Durability of a Brooks saddle

[Dude]

Okay, so I am still up in the air about a Brooks saddle. I know its all leather, does that pose a problem in the rain? I mean pouring rain? Or with winter riding, would the salt and crap affect the leather at all?

Thanks for the help!

[Smiley]

Think about the randoniers (sp ?) that ride these saddles in all kinds of crappy conditions. Not to worry Brooks has all these issues covered in there operation proceedures. The Pre-Treatment with Proofhide is key to wet weather riding , treating the top and more important the underside of the saddle. You will also re-treat with this stuff based on usage of saddle and conditions you ride the saddle in. Call Bill Laine or check his website at www.wallbike.com and look under the Brooks info page for all the Q&A that you want. Bullet Proof is what your getting with a Brooks but you must treat the saddle well as its your butt that pays for the abuse.

[Bradford]

I have had mixed luck with Brooks saddles. I have two team pros, one on my touring bike and one on the tandem. I had experienced about 3,000 miles of happy use on my touring bike before getting caught in a rain storm during the 2001 PMC. After the storm, the saddle sagged considerable where the sit bones are, leaving two big butt indentations and a ridge going down the middle of the saddle. Since I’d never ridden that bike in the rain, and didn’t know the rain was coming that day, I didn’t have a bonnet to protect it. What I now have is essentially the reverse of the modern hole-in-the-middle saddle, which instead has a ridge in the middle.

By the way, I use proof ride at the beginning of each season and once or twice during the season. In fact, that particular saddle had received an extra-generous application about two weeks before the unexpected rain storm.

The Brooks on my tandem has faired much better. It has 1,500 miles on it, including many 60-70 mile rides and a 400 mile tour of Nova Scotia. The saddle is particularly nice on the tandem since it is harder to take a quick break from pedaling to move your weight around, so the wider, smoother, leather saddle is very comfortable. I now carry a couple of shower caps (a couple of bucks at the local CVS) and some duck tape wrapped around a dowel in my rack bag, so this saddle has been sealed away from any rain the rest of the bike has seen.

In case you are wondering, I have ridden it with the shower cap on, and it rides just fine. Also, I was caught in another unexpected down pour with the bike on the roof on the way to last year’s PMC (what is it about unexpected rain and the PMC?), but I was riding the single on day one and the Brooks had a day to dry out before I rode it on Sunday, and the saddle was just fine. (Now if it is even humid out, the saddle gets covered when the bike hits the roof).

I have to be honest, I love the Brooks Team Pro, but I am nervous about it. For everyday riding, it is fine, but I’m doing another tour this June/July and I don’t know what I’ll do. My guess is that I’ll stick with the Brooks and bring a couple of shower caps, but I’m experimenting with a Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flow on my road bike right now, and will try in on some longer tandem rides this spring to see how it feels on the bike. (The theory is that it is hard like a Brooks, has the hole in the middle for the jewels, and the Prolink thing could provide give like the Brooks). I’ll be interested to see how that turns out.

So my conclusion? Brooks is the best saddle I’ve ever ridden, but water has the potential to ruin it if you get caught unprepared.

[Ray]

I have a B-17 I've been riding a LOT for about 7 years now. I probably have 15-20,000 miles on. It's been wet several times, including once on a tour where it got absolutely soaked and I had no choice but to ride it shortly thereafter, before it was anywhere near dry. Its also been subjected to all manner of sweat and things like Bag Balm, Assos chamois creme, and Chamois Butter soaking through my shorts onto it. This particular saddle isn't nearly as firm as it was when new, but its insanely comfortable and looks like it has another 10-15 years of life in it, easily.

I'd say carry some sort of saddle cover and do what you reasonably can to keep it from getting soaked, but don't worry about a little moisture and don't freak out if it does get fairly wet. As much abuse as my saddle's been through, I figure maybe I'll only get 20 years out of it instead of the 30 that some folks are reputed to get out of a Brooks. Not a bad deal for something this comfortable and relatively inexpensive (I think I paid $60 for it).

There are legit reasons not to buy a Brooks, but durability isn't one of them.

-Ray

[cycledoc]

FWIW, I've got a '73 Brook's Pro saddle which has seen probably 70K miles, minimal maintanance, has been put up wet with no more than a towel-off, and apart from the faded color, looks great and sits as comfortably as the day it was broken in. These saddles are built to LAST. Guaranteed, it'll last longer than any of the current, modern, weight-weenie saddles--by decades. Don't worry about it's longevity!

[Joel]

I've had a couple of Team Pro's and each has lasted over 10 years getting frequently exposed to every type of nasty weather. This included salt, mud and lots of water up in Iowa and Minneapolis. Never used a cover either.

Down here in Florida got about the same life span out of the last one, before it started to rot and pull away from the rivits. The rotting I figure had more to do with it sitting on a rarely used bike out in our humid garage.

They are great saddles.

Enjoy.

Best,

Joel