Saddle Care

OughtFour said:

The leather on my Serfas Cosmos (at least I think it's leather) started to
alligator and fail this year. Is that typical? Could I have prolonged the
life of the saddle with some treatments or maintenance? Would a synthetic be
better for my next saddle?

Some good synthetics out there, most certainly, but a leather covered
saddle should last till the foam breaks down--or indefinitely. I
saddle soap mine perhaps yearly and shine it up with wax shoe polish.

Quoted message said:

I've had it 4 or 5 years so maybe it's just par for the course.

If it's seen a lot of sun from being parked outside, 4 or 5 years is a
pretty good lifespan.

Quoted message said:

The leather on my Serfas Cosmos (at least I think it's leather) started to
alligator and fail this year. Is that typical? Could I have prolonged the
life of the saddle with some treatments or maintenance? Would a synthetic
be better for my next saddle?

I've had it 4 or 5 years so maybe it's just par for the course.

4 or 5 years for a saddle that actually gets used, and spends a bit of time
in the sun. A good leather saddle (not plastic-based, but full leather) can
last longer if taken care of, but that's not just because it's leather, but
also because there's no padding to break down. The leather also has an
easier time when there's no padding, since it's not having to flex nearly as
much.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

buy food? when the checkout asks
paper or plastic
grab a bag
and tie it
around
the saddle.

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

4 or 5 years for a saddle that actually gets used, and spends a bit of
time in the sun.

Mostly it spends its outdoor time in the shade of my anatomy. But I take
your point. Sounds like saddle oil etc would not especially help.

Quoted message said:

A good leather saddle (not plastic-based, but full leather) can last
longer if taken care of, but that's not just because it's leather, but
also because there's no padding to break down. The leather also has an
easier time when there's no padding, since it's not having to flex nearly
as much.

Tempting, and I've read about these saddles, but I think I'll go with
another 5-year padded model. Maybe with a little less padding than the
Serfas Cosmos had, though.

Thanks for your comments everyone.

OughtFour said:

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

4 or 5 years for a saddle that actually gets used, and spends a bit of
time in the sun.

Mostly it spends its outdoor time in the shade of my anatomy. But I take
your point. Sounds like saddle oil etc would not especially help.

Quoted message said:

A good leather saddle (not plastic-based, but full leather) can last
longer if taken care of, but that's not just because it's leather, but
also because there's no padding to break down. The leather also has an
easier time when there's no padding, since it's not having to flex nearly
as much.

Tempting, and I've read about these saddles, but I think I'll go with
another 5-year padded model. Maybe with a little less padding than the
Serfas Cosmos had, though.

Thanks for your comments everyone.

before you go, try Specialized for a minkow gel cell. hard yet soft
and crotch AC. the model below mitty racer.
the grocery bag is leather lube containment and salt/perspiration
exclusion. Synthetics allow h20 into the foam (maybe not gel?), foam
expands, weakens the synthetic covering as your butt squishes it
beyond capacity.

"datakoll" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

buy food? when the checkout asks
paper or plastic
grab a bag
and tie it
around
the saddle.

I was thinking this over and realized that when my job moved two years ago I
began locking my bike up outside--in a spot that gets sun later in the day.
So what I said before is wrong and sunlight likely a cause.

I'll try the bag trick with my next saddle.

OughtFour said:

"Mike Jacoubowsky wrote

Quoted message said:

4 or 5 years for a saddle that actually gets used, and spends a bit of
time in the sun.

Mostly it spends its outdoor time in the shade of my anatomy. But I take
your point. Sounds like saddle oil etc would not especially help.

Using an emollients couldn't hurt, as long as you pick one that
doesn't unduly soften the leather. My motorcycle gear and shoes last
much longer now that I take pains to rub them with some ointment when
they start looking dry. Obenauf's LP is what I use, because it
doesn't soften the leather much, effectively waterproofs the item, and
smells nice like beeswax.

http://www.obenaufs.com/lp.php

Chalo

Chalo said:

OughtFour said:

"Mike Jacoubowsky wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

4 or 5 years for a saddle that actually gets used, and spends a bit of
time in the sun.

Quoted message said:

Mostly it spends its outdoor time in the shade of my anatomy. But I take
your point. Sounds like saddle oil etc would not especially help.

Using an emollients couldn't hurt, as long as you pick one that
doesn't unduly soften the leather. My motorcycle gear and shoes last
much longer now that I take pains to rub them with some ointment when
they start looking dry. Obenauf's LP is what I use, because it
doesn't soften the leather much, effectively waterproofs the item, and
smells nice like beeswax.

http://www.obenaufs.com/lp.php

Chalo

I prophylactically apply Bag Balm to my nether regions (against saddle
sores) and it works its way through my chamois onto the seat. Seems
to act much like leather conditioner. All of my saddles are in
excellent condition except for road rash. One is five years old.

D'ohBoy

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:02:33 -0700, D'ohBoy <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I prophylactically apply Bag Balm to my nether regions (against saddle
sores) and it works its way through my chamois onto the seat. Seems
to act much like leather conditioner. All of my saddles are in
excellent condition except for road rash. One is five years old.

D'ohBoy

I sanded off the shiny finish Brooks put on my saddle so that I could
get neatsfoot oil to absorb, oiled my saddle heavily a few times top
and bottom (I know... how un-recommended!) . Then I treated it
terribly for years by forgetting to oil it and riding it in wet shorts
when taking swims in the lake mid bike ride.

It's 35 years old and looking good. I did oil it again last year.

D'ohBoy said:

Chalo said:

OughtFour said:

"Mike Jacoubowsky wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> 4 or 5 years for a saddle that actually gets used, and spends a bit of
> time in the sun.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Mostly it spends its outdoor time in the shade of my anatomy. But I take
your point. Sounds like saddle oil etc would not especially help.

Quoted message said:

Using an emollients couldn't hurt, as long as you pick one that
doesn't unduly soften the leather. My motorcycle gear and shoes last
much longer now that I take pains to rub them with some ointment when
they start looking dry. Obenauf's LP is what I use, because it
doesn't soften the leather much, effectively waterproofs the item, and
smells nice like beeswax.

Quoted message said:

http://www.obenaufs.com/lp.php

Quoted message said:

Chalo

I prophylactically apply Bag Balm to my nether regions (against saddle
sores) and it works its way through my chamois onto the seat. Seems
to act much like leather conditioner. All of my saddles are in
excellent condition except for road rash. One is five years old.

D'ohBoy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Bag Balm contains lanolin from sheep's wool or did? generally thought
of as non-poisonous.
but neatsfoot oil is a petroleum distillate and is poisonous.
thus the friction reductive, prophylactic grocery overbag.

datakoll said:

but neatsfoot oil is a petroleum distillate and is poisonous.
thus the friction reductive, prophylactic grocery overbag.

Neatsfoot oil is a kind of cow extract. It's nasty and it smells bad,
and some folks say it shortens the lifespan of leather goods, but it
is not toxic. Some manufacturers might dilute it with naphtha or the
like, but that part isn't neatsfoot oil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neatsfoot_oil

Chalo

Chalo said:

Neatsfoot oil is a kind of cow extract.

From their hooves IIRC. It's very good as a honing lubricant.

ahhhhh BS!
jello is food. gellatin is food.
"neatsfoot oil" can be anything and usually is so beware.

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:37:57 -0000, datakoll <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

but neatsfoot oil is a petroleum distillate and is poisonous.

If you drink it.

if you sit on it.

did you search "neatsfoot oil' ? one producer offers discussion on
sperm whale oil
the next search (and ima gonna limit this to getbover to the sox/yanks
game) brings one of these here product limited sites like what's the
BRITISH purveyor offer a $800 jersye? and its goes onj about nuturing
dah leather blah blah blah yammeryammmer then declares this virgin
neatsfoot oil is diluted with Barium sulfide soas to kill the
neatsfoot oil microbes.
OK NOW everyone using NFO and refrigerating it raise your left hand.

there's a sidebar. I assume, (this time ima goin to bed) the excess
soap capacity as glycerol has something to do with this NFO
processing. There is a huge glycerol supply, so large glycerol (pre-
soap) is gettinjg modded into biofuel.
gonna be a cow in ur tank dude!