Breaking in a Brooks...

[Illaveago]

I learnt to ride on a Brooks. It was one of those plastic torture devices shaped to look a bit like a B17 narrow, complete with "fart holes". It's amazing that I have children.

I had one of those! Rock hard ! I don't think it could have been any worse if they had made it from Sarsen stone !

 

[Andy in Germany]

I completed my first moderately long ride with the Brooks on Friday, a relatively easy 60k.

To my surprise I didn't need the emergency saddle I'd brought and as predicted by several people, the breaking in process seems to be quicker when I ride longer.

Only problem is that there are several fairly large scuff marks on the saddle now where I've clearly worn the top surface off, they leave a lighter area which looks a bit messy and probably isn't waterproof.

Id this something to be concerned about, or does it gradually become less obvious with applications of proofhide?

 

[12boy]

No shame in signs of use and none of mine stayed pristine for long.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I've got another Brooks and that occasionally had small scuff marks, it just seems a lot of wear for one journey. I'm concerned that at the current rate the surface will be worn down after the first 1000k.

 

[Vantage]

That's one thing I've noticed about my honey b17, no fading of its colour. There's a few war marks on it from various unplanned disembarking gymnastics though.

 

[taximan]

When I bought my first bike in 1965, it was fitted with a Brooks, and being just a young lad, I didn't know owt about proofhide & such. I just got on the bike & rode it. I am paying the price now though. the leather is already starting to crack around the rivets. A couple of years ago, I changed it for a Spa which is OK, but definitely not as comfy as my Brooks

 

[All uphill]

I completed my first moderately long ride with the Brooks on Friday, a relatively easy 60k.

To my surprise I didn't need the emergency saddle I'd brought and as predicted by several people, the breaking in process seems to be quicker when I ride longer.

Only problem is that there are several fairly large scuff marks on the saddle now where I've clearly worn the top surface off, they leave a lighter area which looks a bit messy and probably isn't waterproof.

Id this something to be concerned about, or does it gradually become less obvious with applications of proofhide?

That's strange, my honey B17 is not scuffed after 3000 miles.

Can you see what causes the scuffs? A seam in your clothes?

At worst give it some Proofide and refer to the marks as "patina"

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't remember either of my bikes coming with any instructions for how to care for or maintain the saddles, we just got on and rode them in all winds and weather. Some seem to have survived this lack of treatment .

Rewind to the 1970s. My first road bike saddle was, I think, Brooks. It was one of those ludicrously long narrow jobs and I hated it. I replaced it with a B17(?) and read up avidly on how to care for it, as it cost more than my whole bike*. I read that Neats Foot Oil was the thing so I bought a bottle and, on the "more is better" principle, basically emptied the whole bottle into the saddle over a period of weeks. It oozed the stuff. This meant that any shorts or trousers I ever wore for cycling became stained brown. I eventually made a Brooks cover out of a bit of upholstery material to save my jeans.

* The bike itself cost next to nothing. It was probably, in retrospect. a decent racing bike of mid-early 60s vintage, but it was very worn out.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Soaking the underside with flexalan horse saddle oil, then doing the "standing on" trick did make my B17 more tolerable - it made the centre ridge break in a little. Still, 4 years on from that, and perhaps 7 years on from buying the saddle, I'd still call it "firm". Firmer than I'd like, if I'm honest.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Incidentally I have a couple of B17s that are surplus to requirements. If anyone is ever in central London and wants to buy them for cash, PM me. I can't be arsed with postage and strange non-cash means of payment though. (No, these don't ooze neat's foot oil)

 

[Tenkaykev]

I've been looking at the Brooks Cambium C17 saddles. They're advertised as weatherproof and not needing much breaking in.
Has anyone tried them?

 

[BrumJim]

From YACF, 2008:

1. Take Brooks saddle and large flat stone and place in tumble dryer.

2. Turn heat on tumble dryer to 40° and switch tumble dryer on for 1 hour.

3. Take saddle and stone from the tumble dryer.

4. Throw away saddle and fit stone to bike - the Brooks should have softened it enough.

 

[Andy in Germany]

So here's the Brooks after about 100k, give or take:

Seems a lot of wear for such a short distance. It's hard to see but the logo area and nose have also been affected. Even my other saddle, currently in use for about a decade, doesn't have that much scuffing.

Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[12boy]

Looks like someone put the bike upside down to work on it and the little scuffs were created. The rest looks pristine to me and a dab of proofide or a drop of olive oil should darken those scuffs right up.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Looks like someone put the bike upside down to work on it and the little scuffs were created. The rest looks pristine to me and a dab of proofide or a drop of olive oil should darken those scuffs right up.

It does doesn't it?

However, as I put it on the bike and then rode it the next day I know it was all due to riding. It is breaking in faster than my other saddle did, (thankfully) but I'm worried that it'll get worse.

Olive oil could help though. Come to that I wonder if Linseed or Tung oil would have the desired effect, applied on the damaged areas.