How to Care for Leather Saddles

A couple of goes with saddle soap did so much to improve the look of my new old Brooks B-72 that I wanted to post an after picture and also solicit comments from readers about what they use to clean and maintain their leather saddles, especially the old ones.

For the Runwell's saddle, which I originally thought beyond redemption, I used a combination of several cleanings with saddle soap and then several applications of neatsfoot oil, which is what I always used on my horse tack back in my equestrian days. While still very much showing its age, the saddle cleaned up very nicely.

But that was a hard case, and this new saddle came out looking much improved with just three applications of saddle soap and then buffing with a soft cloth. I'll do a couple more applications before the Huffeigh is assembled (which will still be some time), and then occasional saddle soaping and maybe a light oiling now and then. What do you do?

The Huffeigh's New Saddle

To be more in keeping with the Huffeigh's British roots, I've decided to replace the vulgar Taiwanese vinyl-and-rust job that was on it with a "vintage" (read: "old") Brooks B-72 purchased on eBay. It needs cleaning, but it's otherwise in fine shape, and is going to make quite a difference, both in terms of aesthetics and comfort. I like the well-worn look, since I think a brand-new saddle looks a bit odd on a bike that is also well-worn. It will darken a bit with cleaning and oiling, which will be good, since it will better match the black bike and (the eventual) new black grips. The photo below illustrates the simplicity of the Brooks compared to the mess that is the underside of the Taiwanese Wonder-Saddle.

Huffy/Raleigh Rebuild Series #4

Saddle up!

Used Brooks B72, vintage unknown, also found cheap on eBay. A huge improvement over the thing that was on there. Brace yourself, the next in the series in going to skip a couple of steps all at once, given the nature of needing to attach fenders and wheels in the same go. It is a bicycle!

The Runwell: First Photos

Here's the "before" photo from the Craigslist posting, and the rest are from today--I'm finished! These didn't really turn out very well, and I'll post some better ones later, but I just had to put these up! Actually the rackafratzin' left pedal is still stuck fast, so I've still got that to work on. Right now, the right pedal is shiny and new, and the left is dirty and old. Otherwise, I'm incredibly pleased with how the polish went on, how the fenders turned out, and just really totally psyched about the whole package, actually! The rod brake works wonderfully, as does the coaster hub, and the saddle is the only thing that makes noise, and that just needs a bit of oil in some strategic places underneath.

New Saddle for the Missus

I'm not the only one getting new sits around here. I found a good deal on this Schwinn saddle for my wife's 1977 Schwinn Suburban. The saddle that was on there was a newer and very crappy saddle designed for road bikes. It was too narrow and had no springs whatsoever and was not at all a good match for the bike. As a general rule, the more upright your riding posture, the wider and more heavily-sprung your saddle should be.

The new saddle has only been on a short ride when we ran some errands last weekend, but it has already proven its superiority. When we got home, my wife exclaimed: "Hey, my butt doesn't hurt." Good.

Updates to the Huffeigh

Or, the trouble with buying leather saddles of largely unknown age and condition on eBay.

Be fairly warned. Towards the end of Sunday's Down Townies ride, my used Brooks B72 broke; tore apart right at the nose rivets. It wasn't dramatic or painful, and I knew exactly what happened right away. At least I was able to put a few dozen miles on it before it broke. And, fortunately enough, I had hinted strongly to my wife of my desire for a new Brooks B66 as a graduation present, and it happened to be ready on the afternoon this one broke. While picking up my new saddle at the shop, I also finally picked up a kickstand.

It's feeling good to get the Huffeigh outfitted as a daily rider. I had hoped, while I was investing many hours of work on it, that this bike would be a good ride, and I haven't been disappointed. Now that it's shaping up to be my main ride, I'm getting exciting about doing all of the finishing touches. I've also put on a salvaged rear rack and basket, figured out how to attach the chainguard without it rubbing, and together with the new saddle and kickstand, it becomes that much more useful and complete as a mode of transportation. Next, I'd really like to find a new retro-ish-looking headlamp and dynamo, and also get a pump for the frame.

The Runwell Test Ride!

Ladies and gentleman, the Runwell runs well! In fact, the Runwell runs like a dream! After realizing that the new tires I bought on Saturday don't fit on the Westwood rims (they popped right off under minimal air pressure), and then changing out the tires from the Columbia, which worked perfectly, I put on the chain, made some adjustments, tightened down all the nuts, and I was off. I wanted to take a test ride before placing my Harris order, since I wasn't sure if I would need a new seatpost until I tried the existing one, and it turns out that it works just fine, and doesn't seat me too far forward, as I had thought it would.

This is probably the most solid bicycle I've ever ridden, at least in my adult life. With just one speed, it runs silently, and the coaster brake functions just beautifully. It seats you bolt upright, as I knew it would, but the still-comfy old Brooks saddle feels like sitting in a chair. It's responsive, relatively light, and although not terribly fast, it can move if it has a mind to. As my wife and I took turns circling an empty parking lot near our house, it already received its first compliment from a woman who stopped to admire it. Not bad for the first five minutes of its new life!

Still to do: paint and topcoat the rear fender, which will take a little while because I have both white and black paint to apply, order and install the new front brakes and pedals, put a second coat of varnish on the grips, and do all the final cleaning, polishing, and waxing. With all of it, I think I'm looking at another two weeks, taking delivery time from Harris (on the other side of the country from me) into consideration. I might post a few more teaser photos in the meantime, but you'll have to wait a bit for the grand unveiling.

The Runwell: Just Another Teaser

Still working on the fenders, the brakes and pedals should arrive next week, then a couple coats of polish and done! I'm already putting together my wishlist of accessories to accumulate over the next few months, including a bell and a retro headlamp from Velo Orange, and long-term a new Brooks.

Also, I took him on a night ride around the 'hood last night and it was pure joy to glide around in utter silence and darkness (excepting my headlight). Sitting upright in total comfort, I just cruised about, taking it all in--truly a Slow Bicycle moment.

The Runwell: Day 5

As you can see from the photo above, disassembly continues. As I go, I'm still doing major surface cleaning, focusing most on the rust. No dramatic results to report so far, just plugging away at it and applying liberal doses of elbow grease, although you can start to see a difference on the handlebars.

After checking prices on new Brooks saddles, and confirming my inability to buy one just now, I've decided to have a go at resurrecting the original. The left photo shows the before condition, the one below shows how it looks after liberal doses of saddle soap and neatsfoot oil, more of which will be forthcoming. It's actually not looking too bad, although its age and general decrepitude are still obvious. It should be serviceable, however.