Maintaining beautiful, handcrafted, genuine leather Brooks bicycle saddles is not tough , nor does it demand a huge time investment , if you just adhere to the straightforward methods outlined below.
Proofide
One indispensable tool you’ll need is Proofide leather dressing. Proofide is made from 100% natural components (tallow, cod oil, vegetable oil, paraffin wax, beeswax, and citronella oil) and specifically designed for the care of Brooks real leather saddles. Prior to using your new Brooks bicycle saddle, when it’s fresh out of the box, apply a coat of Proofide to the underside of the saddle in order to make it water-resistant, after that carefully, either with your finger or a soft cloth, apply a coat to the top of the saddle. Leave it to permeate and soften the leather overnight. Wipe off the excess Proofide, and your saddle is ready used.
Don’t overuse Proofide. The description above is for the first application only. To maintain the suppleness and water-resistance of your saddle, apply a coat of Proofide to the top of the saddle–allowing it to dry, and afterwards polish it with a soft cloth–every 3 to 6 months. More regular applications may be helpful throughout the breaking in period, but be careful not to overdo it as employing excessive Proofide can cause the saddle leather to become over-soft and uncomfortable.
You should never use Proofide on a wet saddle. If the saddle becomes wet, allow it to dry naturally before treating it with Proofide.
It is suggested to wear dark colored trousers or riding shorts when using a just-treated saddle to steer clear of staining the pants. Personally, I hvn’t skilled any key issues with staining. If you are concerned regarding the staining issue, I advise getting a honey saddle, rather than among the darker colors.
Tensioning Your Brooks Bicycle Saddle
Brooks bicycle saddles have a special wrench for adjusting the tension bolt located at the nose of the saddle. The intent of the tension bolt is to maintain the proper leather tension to prevent the saddle from sagging and becoming uncomfortable–you can experience actual discomfort if the leather stretches out to the extent that you end up riding on the saddle rails. Here too, the key is not too much and not too often. I’ve heard that a good rule of thumb is 1 / 4 turn (90 degrees) a year. Over tensioning a saddle can lead to it getting warped and unrideable.
Having said that, not all Brooks bicycle saddles are the same. Generally speaking, road saddles such as the Team Pro and Swift require less tensioning simply because they have stiffer leather than touring saddles such as the B17. There are some exceptions to that rule. For example, I have a Swallow, which is a road saddle, but made with very elastic leather. It stretched out quite a bit in the course of the breaking in period, so I had to do a lot of tensioning to prevent it from riding on the rails. In other words, you do have use some common sense when tensioning a Brooks bicycle saddle. Keep it taut enough that you aren’t riding on the rails, but be careful not to overdo it.
One more important thing: never tension a wet saddle.
Repairing Your Brooks Bicycle Saddle
The one part of a Brooks saddle that isn’t replaceable is the leather top. All Brooks frame components are available as spares and may be ordered from your local dealer or on line from the Brooks England Ltd. site.
To sum up, Brooks bicycle saddles need a bit more maintenance in contrast to saddles made from artificial materials, but I haven’t noticed anyone convey regrets for having gotten one. This fact is undoubtedly due to the irreproachable quality of their craftsmanship and their attention to detail–the leather used is absolutely the very best obtainable, and every single saddle top is cut by a skilled and dedicated craftsman upholding over 100 years of experience and tradition. For more free information regarding Brooks’ large variety of top quality leather bicycle saddles, click on the link.