Which side to proof a leather saddle?

[Pale Rider]

My latest bicycle comes with a Brooks Aged saddle in a rather fetching honey colour.

Reading the instructions - as you sometimes do in the excitement of new stuff - I was surprised to see the Proofride treatment cream must be put on the underside.

The text reinforces the point by saying not to put it on the outside surface because that is already sealed.

At the risk of revealing myself to be a leather saddle numpty, I thought you rubbed the stuff into the outside.

That's what I did with my other leather saddle, a Spa Nidd, and I'm fairly sure that's what the man in the shop told me to do.

Or perhaps it's model specific - some leather saddles should be proofed on the outside, some on the underside.

Which side do you proof yours?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

The top of the saddle has probably been sealed with an acrylic leather finish which is to some extent, waterproof. Therefore any greasy cream will not penetrate from that side. Underside it is for the cream. You can confirm whether it has been sealed by putting a drop of water on the top and see if it beads or soaks in.

 

[simon.r]

I've always done both sides. But as you say, it may be model specific in this instance.

 

[Pale Rider]

The top of the saddle has probably been sealed with an acrylic leather finish which is to some extent, waterproof. Therefore any greasy cream will not penetrate from that side. Underside it is for the cream. You can confirm whether it has been sealed by putting a drop of water on the top and see if it beads or soaks in.

Water does tend to bead so the top is sealed, as you say, to some extent.

I've always done both sides. But as you say, it may be model specific in this instance.

The Nidd is hard, even for a leather saddle, so doing the underside as well is a good idea.

To break the saddle in faster, I followed the these instructions with my leather saddle last year, but it's not a Brooks, it's very thick leather, probably like your Nidd.

I know some forum members might be shocked at the procedure.
http://pactour.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/breaking-in-leather-saddle.html

"Different models of Brooks Saddles are cut from different locations of the animal’s hide. The best and thickest parts of the hide are saved for only a few of the Professional model saddles. Personally I like the leather that is used on the B-17 model saddles. The leather is slightly thinner and it breaks in faster. All saddles of the same model are not the same and you can feel the difference with your fingers. The point is, thinner leather breaks in faster, and you need to be careful when using the following steps to break in your saddle. This break in procedures needs to be a balance of making the saddle comfortable but not ruining the saddle and making it too limp to offer good support.

What you need to get started.

2 gallon bucket, extra seat post that fits your bike, tin container of Mink Oil (it is a paste wax type of water proofing sold in the shoe department at Walmart)

1. Fill a sink or bucket with 2 gallons of hot tap water. The water should be quite warm but not too hot to soak your hands in the water.

2. Put the saddle in the water and make sure the saddle is totally under water.

3. Let the saddle soak for 5 minutes. Take the saddle out and flex the sides of the saddle with your fingers. The saddle should feel pliable but not limp.

4. If the saddle still feels stiff then soak it another 5 minutes. Do not over soak it because you only want to break in the saddle about 50% during this first process.

5. When the saddle feels pliable, remove it from the bucket then dry the saddle with an old towel. Rub the top and bottom for several minutes to remove as much moisture as possible. The saddle should still feel warm from the water at this time.

6. Before the saddle cools... immediately start rubbing Mink Oil on the top and bottom of the saddle. The warm leather will help melt the Mink Oil. The evaporating water will help draw the Mink Oil into the leather.

7. Rub and massage the Mink Oil with your thumbs into the “sit bone” areas of the saddle. Use lots of Mink Oil. Massage the saddle for at least 10 minutes. It is okay to leave some extra Mink Oil on the surface of the saddle and on the underside of the saddle.

8. Mount the saddle on a seat post and test the saddle for tilt and height on your bike. Put on some old bike shorts and go for a short 10 minute ride (shorter is better at this time). You should not ride very far on a damp saddle because you can distort the leather.

9. Your old bike shorts will have rubbed off the extra Mink Oil from the top of the saddles. When you know the tilt is correct, then park your bike and wait until tomorrow. Apply one more thin coat of Mink Oil and allow it to sink in overnight.

10. The Next Day test the saddle to see how pliable it is. If the saddle is quite stiff you can remove the seat post from your bike and soak the saddle in hot water again for 5 minutes then repeat the first process from yesterday.

11. If the saddle is feeling better then only apply more Mink Oil today. Put on your old shorts again and go for a longer one hour ride.

12. It is important to keep the saddle well oiled the first month. DO NOT let the saddle dry out. Apply at least 5 coats of Mink Oil during the first week of riding or before and after each ride.

13. After one week or 100 miles the saddle should feel quiet a bit softer and starting to fit you better.

Brooks Saddles have a tensioning bolt at the nose of the saddle. During the break in process you might need to tighten the bolt and stretch the saddle 1/2 turn for every 500 miles of riding. Usually after 3 turns (3 threads showing) and 3,000 miles the saddle tension is pretty stable for a while. For our old RAAM bikes we used to like using saddles that had been stretched about 10 turns (10 threads) after 20,000 miles. Those saddles were long enough to allow the rider to side fore and aft and have several different saddle pressure positions.

I hope this helps you enjoy your new leather saddle sooner."


(Beware, it's at your own risk, but my leather saddle is comfy, I used Dubbin not mink oil..)
http://pactour.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/breaking-in-leather-saddle.html

Thanks for digging that out, although I'm not sure what to make of it.

[QUOTE 4723550, member: 259"]If you put it on the underside,how do you get the authentic Brooks embarrassing stain on your keks?[/QUOTE]

From the inside?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Thanks for digging that out, although I'm not sure what to make of it.

Think nothing of it.There's so much nonsense and lore in that one essay that it makes a 100% fruit jam look like diluted juice.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

The Nidd is hard, even for a leather saddle, so doing the underside as well is a good idea.

If it's the same as my Nidd it has a plastic reinforcing layer bonded to the underside so you can't really apply any leather treatment to it. That'll be why you were advised to put it on the top only when purchasing.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Think nothing of it.There's so much nonsense and lore in that one essay that it makes a 100% fruit jam look like diluted juice.

This^^^^

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I'd agree, but the information is from a very experienced long distance cyclist. I used the procedure and it broke my saddle in fast last year, but I'll have to see how long the saddle lasts.

Quote:
"The following break in procedure is a way to speed up the process and still have 40,000 miles life expectancy from the saddle. During the past 30 years I have broken in at least 10 saddles every year. During a cross country PAC Tour event I recently broke in 20 saddles in 20 days for riders who wanted to ride a leather saddle the next day. I can break in my own saddles in less than one hour and 10 miles of riding. The following steps will take slightly longer, but they will break in the saddle in less than one week or 100 miles. The key is not to overly break in the saddle. You want to make the saddle comfortable enough to disappear beneath you."

Hmmmm. Experienced in what? Certainly not tannery. Most of this saddle breaking in BS is just part of the myth and lore of these stretched-leather-over-wire-frame saddles. It is like Harris Tweed or single malt whiskey - just stories.
The now-ubiquitous plastic shell saddle proved for once and all that it is your ass getting used to the saddle and not vice versa.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Brooks, underneath only.
Abuse for years, repeat.

 

[welsh dragon]

When i bought my brooks saddle i bought some proofide as well. The instructions advised to put proofide on the underside of the saddle as well. The under side is natural leather and has not been treated with anything. It was quite rough. I could see the underside getting quite wet and muddy in bad weather.

You don't have to do it often, but once in a while i personally would wipe the underside. It certainly won't hurt. I love my brooks. Best saddle i have had.

 

[Pale Rider]

If it's the same as my Nidd it has a plastic reinforcing layer bonded to the underside so you can't really apply any leather treatment to it. That'll be why you were advised to put it on the top only when purchasing.

Ah, so it has.

No chance of getting anything to soak in from the underneath as you say.

When i bought my brooks saddle i bought some proofide as well. The instructions advised to put proofide on the underside of the saddle as well. The under side is natural leather and has not been treated with anything. It was quite rough. I could see the underside getting quite wet and muddy in bad weather.

You don't have to do it often, but once in a while i personally would wipe the underside. It certainly won't hurt. I love my brooks. Best saddle i have had.

Too often can soften the leather too much apparently, although some Brooks have thicker leather than others.

Early impressions are OK, as they were with the Spa Nidd.

A couple of my older cycling mates have Brooks they've had for 30 years or more.

That appeals, not least because it saves messing around changing saddles when they split or break in some way.

I had a synthetic saddle I liked, but when the cover split after a few years the saddle was no longer made, so I was back to square one.

 

[welsh dragon]

Ah, so it has.

No chance of getting anything to soak in from the underneath as you say.



Too often can soften the leather too much apparently, although some Brooks have thicker leather than others.

Early impressions are OK, as they were with the Spa Nidd.

A couple of my older cycling mates have Brooks they've had for 30 years or more.

That appeals, not least because it saves messing around changing saddles when they split or break in some way.

I had a synthetic saddle I liked, but when the cover split after a few years the saddle was no longer made, so I was back to square one.

Indeed. I only put some on the underside to seal the leather, apart from that, i will do the top of the saddle only.

 

[raleighnut]

I'd brush some proofide into the underside just to waterproof it as for the top I'd just spend ten minutes working a bit of proofide in with a fingertip (my opinion is you don't need to 'slap it on'.)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I had a synthetic saddle I liked, but when the cover split after a few years the saddle was no longer made, so I was back to square one.

Once I found "the one" I bought half dozen of them.
Five years later I now have half dozen bikes, need to get more saddles just in case

 

[Ian H]

The 'Aged' Brooks are pre-treated, hence not needing top-dressing. Treating the underside is particularly important if you don't use mudguards.
Haldeman's advice will break the saddle in quicker, but also shorten its life significantly.