Leather Saddle Care Whlist Riding?

One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and cheers

On Mar 1, 8:18*pm, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and *cheers

Here's what I remember from my leather saddle no-fender days, plus a
little story.

First, I carried a saddle cover, something like a shower cap.
Plastic, with an elastic hem. I also had a piece of thin, semi-rigid
plastic sheet cut to fit underneath the saddle. If I were going to be
riding in rain, I could put the latter in place to protect the bottom
of the saddle. When I parked the bike, the cover went over the
saddle. (Ditto for long trips with the bike hanging outside the car.)

Also, Brooks Proofide provided a bit of protection, but not much.
It's a waxy-oily paste that would repel a little rain, IIRC.

Those are the things I did for several years. Ultimately, though, I
discovered fenders, and discovered that more modern saddles were lots
more comfortable for me. (Sorry to ruin my reputation as a retro-
grouch!)

Now the story: Way back in the 1970s I had a good friend who was an
avid runner. He qualified for the Boston Marathon when that was a
very unusual thing to do. Like lots of successful runners, he was a
small guy, maybe 140 pounds.

Anyway: Talking to me, he grew to like the idea of bicycling, and
after consulting with me he bought a very nice Raleigh, much nicer
than my bike. Besides its lightest-ever Huret Jubilee derailleur, it
naturally came with a Brooks Pro saddle.

He took the bike on precisely one 30 mile ride (his first "long" ride
ever) then left to do a 200 mile weekend with a certain bike club. It
was a big event, 100 miles one day, sleep in a gym on the floor, 100
mile return the next day. Hundreds of riders.

One of those days (I forget which) it poured rain. He had no fenders
on his brand new bike. His Brooks saddle soaked through, then
stretched out quite a bit, and had a much different shape than when he
started. But he swore that it was perfectly comfortable, and he
afterward claimed that riding it soaking wet was the best way to break
in a saddle.

Now, an OT finish to the story: He didn't sleep well on the overnight
stay, and he woke up with some of the earliest riders. Soon he was in
a pace line, cranking out mile after fast mile in front of anyone
else, and due to the marathoning (I guess) doing just fine.

Then one by one, the guys he was riding with dropped out just before
the end, taking shortcuts to their homes. On his third ride ever on a
good bike, he happened to be the first guy to get to the finish on
that 200 mile weekend. Not that it was a race, of course - but
impressive nonetheless.

- Frank Krygowski

On 3/1/2013 8:08 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Mar 1, 8:18 pm, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and cheers

Here's what I remember from my leather saddle no-fender days, plus a
little story.

First, I carried a saddle cover, something like a shower cap.
Plastic, with an elastic hem. I also had a piece of thin, semi-rigid
plastic sheet cut to fit underneath the saddle. If I were going to be
riding in rain, I could put the latter in place to protect the bottom
of the saddle. When I parked the bike, the cover went over the
saddle. (Ditto for long trips with the bike hanging outside the car.)

Also, Brooks Proofide provided a bit of protection, but not much.
It's a waxy-oily paste that would repel a little rain, IIRC.

Those are the things I did for several years. Ultimately, though, I
discovered fenders, and discovered that more modern saddles were lots
more comfortable for me. (Sorry to ruin my reputation as a retro-
grouch!)

Now the story: Way back in the 1970s I had a good friend who was an
avid runner. He qualified for the Boston Marathon when that was a
very unusual thing to do. Like lots of successful runners, he was a
small guy, maybe 140 pounds.

Anyway: Talking to me, he grew to like the idea of bicycling, and
after consulting with me he bought a very nice Raleigh, much nicer
than my bike. Besides its lightest-ever Huret Jubilee derailleur, it
naturally came with a Brooks Pro saddle.

He took the bike on precisely one 30 mile ride (his first "long" ride
ever) then left to do a 200 mile weekend with a certain bike club. It
was a big event, 100 miles one day, sleep in a gym on the floor, 100
mile return the next day. Hundreds of riders.

One of those days (I forget which) it poured rain. He had no fenders
on his brand new bike. His Brooks saddle soaked through, then
stretched out quite a bit, and had a much different shape than when he
started. But he swore that it was perfectly comfortable, and he
afterward claimed that riding it soaking wet was the best way to break
in a saddle.

Now, an OT finish to the story: He didn't sleep well on the overnight
stay, and he woke up with some of the earliest riders. Soon he was in
a pace line, cranking out mile after fast mile in front of anyone
else, and due to the marathoning (I guess) doing just fine.

Then one by one, the guys he was riding with dropped out just before
the end, taking shortcuts to their homes. On his third ride ever on a
good bike, he happened to be the first guy to get to the finish on
that 200 mile weekend. Not that it was a race, of course - but
impressive nonetheless.

- Frank Krygowski


I very much liked my Ideale 90s (the IR aluminum series was
almost light; maybe only half a boat anchor) but soggy
saddles make for a miserable ride. My hat's off to your
persevering friend on that effort.

I returned to Cinellis and never looked back. Very comfy,
light, durable as anything even with some ugly gouges on one
side.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Mar 1, 5:18 pm, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and cheers

What happened to your fenders, can't you afford to replace them?

Sir Ridesalot wrote:
One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and cheers

On Mar 1, 11:11 pm, thirty-six wrote:
What happened to your fenders, can't you afford to replace them?


that's exactly what I was wondering when I clicked "send" instead of
"cancel" (weird! it's like we're connected or something). 1o0's of
miles and into the rain with no fenders (?) I can see that if you're
in a race, but otherwise...

Sir Ridesalot wrote:
One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and cheers

On Fri, 1 Mar 2013 17:18:41 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.

Thanks and cheers


1. When it rains you pull the shower cap, or special, waterproof,
custom made, seat cover out from its normal storage, jammed up between
the seat rails, and cover your leather saddle.

2. People who use a leather saddle usually have a rear fender.

3. If it gets wet, yes it will stretch.

4. Just keep a riding.

5. Take the shower cap off when you bring the bike in the house.

More seriously, one of the common methods of "breaking in" a leather
saddle used to be to soak it with water and then get on and ride for
several hours. Yes the leather stretched and became more pliable but
it also shaped itself to YOUR bottom and is far more comfortable then
when new.

I've been caught in the rain a number of times and the shower cap
seems to serve well. The saddle softens somewhat due to normal
perspiration over several hours anyway.
--
Cheers,

John B.

http://www.sheilazellerinteriors.com...age-Can-Ad.jpg

wrap a supermarket grocery bag around it...acts as a lubricant

On Friday, March 1, 2013 8:18:41 PM UTC-5, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
One thing I've often wondered about an all leather saddle is how do you care for it during a 100 miles long ride if it starts to rain heavilly and your bicycle does not have fenders. Will the spray from the rear tire eventually soak the lather even if the saddle has been treated? If the saddle does get wet will it stretch? If it stretches what do you do for the rest of the ride to prevent it from stretching further or from losing its shape? When you do get to the end of the ride what do you do to return the saddle to its proper condition? I imagine that the first thing is to allow the leather to dry slowly.



Thanks and cheers

Okay.

Based on the on-topic replies I see.

Back in the day when leather saddled were popular and today those who still use a leather saddle, carry a waterproof protective saddle cover ALL THE TIME.

People never decide on the spur of the moment to go on a long ride nor do they ever start out on a medium distance or long ride and as they ride decided to go a lot further than when they started. People never get caught in an unforecasted heavy rain whilst riding. Everyone's racing geometry bikes has a rear fender at least. No one ever parks a bike and has it rain whilst they are away from the bike - say whilst stopping for a bite to eat on a ride. VBEG LOL ;)

Now, let's say that due to any reason the all leather saddle did/does get soaked. How did/do you care for it post ride? Did/do you need to wait until it was completely dry before using it again?

Cheers

lost the last reply.....

cured leather is toxic. everything you could use is toxic.

'plastics's more effectively contain their toxicity...a vulue with wide applications

as a grocery bag over the saddle.

You doahn see the humor there ?

I ditched all 100% cotton for poly and wool. Mixed blend are 10% cotton for color.

pants are better nylon ceptin' work clothes

sox....forgetabbpotuit !!

boots goretex with synth uppers.

the synth uppers get Aerpspace 303 covered by Sno Seal.

the Spec saddle is unnoticed until someone speaks
up Brooks

so why do you use leather.Period flair ?

next infection use kerosene