Conference noted::bicycle

    Sorry about that! (should be brooks saddles).  My phone line was
    apparently bad and I have some missing characters.  The first line
    should read "I really perfer the brooks saddle....."
    thanks
    
    Mike

    I like Brooks saddles as well, but you pay dearly!  It took about
    two years of riding (I don't know how many miles, a lot!) to break
    mine in.  I used proof hide on it about once a week, but didn't
    do anything else.  I bought the saddle (and the bike it's on) in
    1975.  I suspect that the newer high-tech saddles being sold now
    won't be usable in 2003!  The Brooks is quite comfortable now, as
    the leather has molded itself to my shape.
    The neatsfoot oil soak sounds like a good idea, and I've seen it
    recemmended before.  Be sure to wear shorts you don't care about
    during the first few hundred miles, while all that nice black dye
    is wearing off!  The proof hide is good for maintainance of the
    leather, but if you don't like the smell, any good leather conditioner
    is probably fine.

    	Good luck!
    	Barry

RE	the rubber mallet

I posted a note out here some time ago about this technique. I use a
combination of neatsfoot and a rubber mallet for a couple of nights.
When you see how much effort it takes to soften the leather even with a 
mallet, you'll be glad you didn't use your rear end. 

After you get it soft you can tighten up on the leather and let it out
slowly so it assumes the shape of your rear.  

    I was seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle too. I've had leather
    saddles before, but right now I'm running on a Vetta III. This guy
    is no softy!
    
    It seems the leather saddles I've had before didn't really take
    that long to break in (a summer). And they weren't any stiffer/
    harder than a regular racing saddle. The difference being the regular
    racing saddles (plastic form with vinyl or suede stretched over
    it) never soften up.
    
    Is Brooks an exception to leather. Would I be experiencing a harder
    saddle for a while?
    
    Chip

    I've tried leather saddles in years past but have found one problem
    even with a broken in saddle.  When I climb, I tend to move back
    on my saddle, this seats me on the brass rivets, not exactly
    comfortable.  Concor and similar saddles provide cushioning on the
    back of the saddle.
    
    steve

    re: .4
    I think it depends on a relative pain index.  On a brand new Brooks I
    dont usually notice a problem until after ~4 hours "in the saddle" but
    on one of my older, broken in saddles it is comfortable (sometimes
    better than a chair) for the same period of time.  I had a concor and
    liked it for shorter(1-3 hour) fast rides.  The plastic saddles tend
    to show me no mercy on long, uphill grades at the end of a century
    ride.  Out here in Arizona we seem to be climbing most of the time.
    
    re: .5
    Yes, I found that the rivets do exist!  what is interesting is that if
    there is the slightest raised edge I tend to find it fast.  On those I
    peen the edge over.  I usually have had to do this on each saddle on
    one or two rivets during the break in process.  I wonder if this is a
    problem on the Ideale saddles with the raised, smaller rivets.
    
    mike

    
    What is the recommended procedure for breaking in a leather saddle?
    
    I have a Brooks professional that came as standard equipment on an 
    old "classic" Motobecane Grand Record. I've got some of that Brooks 
    Proofhide and made an application once on the bottom of the saddle, but some
    9 years later I swear that saddle is as hard as it was on day one.
    
    Should anything be done with that adjusting nut on the front of
    the saddle?
    
    I love the classic look of the Brooks but unless it conforms to
    my butt pretty soon I'm afraid I'll be buying one of those plastic
    padded saddles.                      
    
      
    DS

    I love the Brooks Leather saddles as well.  They used to make a womans
    saddle, I'd assume they still do.  
    
    Back when I first bought mine, 1975, I broke them in by soaking them in
    Neatsfoot oil for a couple of days, then wrapped it in a folded bath
    towel to keep it from getting scratched and "beat" it with a softball
    bat until it was soft.  You don't have to hit it very hard with the
    bat.  I liked the bat idea, read about it someplace, because when I
    tried useing a hammer, I just seemed to over stress very small areas
    the size of the hammer head.  With the bat, much larger areas were
    softened with each blow.
    
    Do you know where I can order a womans Brooks leather?  I am not
    satisfied with my Vetta.  Even with the Spenco blaa, blaa, blaa.
    \VA
    

    
    > use a bat
    
    As I mentioned in .3, you can use a big rubber mallet instead of a bat.
    It contacts a large area. 
    
    > the adjusting nut
    
    Once you have it softened with a mallet, adjust the nut so you get
    a reasonable amount of play in it without loosing support. As you
    ride and the seat takes shape you can loosen the nut more and allow
    the leather to conform to your rear.

re  < Note 1111.5 by AKOV11::FULLER >
>                        -< THOSE BRASS RIVETS ARE HARD >-

>    I've tried leather saddles in years past but have found one problem
>    even with a broken in saddle.  When I climb, I tend to move back
>    on my saddle, this seats me on the brass rivets, not exactly
>    comfortable.  Concor and similar saddles provide cushioning on the
>    back of the saddle.
    
>    steve

	Gee, I never saw you do THAT !


	"Stand up and run on the pedals"  is the style I remember you 
for Steve:-^)

re:  Breaking in a Brookes;  SWEAT is the best leather softener I 
know.  Keep the plastic saddle that came with the bike, put it back on 
when you trade/sell it.  Swap the REAL saddle from bike to bike, one 
should last a lifetime. 


	R