Resurrecting a Brooks saddle

[Browser]

I'm in the process of taking pity on the works' Pashley Delibike which used to get regular use until two golf course greens-keepers electric buggies were bought, at which point it was abandoned. As I am now regularly cycling to work I thought I'd help it back onto it's wheels again . It came with what looks to my uneducated eyes like a Brooks B17 saddle, which was never treated with any kind of preserving product and has stood outside through all weathers, so it looks severely 'distressed'! I've looked on Brooks' webpage and they list their own product, Brooks Proofide, to use from new but I don't know if this will resurrect a neglected one, or if anything will.
Can anyone give me any tips/hints about how I might save this one, or would we need to bite the bullet and get a new one?

 

[Globalti]

Anything greasy like dubbin, the Brooks stuff (probably expensive) or even lard will do the job. In fact I grease and proof my outdoor footwear with Waxoyle, which is just wax in a paraffin base designed for rustproofing vehicles. It looks and smells just like Nikwax.

 

[Fiona N]

I'd avoid lard - it biodegrades rather smellily

 

[tyred]

Vaseline will do the trick.

Best clean it well with saddle soap first.

 

[ASC1951]

Not dubbin. I wouldn't use it even on boots, because it makes the leather too soft.

What's wrong with Proofide? How can £5.99 be expensive for a tin that lasts half a dozen years?

 

[Manonabike]

Anything greasy like dubbin, the Brooks stuff (probably expensive) or even lard will do the job. In fact I grease and proof my outdoor footwear with Waxoyle, which is just wax in a paraffin base designed for rustproofing vehicles. It looks and smells just like Nikwax.

That is a really poor piece of advice if I may say so

 

[alecstilleyedye]

put some proofride on, and take it for a ride. if it feels like it's on its last legs, replace it. you might be able to flog it on here/ebay where someone with more skill and patience than i could maybe do something with it.

 

[Hilldodger]

shoe polish.

 

[Browser]

I'll see about getting some Proofride, expense isn't a problem as this is fitted to the works' bicycle, and £5.99's gotta be better than £50+ for a new Brooks!

 

[Globalti]

Like I said, if the bike owes you nothing and the saddle is in bad nick why not just grease it with lard? I spent an entire summer season in 1980 walking in the French Alps as a Ramblers Holidays leader, greasing my boots with lard from the hotel kitchen. Madame the owner told me the Alpine farmers used to use it before all the fancy expensive products came out and it certainly did my boots no harm, nor did it smell bad.

 

[Hilldodger]

I'll see about getting some Proofride, expense isn't a problem as this is fitted to the works' bicycle, and £5.99's gotta be better than £50+ for a new Brooks!

There's not a lot of difference between shoe polish and proofhide. If any.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

There's not a lot of difference between shoe polish and proofhide. If any.

apart from the citronella smell…

 

[Twenty Inch]

It may be beyond saving. I had a new one which was left in a damp cellar for a year. Mould attacked it, particularly the leather around the rivets. This has now disintegrated, leaving the saddle loose and unstable on the frame. I treated it with proofide and kept it dry after digging it out of the cellar, but to no avail. It's now awaiting my next trip to the dump.

 

[ASC1951]

There's not a lot of difference between shoe polish and proofhide. If any.

Shoe polish is a bit more volatile? I have had it dry out in the tin over a long time, which has never happened to the proofhide.

You would need the clear one, BTW, unless you want it to come off all over your kecks.