NOS Brooks saddle

[dixiesdad]

So I got my dream bike the raleigh Professional circa 1978 and had a question....It came with a Brooks team pro saddle that had not been conditioned for 32 years. I did put the brooks conditioner on it but it still seems brittle.

should I keep it for a mantle piece?
condition it and ride it?
If # 2 ride it...... anything else you would do with the old relic?

[ignaz]

I've tried Leatherique for soaking vintage saddles as well as Proofide. Can't tell much a difference. The old seats remain pretty tough. THe worst is if the seat was rode hard and put up wet, stretched and dried in the sun. Search the interweb on reconditioning vintage leather for pointers. Contact some horsey western/english leather conditioning people. They might have some good advice or a service.

[Ahneida Ride]

Consider, if all else fails, Obenauf LP oil ... (oil .... not the paste)

Its rather strong stuff.

[Benjamin]

be careful not to over-saturate the leather with anything. don't use oil. if you make it too soft, it'll be uncomfortable to ride and the leather will tear away from the frame and rivets (which will dig right into your ass).

brooks proofide is good stuff. i'd recommend doing one application (rub it in well!), let it sit for a day or two, repeat that, then put a couple hundred miles on it and see if you want to adjust the tension screw at all.

otherwise, keep riding it. those first few weeks (or months) can be difficult.

also, don't use anything petroleum-based. it'll dry the leather further.

[Kevan]

Ask Mr. Brooks what to do.

[Ken Robb]

don't forget to use Proofhide on the bottom of the saddle too. I'll bet it comes back just fine. Rember that saddle was darn hard the day it was made.

[palincss]

I'd Proofide it as Ken describes. If it isn't cracked I think you can bring it back to life. It might take a while, though.

When I got my Spectrum Ti back in 1991 new Brooks saddles were unavailable in the US due to some sort of ownership dispute between Sturmey Archer and Tube Investments/Reynolds over who had distribution rights. I found one in a local shop that had been up on a wall as decoration for many years. It was hard as a mahogany plank. It took me 1,000 miles of riding, applying Proofide to the saddle every time I rode, to break that saddle in. It's still on the Spectrum, and it's still doing fine.

[Ahneida Ride]

be careful not to over-saturate the leather with anything. don't use oil. if you make it too soft, it'll be uncomfortable to ride and the leather will tear away from the frame and rivets (which will dig right into your ass).

brooks proofide is good stuff. i'd recommend doing one application (rub it in well!), let it sit for a day or two, repeat that, then put a couple hundred miles on it and see if you want to adjust the tension screw at all.

otherwise, keep riding it. those first few weeks (or months) can be difficult.

also, don't use anything petroleum-based. it'll dry the leather further.

Benjamin is correct ... only a dab of the Obenauf oil if all else fails ..

Try a water based cream first ... (if the proofide fails)

Obenauf LP paste is similar to proofide.

Leather master cream
ALM cream
Corbin Cream

are all water based creams.

Do both sides of saddle.