Just my luck [wet Brooks saddle]

[1gear]

 I dont beleive it
I came back from my GFs last night, and forgot to put my bike away.
Woke up and mum shouted up that i had left it out all night, looked outside and its raining, and guess what saddle i have on
My lovely Brooks B17N
Hopefully its not ruined, but i am worried it is. Read on the internet that if i take it off and put it in a well ventilated room that i should be alright, just shouldnt ride it till its dry
Im hoping it will be fine. But if the sides have splayed out, then i will need to pull them in. Whats best to use to do this?
I cant beleive it
My new bloody mobile is playing up again aswell, so ive got to go into town to get that sorted

Any advice on the saddle? I came on here, looked for where to put this and thought because its on my fixed maybe here. Sorry if i started a thread in another wrong place

[Chris S]

I expect the movers will be along in a while to move it to The Knowledge. Don't worry about it.

I've left Brooks saddles in the rain overnight before. I know you're not supposed to. I'm still riding the same saddle years later. I did an SR on one this year that I know for a fact has had several soakings. Never seemed to be a problem.

So far 

Hey - look on the bright side - at least your bike was still there this morning!

[Ian H]

As recommended for wet shoes, stuff newspaper inside, between the leather and the rails. Use a strap to pull the sides to the right shape. Leave it to dry. It should be alright if you haven't ridden it.

[mike]

I left a brooks in the rain for six months...  I let it dry out, gave it a couple of thin applications of proofride, it's absolutely fine and now my most comfortable saddle.

[clarion]

Why on earth manufacture a saddle that can't stand the rain?  It's not like they are built in the South of France, but here in Britain.  Where it rains.  Not all the time, sure, but enough that your saddle is going to get wet.  That's how life is.  I wouldn't pay that much for something that made my life more difficult.

[dasmoth]

I've not left one out in the rain for more than an hour or so myself -- fortunate to have covered bike-parking at work -- but I'd say that the saddle actually gets wetter if you ride on it for an hour or two in the rain than if you just leave it out.

As others have said: let it dry, then a little bit of Proofide once it's dried completely.  They're not as fussy as you might imagine.

After all, people still wear leather shoes in the rain.

[Greenbank]

Why on earth manufacture a saddle that can't stand the rain?  It's not like they are built in the South of France, but here in Britain.  Where it rains.  Not all the time, sure, but enough that your saddle is going to get wet.  That's how life is.  I wouldn't pay that much for something that made my life more difficult.

Why on earth assume that Brooks saddles can't stand the rain?

Mine gets soaked regularly. It sits in the rain every time I play 5-a-side football which usually coincides with a rain shower or, like the other week, an absolute sustained hour long torrential downpour.

Proofide does two things. It acts as a slight waterproofing agent (in the week after first applying it water will bead off it rather than soaking in) but its main job is to replace the natural oils that leech out when the saddle gets wet. Too much proofide and it becomes too supple and can stretch. If too much of the natural oils are leeched out then it dries and starts to crack. The middle ground is pretty vast though. It's been more than 6 months since I last applied any Proofide and I've done some pretty horrendously wet Audaxes (Elenith, BCM, LEL, various DIY rides) and commuting since then.

[Riggers]

Have no fear dear 1Gear, I have been riding my brooks through rain (and sun) almost everyday for 20 years, and it's still there! In all that time, I believe I've put a rubbing of 'Dubbin' on twice.

Hope this helps.

[mike]

Why on earth manufacture a saddle that can't stand the rain?  It's not like they are built in the South of France, but here in Britain.  Where it rains.  Not all the time, sure, but enough that your saddle is going to get wet.  That's how life is.  I wouldn't pay that much for something that made my life more difficult.

They dont. It does. 40 quid for a B17 is money my arse thanks me for regularly. If they were crap, they'd have gone out of business years ago and never got to trendy hipster status (like steel frames).

YMMV.

[clarion]

Why on earth manufacture a saddle that can't stand the rain?  It's not like they are built in the South of France, but here in Britain.  Where it rains.  Not all the time, sure, but enough that your saddle is going to get wet.  That's how life is.  I wouldn't pay that much for something that made my life more difficult.

Why on earth assume that Brooks saddles can't stand the rain?

Mine gets soaked regularly. It sits in the rain every time I play 5-a-side football which usually coincides with a rain shower or, like the other week, an absolute sustained hour long torrential downpour.

Proofide does two things. It acts as a slight waterproofing agent (in the week after first applying it water will bead off it rather than soaking in) but its main job is to replace the natural oils that leech out when the saddle gets wet. Too much proofide and it becomes too supple and can stretch. If too much of the natural oils are leeched out then it dries and starts to crack. The middle ground is pretty vast though. It's been more than 6 months since I last applied any Proofide and I've done some pretty horrendously wet Audaxes (Elenith, BCM, LEL, various DIY rides) and commuting since then.

I think that's a fair point.  Cows stand in the rain quite happy.  But I hear such worries from Brooks owners quite regularly.  If they're fine, then that's OK.  They can get wet & then they get dry again.  Nothing to worry about.

[Greenbank]

But I hear such worries from Brooks owners quite regularly.

Misinformation repeated often enough becomes dogma.

[clarion]

You're right:  It's important to get the correct info out there.  I still find riding a Brooks like being kicked up the arse repeatedly, but that's of no account here, as it's about what's practical for those who can ride one. 

[Riggers]

Clarrers. Try nudging yer nadgers out of the way, like somewhere above your panty-line.

That should do the trick.

[vorsprung]

I have three Brooks saddles, two B17 and one Swift

They have all got soaking wet and are still quite fine

In fact, it is arguabley a good thing to get the saddle wet.   The Swift is as hard as a lump of wood.  I'd done more than 500 miles on it and it was showing no signs of breaking in.  Then I did a wet Bryan Chapman 600km audax on it and it was sorted out instantly.  Well, in 40 hours.  It's still a lump of wood but it is a nicely shaped lump now.

When they get very, very wet I usually let them dry out in the garage.  If they look a bit manky after drying I put a bit of proofide on them.  Unless I am in the middle of Wales and they are on my only steed in which case you can guess what happens.

I normally have a plastic carrier bag crunched up and stuffed in the rails under the saddle.  If I have to leave the bike out in the rain then this is used as a saddle cover.

[gordon taylor]

+1

We have Brooks on every bike. They often get wet and it doesn't make any difference.

[Basil]

I normally have a plastic carrier bag crunched up and stuffed in the rails under the saddle.  If I have to leave the bike out in the rain then this is used as a saddle cover.

Me too.
I can highly recomend those cheap nasty blue carrier bags like wot you get from corner shops.  They scrunch up into a satisfyingly small shape that I push right up under the saddle nose.

[citoyen]

In fact, it is arguabley a good thing to get the saddle wet.   The Swift is as hard as a lump of wood.  I'd done more than 500 miles on it and it was showing no signs of breaking in.  Then I did a wet Bryan Chapman 600km audax on it and it was sorted out instantly.  Well, in 40 hours.  It's still a lump of wood but it is a nicely shaped lump now.

There may be something in that. When I was in the cadets, received wisdom on breaking in a new pair of  boots was to soak them in the bath for a few hours then march in them until they were as supple as a prima ballerina. I never tried it myself but lots of people swore by it.

I've left my Brooks saddle out in the rain many times with no obvious ill effects. Proofide is good shit.

d.

[1gear]

Briliant! Ive just left it in the back room, while i went to sort out my phone(changed to a different phone, more expensive but very nice) and ive come back and it feels pretty dry. When i touch the sides and pull them slightly, they dont just pull out like before.
The indentations where my sit bones were seem to not be there as much as they were though
Ill leave it in that room, and put it back on tomorrow, and put abit of proofhide on.
It doesnt look so bad, so im thinking it will be alright
My plastic bag was under the saddle, i have a nice one that covers up the saddle nicely when i leave it out in the wet.

It is lucky no-one took the bike really, but when i heard my bike was out in the rain it was the saddle i thought about first.
I do like the Brooks, would be much better if the did the B17N in honey and not just black and brown.....

[alecstilleyedye]

maybe the idea that they shouldn't get wet is in partly due to the fact that they ship with a little cover to put on them if left in the rain…

it's always in the saddle pack on any brooks saddled bike i take on a club run.

[DrMekon]

If they got knackered by exposure to water, wouldn't they all be ruined? I can't be the only sweaty person here, can I?

Where's that coat gif?

[Regulator]

Clarrers. Try nudging yer nadgers out of the way, like somewhere above your panty-line.

That should do the trick.

It's alright.  Butterfly keeps them in her bar bag....