Thorn Cycles Forum
Technical => General Technical => Topic started by: jul on July 25, 2026, 05:10:16 PM
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I'm curious to know if a used Brooks saddle have to be replaced by a new one..
If yes, how can we know ?
(https://i93.servimg.com/u/f93/19/07/93/69/th/20260716.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19079369/620)
(https://i93.servimg.com/u/f93/19/07/93/69/th/20260717.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19079369/621)
Thanks in advance
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I would replace that one, that one is pretty stretched out.
But I have Brooks saddles that I have been riding for a couple decades that do not show anywhere near as much stretch as yours.
I have been careful to make sure that I wore my saddle into the shape I wanted before I put Brooks Proofide on it. And I did not ride those saddles in the rain. And once they were most of the way to the shape I wanted them, I applied Proofide to the top and bottom on a regular basis, initially more frequent than later.
And I use a rain cover when the bike might be in the rain. I am pretty obsessive about making sure I do not ride on a wet saddle.
One of mine in attached photo, my records say that this one was bought two decades ago, most of my bike tours were on this one. It was honey color when new. Photo was from last month.
But I have several bikes, I do not put a lot of wear on any individual bike.
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I just follow the Brooks leather saddle care instructions. Yours certainly looks like it needs replacing.
https://www.brooksengland.com/en-gb/pages/how-to-maintain-leather-saddles
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Ok, but i am comfortable on my B17..
However, i don’t want to take care as Mickeg , maybe is it possible to find a similar saddle as the B17 but without leather ?
If somebody know the B17 and who can suggest to me another saddle as comfortable as the B17 ?
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Ok, but i am comfortable on my B17..
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Then keep it, but I really think you should put some effort into maintenence.
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Ok, but i am comfortable on my B17..
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Then keep it, but I really think you should put some effort into maintenence.
Yet i use proofide... but i can do small holes and add laces
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Ok, but i am comfortable on my B17..
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Then keep it, but I really think you should put some effort into maintenence.
Yet i use proofide... but i can do small holes and add laces
If you really like it, then occasional Proofide should suffice. If you lack fenders (mudguards) on the bike, putting some on teh bottom side is not a bad idea.
If it was mine, I would increase the tension on the leather, but maybe the current shape is what you like? If so, maybe not change the tension.
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I applied Proofide to the top and bottom on a regular basis, initially more frequent than later.
IIRC, Brooks instruction for applying Proofide are to apply the proprietary wax to the top and the bottom when first applied, but for subsequent applications only to the top.
I presume that is to avoid building up wax on both sides so that the leather can breathe out any moisture through one flat side with only a light, single application of Proofide.
Trivia, I bought my Brooks saddle and leather grips in the Honey colour, not because it matched my bike well (it was actually a very good match but a bit flashy for me) but so that I could create a custom dark brown by soaking the saddle in neat foot oil (buy it from a saddlery or tack store which supplies the horse racing crowd).
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maybe is it possible to find a similar saddle as the B17 but without leather ?
I went from the leather B17 to the rubber C17 and prefer the C17, it isn't identical, a bit like a half broken in B17, not everyone likes that, I bought a second C17 from someone returning to leather.
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maybe is it possible to find a similar saddle as the B17 but without leather ?
I went from the leather B17 to the rubber C17 and prefer the C17, it isn't identical, a bit like a half broken in B17, not everyone likes that, I bought a second C17 from someone returning to leather.
I have two C17 saddles that I really do not like, they are currently unused. I am sticking with leather.
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I've got a barely-used C17 but know people who are happy with them. Those people weigh somewhat more than my 64kg / 142lb and I think that's a factor. Few saddles have versions to cater for different rider wights.
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I'm curious to know if a used Brooks saddle have to be replaced by a new one..
If yes, how can we know ?
(https://i93.servimg.com/u/f93/19/07/93/69/th/20260716.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19079369/620)
(https://i93.servimg.com/u/f93/19/07/93/69/th/20260717.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19079369/621)
Thanks in advance
You'll know when the one you have gets uncomfortable.
Except it's likely a boiled-frog thing. It might be hard to remember how much more comfortable the saddle was when in better repair.
When I bought my Mercury, I fitted an ancient Brooks Professional that I had acquired from a bike purchased used 40 years earlier. I'd revived it with a soak in neatsfoot oil and had used it happily enough on several multi-day tours. I had preferred it to various plastic saddles I'd tried.
With the Mercury purchase I was in the saddle much more frequently and for longer periods. I started to wonder whether a new B17 might be better. Took me a while to male the jump because I'd heard the horror stories about the discomfort of a new Brooks and the need to accommodate that for a thousand miles or more while it broke in. If it broke in.
Bit the bullet and on went a standard B17. First ride it proved exactly as comfortable as the ancient Professional it replaced, and hurt in just the same places.
It's now been under me for a couple of thousand miles (guesswork as I don't use a cyclometer) and it's fabulous. Way better than the old one, which is the point of this anecdote.
It's a real pleasure setting off on a ride and feeling the comfort of the broken-in Brooks underneath me. For the next couple of hours I don't even think about it. At that point if I've not been off the bike or much out of the saddle I may want to stand on the pedals for a bit of relief. I'll only need a few seconds.
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Good th know all this information ..
If the C17 fit me, the big advantage it is not afraid of humidity..
But if i have to buy a new B17, it will be with brass rivet ! Mine are rusty it is not pretty
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I'm curious to know if a used Brooks saddle have to be replaced by a new one..
If yes, how can we know ?
There's a tensioning bolt under the nose of the Brooks saddle. You take a one-eighth turn on it when the saddle starts looking hollow (the proper English is swaybacked -- don't ask me why: English isn't my first language, by half a dozen or so, so I would have said that if we have to have a horsey metaphor it should be lordosis, an equine spine symptom). In your case maybe a quarter-turn. When you've used up all the thread on adjustment bolt, you take the bolt to a welder and ask him to weld on a longer piece of threaded rod, same diameter and thread count per inch. If you're worried about the appearance of your clearly neglected saddle, buy some neat foot oil from your local saddlery (more £$%^&* horses), pour the contents of the can into a baking dish or a bowl large enough to take the saddle and soak first the top and then bottom in the neat foot oil, 10-20 minutes per side. You do that only once, then a thin layer of Proofide once a year only on top. After the short soak in neat foot oil lay the saddle aside for a few days to dry out a bit, then polish only the top with a soft cloth. Tension with your longer bolt and you're good to go for several more years.
A Brooks saddle is like a Catholic wife, you marry it for life, no divorce.
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Brillant Andre 8)
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Brilliant, Andre. Have you thought of writing as a career!? 🤣
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http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGbrooksrack.html (http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGbrooksrack.html)
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If you're worried about the appearance of your clearly neglected saddle, buy some neat foot oil from your local saddlery (more £$%^&* horses), pour the contents of the can into a baking dish or a bowl large enough to take the saddle and soak first the top and then bottom in the neat foot oil, 10-20 minutes per side.
This could be useful some day. When you say top/bottom, does that mean you are first putting the whole top half of the saddle in oil and therefore also soaking the underside? After both sides are done, the entire saddle has been submerged in oil. After that, do you wipe off excess oil... and then let dry for a few days?
Thanks, Mike
edit, our saddles have always received TLC, just thought this soaking might be good to know about.
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After to have tighten little the s
crew, the leather tor..
(https://i93.servimg.com/u/f93/19/07/93/69/th/20261011.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19079369/623)
[(https://i93.servimg.com/u/f93/19/07/93/69/th/20261013.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19079369/625)
Is it normal ?
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If you're worried about the appearance of your clearly neglected saddle, buy some neat foot oil from your local saddlery (more £$%^&* horses), pour the contents of the can into a baking dish or a bowl large enough to take the saddle and soak first the top and then bottom in the neat foot oil, 10-20 minutes per side.
This could be useful some day. When you say top/bottom, does that mean you are first putting the whole top half of the saddle in oil and therefore also soaking the underside? After both sides are done, the entire saddle has been submerged in oil. After that, do you wipe off excess oil... and then let dry for a few days?
Thanks, Mike
edit, our saddles have always received TLC, just thought this soaking might be good to know about.
Apologies for the delayed reply, Mike; I somehow never saw your post.
I used a large shallow baking tray because my B72 is the third largest of all the Brooks saddles and that tray was the only one it would fit. So my saddle wasn't completely covered by the liter of neat foot I bought. I turned the saddle to get complete coverage, including the raw edges of the leather.
Even if your saddle is smaller and you have a deep enough dish, and enough neat foot oil to cover the saddle totally, some part will still touch the bottom of the dish, so give it ten minutes, turn the saddle and put it back in the neat foot oil for another ten minutes to ensure even coverage. Let dry for 24 hours, then polish only the top, not the underside or the cut edges.
Soak it in neat foot oil once, then never again.
Once a year, or perhaps twice a year if your bike is often exposed to the elements, wipe only the top with a thin layer of Proofide* or neat foot on a cloth, let stand overnight, and polish with a clean soft cloth.
*Americans have a similar leather wax with a good reputation from vintage times forward, the name of which now escapes me. I used four small tins to rejuvenate the leather seats of a barn find Citroen DS until the stitcher of choice could make me new covers, and sold my spot on his waiting list to an impatient collector because the seats were pretty good after polishing and, as a matter of fact, at a show my car got a highly-commended with the patina worth a special mention, while his car was condemned for being over-restored!
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After to have tighten little the s
crew, the leather tor..
Is it normal ?
No. The rivets are very rusty, it looks like that saddle has been left outside in the rain for a long time.
I still have the first Brooks B17 saddle I bought in 1977. I mistreated that saddle by using too much neatsfoot oil too often, so it got soft and I stretched it more than I should have. The second photo shows where the rivets at the front have left a gap, the third photo shows how much I tightened the adjustment nut.
And the leather has worn so much that it is hardly possible to see the Brooks logo stamped on the side. But it is still rideable after 46600 kms, though not so comfortable as my other Brooks saddles.
It has been ridden "a lot" in the rain, but I nearly always use a cover (often just a plastic bag) when I leave the bike outside in rain, even for short stops. And as I used to use a traditional cycling cape, it rarely got completely soaked while riding. When it did get really wet I nearly always (not always possible on a long tour) made sure it dried out properly before storing the bike, to the extent that I (very occasionally) took it off the bike and brought it into the house to dry.
My other Brooks saddles have been treated differently. I use a wax designed for care of leather boots (Nikwax or similar) on the saddle top about once every three months, depending on use. Plus very occasionally on the underside.
I still use neatsfoot oil bought from a horse accessories place, it probably has some kind of fungicide as an additif. Just a small amount on a rag to wipe saddles on the bikes that aren't getting used much in winter (mainly my wife's bikes), this is to stop or cure mould forming.
The B66 Champion I bought in 1987-1988 is in better shape than my first Brooks saddle, despite having been ridden for over 70000 kms.
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My rivet are rusty because i stored my bike in a garage who sometimes there is a humid atmosphere .. and probably also the contact with my Cotton blanket ::)
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My rivet are rusty because i stored my bike in a garage who sometimes there is a humid atmosphere .. and probably also the contact with my Cotton blanket ::)
From 1980 to 2021 my garage was quite humide, with condensation in winter dripping down from the (thin) corrugated roof. So I tried to park all the bikes in places where the drips didn't fall on them.
Just before the 2021 COVID lockdown I hired a van and bought the material necessary to insulate the inside walls of the garage and under the roof. It took quite a lot of time and effort to do the work, but the garage is much drier in winter now. It's better for leather bike saddles, but also for steel tools and some of the other stuff I keep in the garage. Even so, leather and tools kept in my garage still need a certain amount of maintenance, but not so often since 2021.
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Andre,
Thanks for the added information. I generally treat our B17s with much care, but there have been a couple of times when we should have covered the saddles while riding in downpours.....thinking at the time that my big butt will keep the saddle protected. We won't be doing that again (i.e. when riding in rain, COVER THE SADDLES!). Even so, 8 years in, the saddles are still great, if discolored. We are both happy with B17s and will hopefully last to the end of the world as we know it (perhaps 1 month from now if the midterms don't give a serious change >:( ).
Mike
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Andre, WRT your comment above, Americans have a similar leather wax with a good reputation from vintage times forward, the name of which now escapes me:
You may be thinking of Obenauf's (a company based in Idaho), which makes Leather Oil and a paste. They advertise their products for forestry workers and firefighters. I used their products for leathers and boots when I was riding motorcycles. I still have a couple of bottles of Leather Oil, which I've used on my Brooks B17 (now 15 years old) -- an annual end-of-season wipe with a Leather-Oily-rag seems to work a treat. (Mind you, anytime I'm riding in wet weather, I use a cover for my saddle.)
'Cos of The Situation, I won't be buying any more any time soon, but Mike, you may find it useful.
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Obenauf's, definitely. Widely recommended by American cyclists of the Sheldon Brown vintage, but not available this side of the Atlantic. Thanks, John.
Mike, on this forum some years ago, I expressed some mild disappointment that a Brooks waxed canvas seat cover wore rather fast when I sat upon it in the rain, and was told one isn't supposed to sit on it. I bought a plastic shower cap instead and sat on that when cycling in the rain.
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Americans have a similar leather wax with a good reputation from vintage times forward, the name of which now escapes me.
Andre, John, there is another option I have used to waterproof leather for 55 years: Sno-Seal.
The tin promises leather protection from rain, snow, salt, sun; the original beeswax waterproofing. Mile warmth helpt it absorb, excess is buffed off with a clean, soft cloth. Instructions say, "Beeswax waterproofing lubricates leather and protects against dryiomg and deterioriation far longer than greases, oils, and animal fats. Sno-Seal is a natural wax and, unlike other products, will never weaken, decay, or break down leather or stitchings and seams. Caution: Will somewhat darken leather; spot test if appearance is important". I have found Sno-Seal to be a valuable adjunct for use on my black saddles. I have not used it on my one Honey Brown model as I don't want it to darken as much as I know it would with Sno-Seal.
See...
https://atsko.com/product/sno-seal-wax-8-oz-jar/
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sno+seal&channelId=520&clpRedir=Y&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Available from Amazon Canada as well... https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Sno-Seal&crid=F5Z4IT6ASXZH&sprefix=sno-sea%2Caps%2C363&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 I think it is too pricey due to the added tariffs and would not buy it on principle if I lived outside my borders.
I always treat my Brooks leather saddles first with Proofide (now white cream, I preferred the older red formula that smelled much stronger), then after some use, Sno-Seal for regular winter riding. I lay on a thin coat of Sno-Seal to guard against water drops in between my dismounts and slapping on the saddle cover (I don't ride on the cover per Brooks' caution, as Andre notes). I have found the Sno-Seal polishes out to a high gloss under my cycling shorts, then thins out and needs reapplication in time. It lasts longer in winter when I ride less often. I use it primarily on the Brooks B.17 fitted to my commuter Fixie. I don't use it in summer when I am likely to produce a lot more sweat and a "waterproofed" saddle has much less appeal.
Best, Dan.
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I have found Sno-Seal to be a valuable adjunct for use on my black saddles. I have not used it on my one Honey Brown model as I don't want it to darken as much as I know it would with Sno-Seal.
Yesbut yesbut yesbut if you put some wax of whatever provenance on your Honey Brooks, she'll get a deeper tan with every application, and when you stop you'll have a custom brown saddle that nobody else has.
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Yesbut...
! :)
True enough, but I loved me that honey color! ;D The one in question is a custom job once offered by Rivendell Cycle Works back in the day, made with (good) chrome rails, large hammered rivets, and the extra-thick leather I prefer for sustained long-distance riding.
It darkened a little with (red) Proofide, but still stayed on the lighter side.
Photos show how much more robust and expedition-oriented my 2012 Nomad Mk2 is than a more traditional tourer like my 1980 Centurion ProTour.
Last photo shows a tensionable sling saddle I intend for a drasienne (balance bike with Fred Flintstone drive) project I'm doing. A couple years ago, I was able to paddle (not pedal) for 30 miles on a less ideal saddle for the purpose, now thinking I could do more with the sling...no leather treatment needed! ;D
See... https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draisienne
Best, Dan (...who loves bikes in all forms; saddles, more specifically)
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I really like that Centurion.
That said, I have a strong preference for indexed shifters for the rear. Front friction shifting, not a problem for me. I think you are aware that I have half step plus granny shifting on my Lynskey and Sherpa. I thought I was the last person on earth that used that, so I of course have to comment on that on the Centurion.
If you ever want to add a third bottle cage on the Centurion, you could put the pump under the top tube. I did that with my Grand Prix. I glued some inner tube rubber to the top of the pump handle so that only the rubber presses on the paint, so far no paint damage. And use a Velcro strap near the front of the top tube to hold the pump in place. Attached photo. Disregard the foam pipe insulation on the top tube, if I have to lock my bike to a post I like to have something to prevent paint damage.
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Last photo shows a tensionable sling saddle I intend for a drasienne (balance bike with Fred Flintstone drive) project I'm doing. A couple years ago, I was able to paddle (not pedal) for 30 miles on a less ideal saddle for the purpose, now thinking I could do more with the sling...no leather treatment needed! ;D
See... https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draisienne
Best, Dan (...who loves bikes in all forms; saddles, more specifically)
Your saddle sling, good luck with that. Or should I say, ... yabba dabba doooo.
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We carry shower caps and now use while riding in rain. The Brooks covers have a short lifetime, presumably as mentioned, owing to riding on them. I generally apply a very thin layer of proofhide each year and like the honey brown rejuvenation sheen it gives. Unfortunately, this year our riding was very limited. A herniated disk caused agony. I could ride (and did) hundreds of miles, but could not walk for more than 100 m, now recovering from back surgery. The surgeon assures me I'll be on the honey brown within 2 month after surgery. Sucks getting old, but we still have our sights on the Loire valley.