I got one about 5 years back and the indent marks did not appear for several thousand miles. And I think letting it get wet helped.
However I got it very comfy very fast by following a tip off a forumite called George White who gave me the attached advice. ...... His technique worked a treat and it has now done several thousand km. The product I used was called Flexalan.
here is the text......
Are you sitting comfortably?
Whenever two or three cyclists are gathered together you can be sure that sooner or later the topic turns to saddles. The search for a comfortable saddle has long been the cyclists’ holy grail. Now it is true that bums are highly individual things and it does seem to follow that a saddle deemed comfortable by one person may not necessarily be felt to be comfortable by another. This said, it is still possible to generalise and talk in terms of the majority of cyclists (or indeed bums). I exclude from my comments those rare individuals who could comfortably cycle on an iron girder and complain only that it lacks saddle loops, which prohibits the use of a saddlebag.
The last survey by the C.T.C. regarding the choice of saddles, found that the vast majority of cycle-tourers chose leather saddles (i.e. Brooks) as being the most comfortable. Now this is absolutely extraordinary given the great efforts made by Brooks to ensure that no cyclist will ever chose one of their saddles (or at least only the once). That look of horror on the buyer’s face as they tap their knuckles on the hard wood-like leather and realise that for weeks, months and possibly years, they are obliged to sit on this thing and by dint of pain and tears reduce it to something approaching a comfortable seat. The coup de grace is given by the written instructions, which state that nothing to aid the “breaking –in” of the saddle should be applied to the underside. I can think of nothing better calculated to deter cyclists from buying a Brooks leather saddle and so it has proved. Countless of these saddles have been discarded, rejected, sworn at and flung away while their owners settle for some gel-filled monstrosity that looks like a padded, multicoloured tuning fork.
Is it any wonder that countless old British companies with a grand heritage go into bankruptcy and are bought over by foreign concerns. They resolutely refuse to move and adapt to the times, and so it has been with Brooks, now owned by a foreign company. Why does it have to be like this? It has been possible for many years to walk into a shoe shop and buy shoes which are already supremely soft and comfortable. Brooks however chose not to adopt the new leather-softening technology but preferred to rely on the good old British backside to do the job. Well we now know the result of that attitude. The whole thing is a disgrace and a waste as a good leather saddle, properly conditioned, is still I believe the best choice for the touring cyclist. How to achieve this I will try to explain but first let me disperse a couple of myths about leather saddles.
One: leather saddles do not have to be “treated” in any way to make them more comfortable. i.e. Brooks advice.
This is absolute rubbish, as any saddler working with butts of leather will confirm. A saddler will wait for two days once they have treated the leather with a softening agent before they can proceed to work the leather. Again over the years cyclists have softened and waterproofed their saddles using many different methods.
Two: “The saddle when properly “broken-in” will take on the contours of the rider.” This myth features mostly in the pages of those cycling magazines where mudguards, people over twenty-three and leather saddles are never, never seen. Again rubbish! Any saddle that has taken on the shape of the rider is
knackered and has been ridden when wet. A leather saddle works essentially similar to a hammock in that the weight of the rider is suspended between the rivets at the rear of the saddle and those at the toe. The leather will then flex with the rider’s pedal strokes and this flex will also offer shock protection from bumps and undulations. To do this the leather needs to be supple enough to be depressed by the pelvic bones. If the leather is not softened enough then the saddle holds it’s original moulded shape and does not form a supple, supportive curve beneath the rider’s backside. This means the rider will suffer pressure aches and sores.
So what’s to be done? What follows is the method I use to achieve a comfortable saddle. It is a method I have used successfully to condition scores of saddles so it really does work. It should take around an hour and a half to two hours before the saddle becomes comfortable enough to ride but some take less time than this.
The process starts when choosing your saddle. No, one B17 is not the same as another B17, nor is one Team Professional the same as another Team Professional. Brooks’ quality control is so abysmal that the thickness of the leather used can vary from 3.5mm to 6 or 7mm. This makes a huge difference in the degree of softening which can be achieved and the time taken to achieve it. It once took me two years to work out why one Team Pro was so much softer than another bought at the same time. So—in the shop look for the saddle with the thinnest leather, it could save you a lot of work. Next visit your local saddler and buy a tin of “Hydrophane”. This is a leather dressing which softens and makes waterproof. I like to gently heat the saddle to 70degreesC as I feel this allows the leather to absorb the dressing more easily but this is not mandatory. Using a small, soft brush, carefully apply the dressing to the underside of the saddle. Be patient and apply one coat at a time. Keep a sharp eye on the topside of the saddle and stop immediately you see any stain soak through. Some darkening can take place and can provide an attractive weathered appearance but be careful as too much can remove the polished finish on the topside. Make sure you cover around the rivets, as this is where cracks appear with age. Take time between coats and ensure you see the results of one coat before applying another. When this is to your satisfaction begin to work the wings of the saddle up and down until they move easily. They should loosen up quite quickly to the point that they can be raised up level with the seat of the saddle. Now place the saddle on a folded towel on the floor. If this could be between two chairs which could offer support it would be fine. Now lift up the wings so that they do not press down on the floor and impede the downward movement of the leather. While doing this step onto the saddle with your stocking foot and begin to push down on the saddle. Push down hard and repeatedly, and continue to do so moving from end to end of the saddle ensuring that the wings remain raised. You will find that in a relatively short time that the saddle will flex and become supple. Again, in a relatively short time you will be gasping and short of breath, but hey, no method is perfect. Remember, the longer you spend treating the saddle in this way the more comfortable it becomes. From time to time flex the wings also until ultimately the saddle depresses easily under the pressure of your palm. Make sure it does so from the rear to the toe. While this process will waterproof your saddle I would still cover it at the first sign of rain. A comfortable saddle is a precious thing and not to be risked. A light smear of “Proofhide” and there you are, you have successfully conditioned your saddle.
Fine, you may say, but what model of saddle will suit me. That’s a tough one and without an intimate knowledge of your rear-end, not one that I am qualified to answer. Enough to say that personally, I find both the B17 and the Team Pro very comfy. I do prefer the Team Pro to the B17 as I find the B17 a bit too wide in the rear. Keep in mind that the B17 also has a flatter profile than the Pro, which is more rounded, and some people object to this. I would have to say that the B17 is usually applauded as the most comfortable and comes in the “narrow” format and in the “ladies” version. I am told by many, some of them women, that the Team Pro “ladies” is a supremely comfortable saddle. That said none of them are comfortable unless they have been properly conditioned. As to those models with the springs at the rear I do feel that a properly treated saddle should render springs superfluous.
Do yourself a favour and dig out that old leather saddle you have chucked in the garage all those years ago. Transform it into a thing to be cherished by having a go using this method. I’ve lost count of the number of leather saddles I’ve been given over the years, all of them unloved and rejected. Remember, a saddle properly treated and cared for is for life.
