Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Old Brooks salvagable?

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Old Brooks salvagable?

Old 10-31-21, 02:43 PM
  #1  
bikebikebike
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: TX
Posts: 518

Bikes: Downtube IX NS&FS, Dahon Speed8Pro/Matrix/Curve, Brom S2L,Montague Para, ICE-XL w/Rollie/Schlumpf, Trident Spike, ebikes, BFSatRDay

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 94 Times in 80 Posts
Old Brooks salvagable?

I was just given an old '70's Turin Chicago 10 speed in about as bad of a shape as a bike gets.

Rusted , but ridable, $50 bike that needs $150 worth of parts and at least a day. Moving parts ok if needing a deep cleanse and rotted rubber replaced.

It has an old Brooks that is hard as a rock.

I was thinking of maybe giving it a neatsfoot soak, but was wondering if anyone had tips for giving it anything resembling what it once was.

Sad because it once was a nice bike.

Thanks

PS sounds like the neatsfoot is a BAD idea. This thing is not deformed but is Cardboard/plastic hard.
? "Boiling"/ wetting? or is that just for new leather to shape?
It looks to be in decent shape, is not deformed and works as a rigid saddle.
Old horse saddle care with Obenauf's seems like a decent move from the
"How to save a Brooks Saddle? Worth Saving?" thread. It seems most of the ones they talked about were deformed (wings spread)

Last edited by bikebikebike; 10-31-21 at 09:22 PM.
bikebikebike is offline  
Old 10-31-21, 03:58 PM
  #2  
degan
Senior Member
 
degan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 919
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 120 Post(s)
Liked 102 Times in 54 Posts
From what I've gleamed on different BF threads on the subject, soaking a saddle in anything is a last resort for saddles that are on their last legs. Its supposed to be hard so if thats your only problem then you're probably fine. Leather saddles get their comfort from their ability to conform and fit your sit bones like a mold and not so much from being squishy or soft. If the surface is looking rough and dried out a good coat of Proofide or mink oil or some other leather conditioner would definitely help. Are there any deep gouges or cuts? Hows the adjustment screw at the nose? If its all the way extended that could also be an issue, as the leather can be stretched too far. A pic or two would help.
degan is offline  
Likes For degan:
Old 10-31-21, 05:38 PM
  #3  
randyjawa 
Senior Member
 
randyjawa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Posts: 11,672

Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma

Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1370 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,743 Times in 934 Posts
Get some Proofhide and lather/rub into top and under sides. Put the saddle in a plastic bar, dark color preferred, and place it in the sun. The sun will warm the whole works up, allowing the leather's pores to expand in size, making it easier for the Proofhide to soak in. After a day or so, repeat a time or two. Polish the saddle with a soft dry cloth afterwards and hope for the best. However, is the leather is all cracked up, nothing much will help.
__________________
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
randyjawa is offline  
Old 10-31-21, 05:49 PM
  #4  
clubman 
Phyllo-buster
 
clubman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,829

Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic

Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2287 Post(s)
Liked 2,028 Times in 1,244 Posts
Pics are needed.
clubman is offline  
Likes For clubman:
Old 10-31-21, 06:08 PM
  #5  
smontanaro 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 5,859

Bikes: many

Mentioned: 61 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1434 Post(s)
Liked 1,362 Times in 747 Posts
Originally Posted by clubman
Pics are needed.
Of the bike, not just the saddle.
__________________
Monti Special
smontanaro is offline  
Old 10-31-21, 09:51 PM
  #6  
bikebikebike
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: TX
Posts: 518

Bikes: Downtube IX NS&FS, Dahon Speed8Pro/Matrix/Curve, Brom S2L,Montague Para, ICE-XL w/Rollie/Schlumpf, Trident Spike, ebikes, BFSatRDay

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 94 Times in 80 Posts
Thanks , guys. Pics are fragmented, but light was bad. It gets the idea across, and I can get more if needed




Rust extensive, but seems superficial. Leather smooth , not cracked or dusty,but is hard
Bike garaged, doesn't appear to have direct water damage, but as dirty as any garaged bike I have seen.
Other than the rubber parts it works.
I feel like Magic Max from Princess Bride, "I seen worse."
It seems like a gentle humidification and light coatings of mild oils/ beeswax, like the bag suggestion, may give it something of a chance.
Don't think it will ever be Brooks like again, but looks usable
. The equestrian saddle guys see this kind of stuff a lot, apparently, and hate to work with it, but they get stuff that gets stressed, like reins that can't fail
bikebikebike is offline  
Likes For bikebikebike:
Old 11-01-21, 06:08 AM
  #7  
clubman 
Phyllo-buster
 
clubman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,829

Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic

Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2287 Post(s)
Liked 2,028 Times in 1,244 Posts
I don't think that looks too bad at all, it still has it's shape. Wipe it clean and put some proofide on it and buff that puppy. Then you'll know if it needs something more dramatic.

Last edited by clubman; 11-01-21 at 08:29 AM.
clubman is offline  
Likes For clubman:
Old 11-01-21, 08:13 AM
  #8  
capnjonny 
Senior Member
 
capnjonny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Saratoga calif.
Posts: 1,046

Bikes: Miyata 610(66cm), GT Vantara Hybrid (64cm), Nishiki International (64cm), Peugeot rat rod (62 cm), Trek 800 Burning Man helicopter bike, Bob Jackson frame (to be restored?) plus a never ending stream of neglected waifs from the Bike exchange.

Mentioned: 28 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 339 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 623 Times in 225 Posts
I have accumulated a number of old saddles doing resto for the Bike Exchange. A while ago I read a post from someone who soaked and reshaped an old Brooks and decided it was worth a try. The one I chose was not rideable, it's side having flared out so it was almost flat. I filled the bathroom sink with warm water and submerged the saddle in it. almost immediately she leather became completely limp and pliable. I removed it from the water, patted it dry (ish) and took it out to the shop. Then I took some heavy string and wrapped it around the saddle pulling the sides back down and restoring it to it's original shape. I left it there in the garage for a while till it had dried out thoroughly, then removed the string. The saddle retained the new shape. The only problem was that the string had left marks in the leather where it was cinched down tight. At this point the shape was good but the surface of the leather was uneven, with some surface cracking. With nothing to loose, I got out the vibrating sander, put some 400 grit paper on it, and sanded the surface of the saddle. The result was a uniform Swede like surface to the leather. I then changed to 1000 grit and sanded again , resulting in a smooth but not quite shiny surface. Good enough. finally I Got out the Proof ride and coated the saddle top and bottom and then buffed the topsides. In the end the saddle looked almost new.

This should work if the leather on the saddle is not too cracked. If the nose area has substantial cracks doing this may cause it to tear off completely which will end the experiment. Also, if the saddle has deep cracks in the center the soaking may expose fatal weakening. If you have an old leather saddle that is unridable as it is why not give the soaking a try

P.S. I just did the above on another old saddle . this time instead of string I used 3m blue masking tape to wrap the saddle to avoid the string cutting into the leather. Works much better.
PPS. even if the surface is covered with cracks , try anyway. The saddle I just worked on has a terrible looking surface . After drying and sanding , most of that was gone. as long as it doesn't weaken the leather a good sanding will do wonders.

Last edited by capnjonny; 11-01-21 at 08:16 AM.
capnjonny is offline  
Old 11-01-21, 09:18 AM
  #9  
Road Fan
Senior Member
 
Road Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 16,853

Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8

Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1851 Post(s)
Liked 654 Times in 498 Posts
My view is, +1 on Randy's black bag approach to re-oiling the saddle - Use of Proofide rather than all of the other stuff that's out there, and +1 on gently warming the saddle. However here southern Michigan November has brought us almost freezing temperatures, though we have some sun, y'all!

But before that, I also agree with cleaning. First saddle soap with warmish water and a soft sponge to get off the loose stuff. If at that point you can see mildew, try repeating with a dilute bleach solution to kill the fungus. There are Internet articles about mildew treatment of leather - it can grow back.

Look for cracks, crazing, pulling at the rivets, and rust on the steel frame underneath. You could ust replace teh leather. List member rmayr is an expert at doing that.

The saddle looks like it might be an early Team Professional, due to the big rivets. I remember seeing those Turin bikes in the store but with cheaper parts, at least the ones that were plain steel tubing. Based on the parts and non-Reynolds frames, I equated them with Peugeot UO-8s, which only would come with Brooks Pro for a store upgrade. If you restore it to pretty good condition, it would be a very worthwhile saddle for any level of bike. If it is a Professional, it would say "professional" on teh side skirts.
Road Fan is offline  
Old 11-01-21, 09:26 AM
  #10  
canopus 
Senior Member
 
canopus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingwood, TX
Posts: 1,592

Bikes: Road, Touring, BMX, Cruisers...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 135 Post(s)
Liked 172 Times in 110 Posts
Is everyone here afraid of saddle soap... Clean it (top and bottom), let it dry, condition it (top and bottom), polish/buff it.

Clean it because it is, well, filthy. Saddle soap is fine with a soft brush. It loosens the fibers, gets the dirt out, allows you to check its condition. Wipe it dry (microfiber towel), then let it it dry naturally.
Condition it. Proofide is probably best, it needs to penetrate the fibers but not soak through everything, The leather fibers are brittle and dry, you are trying to moisten them to allow them to flex and not break. IMHO, I would NOT use neats foot oil. It may take more that a couple of applications maybe a little heat to help it penetrate the fibers better. But don't leave it on forever thinking it needs to be soft and moist, it doesn't. Condition it, set it, polish and buff it out, check for pliabilty. if the leather is cracking (hear it), condition it some more. If you could still get the copper rivets I would be sorely tempted to drill and pull the leather off the frame so the leather under the frame could get a good treatment also, but you should be able to bring it back with some heat.
__________________
1984 Cannondale ST
1985 Cannondale SR300
1980 Gary Littlejohn Cruiser
1984 Trek 760
1981 Trek 710
Pics
canopus is offline  
Old 11-01-21, 12:50 PM
  #11  
Calsun
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,280
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 608 Post(s)
Liked 382 Times in 288 Posts
When leather Brooks saddles were very popular many years ago in the states it was routine to drill out the factory rivets, treat the leather to soften it, and then remount it to the frame with new copper rivets. The "new" saddle was as comfortable as one that had been broken in with ones butt for a year. I still use the Brooks saddle that a friend processed 50 years ago on an equally old custom road bike.
Calsun is offline  
Old 11-01-21, 02:56 PM
  #12  
Big Block
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 807
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 202 Post(s)
Liked 154 Times in 77 Posts
Originally Posted by capnjonny
The one I chose was not rideable, it's side having flared out so it was almost flat. I filled the bathroom sink with warm water and submerged the saddle in it. almost immediately she leather became completely limp and pliable. I removed it from the water, patted it dry (ish) and took it out to the shop. Then I took some heavy string and wrapped it around the saddle pulling the sides back down and restoring it to it's original shape. I left it there in the garage for a while till it had dried out thoroughly, then removed the string. The saddle retained the new shape. The only problem was that the string had left marks in the leather where it was cinched down tight. At this point the shape was good but the surface of the leather was uneven, with some surface cracking. With nothing to loose, I got out the vibrating sander, put some 400 grit paper on it, and sanded the surface of the saddle. .....
Now if you had followed the instructions of
[after soaking] "If the side skirts are spread too wide, gently containing them as the leather dries is required. No force is needed, an old toe strap is traditional."
there would be no sanding required.
see the thread at https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...reshaping.html

But that is not required for the saddle for this thread.
A good brush down, then clean with saddle soap, then Proofide treatment should be all that is needed.
Big Block is offline  
Old 11-02-21, 05:25 AM
  #13  
Road Fan
Senior Member
 
Road Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 16,853

Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8

Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1851 Post(s)
Liked 654 Times in 498 Posts
Originally Posted by Big Block
Now if you had followed the instructions of
[after soaking] "If the side skirts are spread too wide, gently containing them as the leather dries is required. No force is needed, an old toe strap is traditional."
there would be no sanding required.
see the thread at https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...reshaping.html

But that is not required for the saddle for this thread.
A good brush down, then clean with saddle soap, then Proofide treatment should be all that is needed.
That sounds like another really good idea - a good dry-brushing before wet-washing. Gets off or loosens dried crud, such as mud or similar!
Road Fan is offline  
Old 11-02-21, 11:15 AM
  #14  
dddd
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
 
dddd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,170

Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.

Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1554 Post(s)
Liked 1,273 Times in 845 Posts
I agree with a gentle cleaning, followed by drying and then giving a few days for some Proofhide to permeate the leather, in a warm location.

What I've always done for a too-hard top ridge is to place a damp sponge atop the saddle some minutes before each ride, which simulates an hour of sweating on the bike.

Keep the sponge well away from the rivets and especially from the edges of the metal undercarriage, or else the rivet holes will stretch and the sharp edges of the undercarriage will be mirrored to the top side of the saddle. Both are very bad outcomes.

The moisture also serves to give a slippery saddle some real grip, allowing the rider to better keep their body positioned away from edges and pressure points. This makes the break-in period a whole lot more tolerable, while the moisture also accelerates the often-slower break-in period of the ridge area of the saddle.

As a last-resort, on saddles with still too "peaked" of a ridge, I've used a wood dowel to gently roll some flexibility into the top crest of the nose area, but again (as with the damp sponge), this working should be kept well away from the edges of the metal nose hardware underneath!

That saddle looks very good to me, I would definitely not mess with the riveting that is for sure.
dddd is offline  
Old 11-02-21, 11:31 AM
  #15  
smontanaro 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 5,859

Bikes: many

Mentioned: 61 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1434 Post(s)
Liked 1,362 Times in 747 Posts
Originally Posted by dddd
I agree with a gentle cleaning, followed by drying and then giving a few days for some Proofhide to permeate the leather, in a warm location.
That is apparently a job for a cat.

__________________
Monti Special
smontanaro is offline  
Likes For smontanaro:
Old 11-02-21, 11:44 AM
  #16  
Colorado Kid
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 872
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 357 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 136 Times in 82 Posts
I like your bike! It could turn into a nice Beater bike or something to ride around the bad parts of town. (No one would steal it.) As far as the seat, I agree what everyone has said. Soap and some Proofide and you'll be ready for the open road.
Colorado Kid is offline  
Old 11-06-21, 01:18 PM
  #17  
bikebikebike
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: TX
Posts: 518

Bikes: Downtube IX NS&FS, Dahon Speed8Pro/Matrix/Curve, Brom S2L,Montague Para, ICE-XL w/Rollie/Schlumpf, Trident Spike, ebikes, BFSatRDay

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 94 Times in 80 Posts
Originally Posted by Colorado Kid
I like your bike! It could turn into a nice Beater bike or something to ride around the bad parts of town. (No one would steal it.) As far as the seat, I agree what everyone has said. Soap and some Proofide and you'll be ready for the open road.
It surely is a cosmetic challenge.
My only concern is sorting out the pre-ISO bearing world.
I have the SheldonBrown break downs, but am still working out a way to identify parts for maintaining.
I have several bikes of similar vintage and the French Italian and British stuff has such an assortment of seat posts and bearings as to make keeping them in the game a challenge.
The seat is in its Proofhide balm spa treatment, and the cleanse and lube progresses as tools for the BB and stem disassembly are acquired
bikebikebike is offline  
Old 11-07-21, 11:18 AM
  #18  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,149

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
I brought home a Brooks that is still soft but it is warped. I think the frame it was on was leaned up on some thing or upside down a storage unit for years. I reshaped it with my thumbs and it looks a lot better. I got to thinking though.. I had just about to throw out a trashed saddle out that the plastic and foam had delaminated from the plastic structure. The hard plastic is a very close match to a Brooks and I think that if I cut off the rails and split it in half I think I can get it under the Brooks leather with a bit of trimming. I'm a little hesitant to soak the saddle in water, but know that you can use alcohol to soften shoe leather temporarily in in more of a localized treatment, IE makeing room for little toes that were broken a few to many times...
bark_eater is offline  
Old 11-07-21, 04:10 PM
  #19  
Melon Baller
two wheels is just right
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SF, CA
Posts: 11

Bikes: Raleigh Sports, Lotus Classique, Fuji Royale, Raleigh Record

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 2 Posts
I've seen videos of beatup vintage leather shoes being restored. I wonder if the same techniques could be used on a leather saddle.
Melon Baller is offline  
Old 11-07-21, 04:48 PM
  #20  
ironwood
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Boston area
Posts: 2,039

Bikes: 1984 Bridgestone 400 1985Univega nouevo sport 650b conversion 1993b'stone RBT 1985 Schwinn Tempo

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 542 Post(s)
Liked 151 Times in 100 Posts
I tried to save a rock hard Brooks Pro. First I tried Proofide, but it didn't really soften it . Finally I rluctantly tried neatsfoot oil, and did manage to make the saddle comfortable. and for a couple of months it was very comfortable, then it ripped near a rivet. So' maybe it might not be worth the time and effort.

I bought a Turin from the Denver store, and I still ride the B-17 it came with. I always kept it properly tensioned and used Proofide or Nikwax.
ironwood is offline  
Old 11-07-21, 05:28 PM
  #21  
verktyg 
verktyg
 
verktyg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 4,035

Bikes: Current favorites: 1988 Peugeot Birraritz, 1984 Gitane Super Corsa, 1980s DeRosa, 1981 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo, 1992 Paramount OS, 1988 Colnago Technos, 1985 RalieghUSA SBDU Team Pro

Mentioned: 207 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1036 Post(s)
Liked 1,236 Times in 653 Posts
The OP's bike has spent a period of it's life fully (or fooly) submerged! ARRGH!

I grew up in the heart of the Rust Bowl. I HATE RUST!!! I can smell it, taste it I even worked in a steel mill for a while...That said,



As far as the Brooks saddle goes, it doesn't look as bad as the rest of the bike... there's always hope...


Consider this saddle, someone was actually riding it! HaHaHa



snarky verktyg
__________________
Don't believe everything you think! History is written by those who weren't there....

Chas. ;-)

verktyg is offline  
Old 11-07-21, 05:32 PM
  #22  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
It is really hard to judge the condition of old leather. I have an old Gretch archtop guitar, a lower end model from the 30’s, that I've had since 1982. It came to me with a thin leather strap that may have been original to the guitar. It's like 3/4” wide, not one if those phat straps that came into fashion in the 70’s. This strap was old when i got it and... well, almost 40 years later, I'm still using that strap with that guitar, and it seems fine. Apparently leather holds up damned well if stored in the right conditions.
As to OP's saddle, I agree that it doesn't need much, but what do i know. I am doubtful whether anything will actually soften it, but carry on, and let us know what happens!

Last edited by rhm; 11-07-21 at 05:36 PM.
rhm is offline  
Old 11-07-21, 05:37 PM
  #23  
verktyg 
verktyg
 
verktyg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 4,035

Bikes: Current favorites: 1988 Peugeot Birraritz, 1984 Gitane Super Corsa, 1980s DeRosa, 1981 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo, 1992 Paramount OS, 1988 Colnago Technos, 1985 RalieghUSA SBDU Team Pro

Mentioned: 207 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1036 Post(s)
Liked 1,236 Times in 653 Posts
Brroks Pro Follow On

That's a Brooks Pro Select from around 1979. They only made that model for a few years.

They were HARD as a rock and rarely got as soft as a standard Brooks Pro. Perhaps the initial hardness may have protected the leather?





verktyg not snarky
__________________
Don't believe everything you think! History is written by those who weren't there....

Chas. ;-)

verktyg is offline  
Likes For verktyg:
Old 11-07-21, 07:39 PM
  #24  
Fredo76
The Wheezing Geezer
 
Fredo76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Española, NM
Posts: 995

Bikes: 1976 Fredo Speciale, Jamis Citizen 1, Ellis-Briggs FAVORI, Rivendell Clem Smith Jr.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 393 Post(s)
Liked 854 Times in 421 Posts
Yes, quite salvagable. First, clean it well and let it dry. Then apply oil (I used Red Wing Boot Oil) while in the sun until it won't soak any more up. Then throw it in a tub of water for a few days. Then take it out and mount it, and as it slowly dries, take either a baseball bat (or a rolling pin if you're squeamish) to it several times over the course of its drying. Now you can break it in with 1000 miles instead of 10,000 miles. That method worked well for me.

IMO a saddle should have a slight saddle shape, not a level top. You probably have a whole inch of bolt left if you need to tighten it one day. Sitting on rock-hard saddles is for hard-asses.
Fredo76 is offline  
Old 04-11-23, 07:49 AM
  #25  
Road Fan
Senior Member
 
Road Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 16,853

Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8

Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1851 Post(s)
Liked 654 Times in 498 Posts
Originally Posted by bikebikebike
I was just given an old '70's Turin Chicago 10 speed in about as bad of a shape as a bike gets.

Rusted , but ridable, $50 bike that needs $150 worth of parts and at least a day. Moving parts ok if needing a deep cleanse and rotted rubber replaced.

It has an old Brooks that is hard as a rock.

I was thinking of maybe giving it a neatsfoot soak, but was wondering if anyone had tips for giving it anything resembling what it once was.

Sad because it once was a nice bike.

Thanks

PS sounds like the neatsfoot is a BAD idea. This thing is not deformed but is Cardboard/plastic hard.
? "Boiling"/ wetting? or is that just for new leather to shape?
It looks to be in decent shape, is not deformed and works as a rigid saddle.
Old horse saddle care with Obenauf's seems like a decent move from the
"How to save a Brooks Saddle? Worth Saving?" thread. It seems most of the ones they talked about were deformed (wings spread)
How did this salvation project turn out? I think your saddle IS a Brooks Pro Select, since I have fallen into two of them! The bike is most likely straight steel like a UO-8, and I would not have tackled it since I don't skills or a fcility to paint one. I would not be worried about antique (?) threading, since I haven't found it so hard to replace dead French and English (Raleigh threading) BB and headset cups.

But I'm mainly interested in how the saddle effort came out!
Road Fan is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.