jjiam25 said:
Thanks guys, I am going to go with a Brooks B17, I saw the measurements and the width is 7 inches, so my sitbones will fit on the seat, so thanks, I wouldn't have looked at brooks until you suggested it. It is ordered and I will post on how it is.
A minor (?)
caveat with Brooks/-type saddles is that you may have to buy a new seatpost ... the "useable" parallel portion of the rails varies with the various saddle models/types ... so, how meaningful the following is all depends where your current saddle is located in the seatpost clamp relative to the cranks & your handlebars ...
If your "plastic" saddle is all the way back in the current seatpost's clamp, then you'll probably need a different seatpost which has more "set back" than your current seatpost's clamp.
For one bike, I ended up using an Easton EA50 (their cheapest seatpost, I think) which has more set back than a normal seatpost.
ALSO, when you first go to clamp your new saddle in the seat post, you will find that the rails will probably be a couple of millimeters wider than the channels for the rails ...
"what the f***" is what may come to mind ... not to worry! Set the clamp in the middle of the parallel section of the rails ... and, if you
VERY SLOWLY tighten the clamp, the rails will compress and allow themselves to nest properly (you may have to give them a very slight squeeze to encourage them at first) ... once the rails are nested, slide the saddle into the fore-aft position you want, and then tighten the clamp. You may NOT get the rails to nest properly the first time ... just repeat the process until they do (no more than two-or-three tries, I would think). I have found that this is EASIER to do this when the seatpost is
not in the bike.
There is always a small chance that Brooks has actually changed the bend in the rails so that they will fit into a modern seatpost clamp ... but, I wouldn't count on it.
Proofide is expensive and probably NOT the best treatment (any longer -- no doubt, concocted 100+ years ago) ...
From my readings & experience, you want to buff the hard-shine off the saddle's top surface with some steel wool! This will actually allow whatever substance you choose to "dress" the leather with to do more than just sit on the surface.
DO NOT SOAK YOUR SADDLE IN NEATS FOOT OIL -- this is one of the few things which Sheldon Brown does-and-recommends related to bicycles which is absolutely wrong.
I know that I am reluctant to take steel wool to a new saddle ... you only have to do this once -- the recommendation is for 0000 steel wool (the grade you would use for finishing wood ... ), but I have found that a coarser SOS/Brillo type of steel wool pad is "okay" (oh, there are some hazards to using a "soap" pad ... obviously, you wipe off the excess residue with a damp paper towel) ...
I have "treated" enough saddles that I am at the point where I use a barely WET "brillo" pad ... I work as quickly as possible AND I hold the saddle's "wings" (probably not necessary) while whatever dampness is in the leather is drying to ensure that the leather doesn't deform -- a trade off in time. So, the "brillo" pad isn't actually recommended for your first leather saddle.
I prefer to treat my saddles with
Sno-Seal ... I suppose that is mainly because it is what I already had
and I found that it works! Sno-seal (as I recall) is Bees Wax which is softened with some silicone compound OR something.
Treating the leather MUST be done
periodically to ensure that any leather saddle lasts as long as either you or God intend ...
. So I am willing to try out new ideas, but do not please say specialized I tried it but didnt like it. Please I need a seat where 6 inches will be right on the seat not hanging over it!
