fixed on with an elastic band. Of
course taking the saddle away dicourages theft of an indifferent
bicycle.

On 7 Sep, 01:27, (Király) wrote:
In rec.bicycles.tech Neil Brooks wrote:

Okay. *That wouldn't /really/ affect my comment, though.

My bike is stored inside all year long. *When I ride it to work I have
to lock it up outside. *I'd much rather ride with my Brooks all winter
and plastic-bag-cover it while at work than have to ride on a less
comfortable saddle all winter.


I give mine a rest for at least three months. The plastic saddle, a
Regal is the same size and shape and so I feel the softer Regal is
nicer for shorter rides. My real leather saddle has maintained its
shape possibly as a result of me detensioning it and allowing it to
recouperate through the winter.