# Leather saddles



## Pale Rider (16 Apr 2016)

What do you make of leather saddles?

Early impressions of my Spa Nidd saddle are favourable.

It's hard, doesn't feel particularly comfortable or uncomfortable, but there are no unpleasant pressure points.

The slight sag in the middle is good for fore/aft location, I can slip around a bit on other saddles.

I've gone for a slight nose-up aspect which seems to put less pressure on my sit bones, and make overall contact more even.

Hopefully, the saddle will continue to suit me for some time, I've liked some saddles initially in the past but gone off them after a few months.

The pic was taken early this morning, just before the saddle got a weather test - rain, hail, and snow.

No harm done, the water wipes off the shiny surface.


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## Crackle (16 Apr 2016)

See the sea. Well you missed a golden opportunity to fling it in and ride home on the more comfortable seat post.


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## fossyant (16 Apr 2016)

I prefer more 'modern stuff' - Even the Turbo and Regal from 20-30 years ago are far nicer on the eye.


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## Old jon (16 Apr 2016)

If your saddle is as comfortable as my Brooks, you will do fine. Easier on the backside is better than easier on the eye.


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## Banjo (16 Apr 2016)

B17 on the tourer.Brooks team proffesional on the Synapse.

My undercarriage loves them.


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## Fab Foodie (16 Apr 2016)

B17 on the Brommie, B17 on the Rourke. I'd seriously consider a Nidd if I ever needed to replace the Brooks.


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## mjr (16 Apr 2016)

Brooks Flyer on the fun lightweight here but it's not practical to leave a Brooks on a parked bike IMO (it might still be there if parked in Lynn, probably won't in Cambridge, very unlikely in London) so I've currently a BrevM Sellino on the workhorse (reviewed over in the reviews section), a Selle Royal trekking on the folder, a debranded vinyl mattress and a Madison Anatomic for the other bikes.


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## fatjel (16 Apr 2016)

First leather saddle was a Nidd.. I found it quite hard and uncomfortable.
Not painful tho ..
Replaced it with a Brooks B17 which was instantly more comfortable


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## alecstilleyedye (16 Apr 2016)

brooks b17 on commuter/winter bike; means i can use crap cycling gear on the 63km commute without discomfort…


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## EltonFrog (16 Apr 2016)

B17 on the shopper bike, very comfortable from the start, only ride that bike in jeans or chinos no padded gear. 

Brooks Swallow titanium on the road bike, always ride with padded shorts, very comfortable now but took a bit of getting used to. I did have the same saddle on the hybrid but didn't get on with it. 

I like a bit if leather on the rear me.


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## numbnuts (16 Apr 2016)

27,000 miles on a Brooks and it was still bloody uncomfortable, it's going mouldy in the garage now


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## mjr (16 Apr 2016)

numbnuts said:


> 27,000 miles on a Brooks and it was still bloody uncomfortable, it's going mouldy in the garage now


Should wipe it off and sell it before it's too far gone!


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## Rickshaw Phil (16 Apr 2016)

My experience is that they aren't perfect but I find I can ride further in (relative) comfort on a leather saddle than any of the plastic ones I've had.

I have the Nidd on my knockabout bike and it's been pretty good. It was rock hard to start with but got better with use and now after 4000 miles on it the leather has softened significantly..... which has presented its own problems lately, so today I've made some extra holes in the side flaps and have laced it up properly so it doesn't spread out like it was doing with the supplied laces.


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## jefmcg (16 Apr 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> It's hard, doesn't feel particularly comfortable or uncomfortable, but there are no unpleasant pressure points.


Bingo. That's me and my B17S. Get on it, and it feels hard and unforgiving. 100km later (or 1100km on one occasion) and it feels just the same, as does my - um - _contact points. _


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## Pale Rider (16 Apr 2016)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> My experience is that they aren't perfect but I find I can ride further in (relative) comfort on a leather saddle than any of the plastic ones I've had.
> 
> I have the Nidd on my knockabout bike and it's been pretty good. It was rock hard to start with but got better with use and now after 4000 miles on it the leather has softened significantly..... which has presented its own problems lately, so today I've made some extra holes in the side flaps and have laced it up properly so it doesn't spread out like it was doing with the supplied laces.



Ah, I took the laces off mine - they were in the way of the clamp.

I wondered if they were supposed to go back on.

It's unlikely I will do enough miles on it to do a proper spread test.


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## shouldbeinbed (16 Apr 2016)

B17 on the Ute bike, it is exceedingly comfortable. B17 narrow currrently in between bikes, slightly less comfy but still not bad at all.


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## Rickshaw Phil (16 Apr 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> Ah, I took the laces off mine - they were in the way of the clamp.
> 
> I wondered if they were supposed to go back on.
> 
> It's unlikely I will do enough miles on it to do a proper spread test.


If yours is anything like mine, removing (or loosening as I did) the laces will make it more comfortable when brand new but as it starts to break in (say around 500 to 1000 miles) you'll want them back as it spreads out in a way that Brooks saddles don't.


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## Pale Rider (16 Apr 2016)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> If yours is anything like mine, removing (or loosening as I did) the laces will make it more comfortable when brand new but as it starts to break in (say around 500 to 1000 miles) you'll want them back as it spreads out in a way that Brooks saddles don't.



I'm sure the man in Spa said spread could be dealt with by winding up the tension bolt, although I suppose that might not work if the leather itself has become soft.


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## Rickshaw Phil (16 Apr 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> *I'm sure the man in Spa said spread could be dealt with by winding up the tension bolt,* although I suppose that might not work if the leather itself has become soft.


I'd tend to disagree with that. I don't think mine lacks tension but what has happened is that as the sides have spread out a ridge has developed along the centre line which is pressing in "soft" places .

Tightening up the sides today has pulled the support back up under the area where the sit bones rest and reduced the ridge. It needs a proper test ride to be sure but already feels much better to sit on.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (16 Apr 2016)

My comfy Selle Italia saddle is made of leather. It's a jolly good saddle.


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## Dave 123 (17 Apr 2016)

The Nidd on my Spa bike was as others stated, rock hard to start with!
I can't say that it was ever painful but it was certainly unyielding.
After a few months use I felt it giving a touch, then it started to creak, so I tensioned it.... Now I'm back to square one!

I'm sure it will be the gift that eventually gives, if not I might take the excellent advice from @Crackle


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## raleighnut (17 Apr 2016)

Brooks on 5 of mine, not got round to buying any more yet. 
My 2005 Swallow Limited Edition Titanium was the dearest but nothing compared to the 2007 version.

http://www.brooksengland.com/catalogue-and-shop/saddles/Road+&+MTB/Swallow+Limited+Edition+2007/


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## mjr (17 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


> My comfy Selle Italia saddle is made of leather. It's a jolly good saddle.


Leather covering rather than a hammock?


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## Ajax Bay (17 Apr 2016)

Brooks 'Competiton' from the 70s: shows I haven't been riding enough.


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## Mrs M (17 Apr 2016)

I found the Brooks saddle super comfy from day 1.
Love it


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## sidevalve (17 Apr 2016)

Leather is for saddles - plastic is for lego bricks


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## User482 (17 Apr 2016)

sidevalve said:


> Leather is for saddles - plastic is for lego bricks


My plastic saddle is cheap, comfortable, waterproof and light. Everything a Brooks isn't.


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## Accy cyclist (18 Apr 2016)

numbnuts said:


> 27,000 miles on a Brooks and it was still bloody uncomfortable, it's going mouldy in the garage now



Clean it up and get it sold.


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## Gravity Aided (18 Apr 2016)

I like the Brooks quite well, but I use it on the Raleigh Sports only, as I use a Chinese leather saddle on my commuter, or a Georgena Terry Liberator(leather covered), and I use the original Concor on my Trek 600. I also have a fully sprung imitation leather saddle I usually use on the Raleigh in cold weather, or bad neighborhoods (like downtown, where the hipsters might pinch the Brooks).


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## contadino (18 Apr 2016)

Dave 123 said:


> The Nidd on my Spa bike was as others stated, rock hard to start with!
> I can't say that it was ever painful but it was certainly unyielding.
> After a few months use I felt it giving a touch, then it started to creak, so I tensioned it.... Now I'm back to square one!
> 
> I'm sure it will be the gift that eventually gives, if not I might take the excellent advice from @Crackle



My Nidd is exactly the same. I don't know how much to tighten the tensioning bolt though.

I've erred on the side of caution because I read that there is a limited number of times you can do that. The problem is that every 100 miles or so the tensioning bolt becomes a little loose and needs retightening.

I'm thinking of applying a little threadlock to try and stop it working loose.


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## Fab Foodie (18 Apr 2016)

User482 said:


> My plastic saddle is cheap, comfortable, waterproof and light. Everything a Brooks isn't.


True, but isn't a Brooks the green choice? Semi-organic, biodegradable and made in the UK ;-)


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## Pale Rider (18 Apr 2016)

contadino said:


> My Nidd is exactly the same. I don't know how much to tighten the tensioning bolt though.
> 
> I've erred on the side of caution because I read that there is a limited number of times you can do that. The problem is that every 100 miles or so the tensioning bolt becomes a little loose and needs retightening.
> 
> I'm thinking of applying a little threadlock to try and stop it working loose.



There's a lock nut on mine to prevent the Allen bolt moving after you've set it.


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## User482 (18 Apr 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> True, but isn't a Brooks the green choice? Semi-organic, biodegradable and made in the UK ;-)


Do you know how leather is made? Anyway, my 20-year old saddle was made in Italy, just like half of the Brooks range...


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## Pale Rider (18 Apr 2016)

User482 said:


> Do you know how leather is made?.



When a mummy cow and a daddy cow like each other very much?


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## Tenacious Sloth (18 Apr 2016)

All my saddles are leather. Brooks Swift on the Merida, Selle Anatomica on the CAADX and Brooks Flyer Imperial on the Hybrid.

For me the benefit is simple, a leather saddle will conform to your shape over a period of time (which seems to vary greatly between individual saddles, possibly due to leather thickness), whereas a plastic saddle cannot.

Graham


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## Aravis (18 Apr 2016)

Switching to a Flying Fortress has changed my life - no exaggeration. From the word go it was the most comfortable saddle I'd ever sat on and it has only got better. After about 2000 miles it barely looks used.

I'm not sure if this thread was intended to provoke a Brooks vs Spa rivalry; I might've thought of trying a Spa in the future, but some of the comments here suggest to me that Brookses may be better made and I think I'll stay with them if I ever need another.

If I feel underneath the saddle when pedalling, the give in the leather with every movement of the pelvic bones is very apparent. It simply moves wherever the bones want it to go, whilst remaining fully supportive. I'm sure this must be the reason that they're so forgiving - in my experience of course.


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## Pale Rider (18 Apr 2016)

I wondered about Brooks v Spa.

Comparing like models, a B17 is best part of eighty quid, against £35 for a Nidd.

Comments on here suggest the B17 may be the better product.

Quite possibly, the more expensive item is often the best.

I'd like to do a back(side) to back comparison, but won't for two reasons.

I'm not paying £80 for another saddle, and even if I did, it would take me years to do the mileage needed to assess both.


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## Gravity Aided (18 Apr 2016)

I think a lot of saddles made of leather have the same characteristics, but I think Brooks uses less of the leather in a hide, using only that which is of the same thickness, as well as having respect for behavior of the grain, and the importance of saddle treatments during production.Being a large fellow, I also have to say that Brooks uses better steel than many of the Chinese offerings on Amazon or some such, although I've had fine luck with mine, I've known people who have had problems. Yet I also have heard fine things about Spa Cycles line of saddles, and some prefer them.


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## jefmcg (18 Apr 2016)

I'm interested that people need to adjust the tensioning bolt on their Spas. My Brooks is 30,000km* old <insert "nearly broken in" joke here> and I've never had to touch that. I broke it in gently, just dubbin and my arse (there is all sorts of advice on the web about soaking it in oil or water or baking it), and have mostly covered the saddle if I've had to leave the bike out in the rain (no cover while riding it in the rain, but between me and the mudguard, it doesn't get very wet).

.... I've just checked the brooks site about tensioning, and it says it should be flat when viewed from the side. My saddle, unsurprisingly, has a gentle dip in the middle - if I place a book across the top of the saddle, there is about a 5mm gap in the middle. Brooks says this means it needs tensioning, but is there any reason to do that if I am comfortable as it is?

(I'm a slow rider, so 30,000km > 1,500 hours in the saddle)


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## GrumpyGregry (18 Apr 2016)

Here in Copenhagen, I write from my sickbed having been stricken by a nasty strain of manful given my by a man from Liverpool, leather saddles outnumber plastic ones about two-to-one, and Brooks are the majority. I daresay they sell more in Denmark, nb as original specification items, than they do in the UK. And they all seem to be completely neglected, left out in the rain, and the only time the get covered up is _if_ they are soaking wet, not to stop them getting soaking wet.

Oddly my Danish-bought bike has a plastic saddle, cheapskate sort of a purchase, cheap but not particularly nasty, whereas my English bike wot-is-in-transit, my Brompton, has a Brooks.

Now I must return to couging my lungs up.


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## Aravis (18 Apr 2016)

Last summer you could get a black B17 for about £62 from Halfords. At the time I hadn't heard of Spa, and the Brooks became my 55th birthday present. Sometimes decisions are easier when you don't have all the facts!

As I've said elsewhere, it helped to transform my "just about adequate" aluminium framed tourer into something I can barely improve upon. If I can no longer justify the new bike I still secretly lust after, my head knows that is a good thing.


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## Pale Rider (18 Apr 2016)

jefmcg said:


> I'm interested that people need to adjust the tensioning bolt on their Spas. My Brooks is 30,000km* old <insert "nearly broken in" joke here> and I've never had to touch that. I broke it in gently, just dubbin and my arse (there is all sorts of advice on the web about soaking it in oil or water or baking it), and have mostly covered the saddle if I've had to leave the bike out in the rain (no cover while riding it in the rain, but between me and the mudguard, it doesn't get very wet).
> 
> .... I've just checked the brooks site about tensioning, and it says it should be flat when viewed from the side. My saddle, unsurprisingly, has a gentle dip in the middle - if I place a book across the top of the saddle, there is about a 5mm gap in the middle. Brooks says this means it needs tensioning, but is there any reason to do that if I am comfortable as it is?
> 
> (I'm a slow rider, so 30,000km > 1,500 hours in the saddle)



Leaving it as is makes sense, happy in the knowledge you can always wind in a bit of tension if it sags a lot more.

I managed to get some mud on mine yesterday, so after a wipe, I gave it its first application of the stuff it came with.

The man in the shop said some people speed the process by using a hair dryer, but I couldn't be bothered with that.

As he also told me, leaving it overnight has done the same job.

The stuff has 'disappeared' and the finish looks as new again.


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## EltonFrog (18 Apr 2016)

A note on costs of Brooks.

Both of mine I bought on the Bay of E, one, the Swift, was brand new, an unwanted gift, about 60 queens cheaper than the shops and the B17 used for about 100 k apparently bloke didn't like it got it for 45 sovs, cheap as chips complete with boxes, dubbin, spanner and cloth. Bide your time keep cool and by one in the raffle.


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## sidevalve (18 Apr 2016)

jefmcg said:


> just dubbin and my arse


Did you dubbin the saddle or the other thing  
Must admit however I've never had to 'run in' a Brooks they just fit my bum from new.
Also curious about folk who seem happy to pay a grand or so for a bike + a wodge for 'the gear' but champ about maybe paying £60 - 70 on a saddle which will last for an entire lifetime.


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## Rickshaw Phil (18 Apr 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> I wondered about Brooks v Spa.
> 
> Comparing like models, a B17 is best part of eighty quid, against £35 for a Nidd.
> 
> ...


For what it''s worth, I have both and did do a comparison in my review thread for the Nidd which is here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/spa-nidd-saddle.145150/

It's probably about time I updated that.

*Edit: * Update done for anyone interested.


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## mjr (18 Apr 2016)

sidevalve said:


> Also curious about folk who seem happy to pay a grand or so for a bike + a wodge for 'the gear' but champ about maybe paying £60 - 70 on a saddle which will last for an entire lifetime.


Because many people try lots of saddles, few let you test ride them like a bike and Brooks are more expensive than most.


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## Bollo (18 Apr 2016)

I had a Brookes Swift on my commuter many years ago. Should have been called the Brookes Shawshank. It broke, I celebrated.


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## goody (18 Apr 2016)

I look forward to my first brooks in the same way as I look forward to retirement and growing a beard. I already have a carradice saddlebag so those days are not too far off.


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## jefmcg (18 Apr 2016)

GrumpyGregry said:


> manful





User said:


> mainful



Seriously, how hard is "man flu" to spell?

(best is @User trying to make it saucy, but adding an "i" to make it incomprehensible  )


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## GrumpyGregry (19 Apr 2016)

jefmcg said:


> Seriously, how hard is "man flu" to spell?


depends on hoe il you are


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## Fab Foodie (19 Apr 2016)

User482 said:


> Do you know how leather is made? Anyway, my 20-year old saddle was made in Italy, just like half of the Brooks range...


Leather's what's left once you've eaten the good bits


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## User482 (19 Apr 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> Leather's what's left once you've eaten the good bits


You're on a hiding to nothing...


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## Fab Foodie (19 Apr 2016)

User482 said:


> You're on a hiding to nothing...


I'm hope to pursuede you otherwise ....


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## EltonFrog (19 Apr 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> I'm hope to pursuede you otherwise ....



I'll give you a tanner that joke.


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## User482 (19 Apr 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> I'm hope to pursuede you otherwise ....



I doubt you'll nubuck the trend.


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## GuyBoden (13 May 2016)

Got one of these today, I'll give it a 50mile first test ride today with my best padded shorts and plenty of undercarriage cream.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Real-Leather-Bicycle-Saddle-/151946047118


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## Pale Rider (13 May 2016)

GuyBoden said:


> Got one of these today, I'll give it a 50mile first test ride today with my best padded shorts and plenty of undercarriage cream.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Real-Leather-Bicycle-Saddle-/151946047118



The little pack with the spanner in tied to the saddles in the ebay pics is the same as the one which came tied to my Spa Nidd.

The fore/aft markings on the rail are the same.

Seems likely both saddles are made by the same company.


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## Tenacious Sloth (13 May 2016)

GuyBoden said:


> Got one of these today, I'll give it a 50mile first test ride today with my best padded shorts and plenty of undercarriage cream.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Real-Leather-Bicycle-Saddle-/151946047118



Nice.


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## martint235 (13 May 2016)

Creaks. I've now ridden Brooks and Spa for about 5 years but I've finally given up. Not a comfort thing, just that there are more than enough places for strange noises to come from on my bike without the saddle being one of them. So I've moved both road bikes to Charge Spoons


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## fatjel (13 May 2016)

I've been a Charge Spoon user for a few years now, but they seem to turn on one after a couple of hundred ks
My latest fave is a Fizik Aliante.
I still like a brooks but they're very heavy
Of course my recumbent trike has the comfiest saddle. (mesh ice trike)


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## Ajax Bay (13 May 2016)

GuyBoden said:


> Got one of these today, I'll give it a 50mile first test ride today with my best padded shorts and plenty of undercarriage cream.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Real-Leather-Bicycle-Saddle-/151946047118


What's the point of the stitching? I would have thought that'd create a rub-fest.


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## mickle (14 May 2016)

Leather is the skin of a dead animal. Is it just me or does anyone else find this strange and repellant?


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## raleighnut (14 May 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> The little pack with the spanner in tied to the saddles in the ebay pics is the same as the one which came tied to my Spa Nidd.
> 
> The fore/aft markings on the rail are the same.
> 
> Seems likely both saddles are made by the same company.


Blooks.


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## mjr (14 May 2016)

mickle said:


> Leather is the skin of a dead animal. Is it just me or does anyone else find this strange and repellant?


It's not just you but I think the argument is that the animals are rarely killed for the skin and it means more animals get to live because of this extra use... but "mock leather" saddles are available, are slightly cheaper and the ones I've got work fine, although I've not got a Brooks-style one yet. There's also the Brooks Cambiums, which I've also not tried. Any reports?


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## steveindenmark (14 May 2016)

mickle said:


> Leather is the skin of a dead animal. Is it just me or does anyone else find this strange and repellant?



it isn't just you, there are other people who think the same way as you, but not everyone.

I am sat here eating my ham and cheese sandwich and I have 2 Brooks leather saddles. I also have several synthetic saddles.

We all have an individual choice.


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## ANT 666 (14 May 2016)

mickle said:


> Leather is the skin of a dead animal. Is it just me or does anyone else find this strange and repellant?


Its not strange to me, and a pie aint a pie if there's no meat in it.(septics please note)


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## outlash (14 May 2016)

mjray said:


> There's also the Brooks Cambiums, which I've also not tried. Any reports?



Fitted a Cambium C15 to my Fratello a couple of weeks ago but I've only had a couple of short-ish rides on it (~30 miles) so I can't comment on long term comfort, so far it feels pretty good.


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## ANT 666 (14 May 2016)

Cambium what a daft name for a saddle, if i remember right its something to do with trees, maybe its made of wood, I know it felt as hard when i saw one in a shop.


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## outlash (14 May 2016)

So you want one then?


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## steve50 (14 May 2016)

martint235 said:


> Creaks. I've now ridden Brooks and Spa for about 5 years but I've finally given up. Not a comfort thing, just that there are more than enough places for strange noises to come from on my bike without the saddle being one of them. So I've moved both road bikes to Charge Spoons



Charge spoon here as well, I thought I had broken my backside into the saddle that came with my Boardman but unfortunately that was not the case. I have used Charge spoon on other bikes and found them extremely comfortable.



mickle said:


> Leather is the skin of a dead animal. Is it just me or does anyone else find this strange and repellant?


Not at all, I eat meat, I wear leather shoes, wear leather jackets and have a leather covered saddle, no issues here.


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## ANT 666 (14 May 2016)

outlash said:


> So you want one then?


Nah dont think so, ive tried various saddles over the years but the ones that work for me are selle italia flight, got them on all six beasties now.
They are such a personal thing that advice is well meant but meaningless as you just have to find what is right for you, I know it can be expensive to find out but hell its worth ever penny when you get it right.


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## Rickshaw Phil (15 May 2016)

Ajax Bay said:


> What's the point of the stitching? I would have thought that'd create a rub-fest.


The leather on the cheaper saddles isn't prepared the same way as Brooks and will splay out and sag if it isn't laced together at the sides.

Now that my Nidd is thoroughly broken in I've had that trouble and needed to make extra holes for more lacing to keep it in shape as mentioned in the update to my review: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/spa-nidd-saddle.145150/post-4243571


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## GuyBoden (15 May 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> The little pack with the spanner in tied to the saddles in the ebay pics is the same as the one which came tied to my Spa Nidd.
> 
> The fore/aft markings on the rail are the same.
> 
> Seems likely both saddles are made by the same company.



Yes, I think you're right, they're probably made by the same company. It seems ok on the first few rides, if a bit hard, but obviously, it will take hundreds of miles for it to properly settle in.


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## Ajax Bay (15 May 2016)

After a few years of commuting in the early 70s the only item I saved from the bike was the Brooks: a 'Brooks Competition' - below. Pleased with my prescience, 40 years later I fitted it again to my new (to me) bike: it remains very comfortable (5000+km in last 8 months (off for the winter till 1 March)).


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## GuyBoden (15 May 2016)

Ajax Bay said:


> What's the point of the stitching? I would have thought that'd create a rub-fest.



The stitching is the lacing that tensions the sides, stops it sagging and opening out at the sides.


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## GuyBoden (15 May 2016)

martint235 said:


> Creaks. I've now ridden Brooks and Spa for about 5 years but I've finally given up. Not a comfort thing, just that there are more than enough places for strange noises to come from on my bike without the saddle being one of them. So I've moved both road bikes to Charge Spoons



I've got the wider Charge Pan with a leather cover, a very comfy saddle indeed for my physicality.

These:


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## Pale Rider (15 May 2016)

GuyBoden said:


> Yes, I think you're right, they're probably made by the same company. It seems ok on the first few rides, if a bit hard, but obviously, it will take hundreds of miles for it to properly settle in.



So far so good for my Nidd.

I've done 200+ miles on it in the last week - a lot for me - and while I couldn't quite describe the Nidd as comfortable, there is no post-ride discomfort which there might have been had I done the same mileage on the previous saddle.

I've had saddles in the past which I've liked for weeks or even months, but then hit problems.

Hopefully the Nidd won't go the same way.

I agree it's very hard, so it's just as well it is usable out of the box, because I think it will take many miles to bed in.


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## RedRider (15 May 2016)

outlash said:


> Fitted a Cambium C15 to my Fratello a couple of weeks ago but I've only had a couple of short-ish rides on it (~30 miles) so I can't comment on long term comfort, so far it feels pretty good.


I've had a test cambium c15 for the last month and had the chance to do a couple of 80 mile rides and it feels great so I've just bought one on Friday. Now I need to find a matching slate grey bar tape ( don't like the look of the rubbery Brookes version, nor their cotton tape.)
I can't compare with a leather saddle cos I've never had one but the 'hammock' construction will affect riding style I think. I'm tending to sit in the saddle a little more, less concerned about using my legs as suspension over rougher and uneven surfaces. I'm not sure whether it's a good habit to get into tbh but I can do it cos the hammock is comfortable and adds a little suspension.


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## mjr (15 May 2016)

I won't rave about my mock leather saddle here. I'll just link to a description/review/tip of similar ones https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lycett-mattress-saddle-replicas.200156/


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## GuyBoden (26 May 2016)

Update, the saddle is getting more comfy after 400+ miles, but I had to file the edges of the holes in the top smoother, they seemed a bit too sharp on my saddle.


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