During the spring of 2011 I made the decision to try out a tensioned, unpadded leather saddle again. My previous experience with a 100% leather saddle was using the Selle-Anatomica, which doesn’t require any break in. But that saddle was heavy (no titanium model available) and the slit down the middle was not terribly comfortable for me while using aerobars. Gilles Berthoud are French-made saddles which are supposedly pre-softened, but frankly I can’t tell the difference between a new “factory softened” GB and a new Brooks, so decided to speed things along myself.
Please note that most leather saddles that have a fabric backing, i.e. Rivet and some others, will not soften much, if at all, using these techniques. On one Rivet I managed to tear off the backing which did provide a slightly softer perch.
Nearly every saddle maker says not to put anything on their saddles but their own brand of treatment stuff. They claim that oils will break down the leather too quickly—but honestly, who has the patience and endurance to sit on rock-hard saddle for three or four months while it gets broken in? The Brooks Proofide “stuff” is (or was) made from tallow, cod oil, vegetable oil, paraffin wax, bees was and citronella oil. GB also sells a small tin of “leather wax.” They both look a lot like Sno-Seal, the bees wax substance I used in the 70s to waterproof my leather mountaineering boots. But then, the purpose of Sno-Seal wasn’t to make the leather softer, rather it’s purpose was to make the leather more water resistant. One brand of mink oil, on the hand, contains a “rich blend of mink oil, silicone and lanolin which conditions and waterproofs smooth leather.”
I learned of two different methods from reliable sources of how to break in a leather saddle:
The first method I learned was similar to the directions found on Sno-Seal treatment product. The recommendation, which came from a friend that has several of the rather expensive Brooks Swift saddles. Here is what he suggested to do: “Get some mink oil, slather the saddle inside and out then bake at 150 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until the oil soaks in completely. Let it cool and buff the saddle out, it will be a chalky white. Then rub in another light coat of oil at room temp on the seat side. You will be good to go. I rode a double century on a brand new Brooks Swift saddle like this. Don’t be afraid to adjust the nut to get tension right on the leather. You will know when it is right.”
The second method is slightly more complicated, but is the technique I generally prefer because it gets the leather softer for quicker break in. This is recommended by the legendary Lon Haldeman (& Susan Notorangelo) on his blog page. He outlines 13 steps to breaking in a Brooks (or similar leather) saddle. The whole process takes about three to four days. This technique does not work with leather saddles that have a fabric or mesh-like backing on the underside like the Rivet and others. This extra layer is presumably designed to prevent the leather from sagging over time, but it is just too firm and doesn’t permit the leather to shape or become softer. Below is an abbreviated version of his 13 steps. WARNING: light colored leathers may develop some streaks or odd looking patterns when attempting this step.
- (optional) Before treating this saddle I wanted to minimize any chafing and skived the edges of the leather with an Exacto blade or scalpel.
- Attach your saddle to your seatpost and dial in your bike fit with your preferred height, setback and overall saddle angle. Mark with tape the height of the post.
- Remove the saddle and post together as one unit. Immerse the whole saddle in a bucket of hot water (100-120F or ~43C or as hot as possible and still be able to immerse your hand in it) for around 7 minutes. Remove the saddle and flex the sides of it with your fingers. Lon says “The saddle should feel pliable but not limp. If the saddle still feels stiff then soak it another 5 minutes. Do not over soak it because you only want to break in the saddle about 50% during this first process.”
- Remove the saddle from the water and quickly dry it off with an old towel. Rub the top, bottom and edges of the leather with plenty of mink oil. Massage it into the leather for about 3–5 minutes, particularly in the sit bone area. Do not wipe off the mink oil. Mount the saddle on your bike and immediately go for a 10–15 minute ride. Using old shorts are recommended. Personally, I like to use a pair of unpadded Lycra running shorts so my sit bones protrude better.
- After your ride, add more mink oil to the top. Check the tension screw of the saddle. Usually I back it off all the way and then re-tighten it until it just begins to be sung…and then turn it another full revolution. Frequently I will tightly wrapped a strap around the entire saddle and post, like the ski strap shown below, to keep the shape of the saddle. This especially helps keep the side panels in without lacing. Let it sit overnight.
- The next day, if it still feels too firm, repeat steps 3 & 4 if necessary and go for an hour ride (on one occasion I went for a 4-hour ride, which proved to be too much for the Brooks Team Pro).
- Add more mink oil each day and go for increasing longer rides for the next two days. Be sure to keep the saddle well oiled for the first month or so after breaking it in.
For me, within three days I was off and running with a new leather saddle that gave me plenty of comfort without the tireless break-in time that is commonly associated with this style of seat. I was able to ride a one-day 200K (125 miles) immediately without any problems down under. NICE!
Rando Richard Blog 
Hi Richard, I’m just wondering, how is your saddle holding up after breaking it in this way? Had you tried this before on another saddle? Have you ever broken in a saddle like this the old fashioned way?
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Saddle is working fine. Yesterday I finished up another 1200km grand randonnee using this saddle and have used it for a complete year now. I have used it on one very rainy 400km brevet and with all the added mink oil it seemed to not stretch, despite the moisture. I have not tried this technique on other brands, but Lon Haldeman uses this method on his Brooks. I have not attempted to break in a saddle using the old fashioned way. Just last night I spoke to another rider (who also finished the 1200km and was having slight seat troubles) who is on his 2nd Brooks and is trying to break it in the old fashioned way and despite months & high mileage is not happy yet. I pointed him to this post on my blog and recommend he use this technique — he has another 1200k in two weeks and wants to be more comfortable on that ride.
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Hi,
I also plan to break in my Brooks this way…Have had it for a while, but it’s not really broken in. How’s the saddle holding up two years after your original post? Also, when you write that “Be sure to keep the saddle well oiled for the first month or so after breaking it in”, do you mean with the mink oil or proofide? Any particular reason why it should be well oiled after being broken in, since I would have thought that any more oiling would cause it to break in even more which may not be that desirable? thanks for writing this up!
Bob
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Hello Bob,
My GB is holding up very well. I have used it all summer on my longest rides (see my Strava account for mileage reports). I only use mink oil on it and keep it “well oiled” so the leather does not dry out, since I live in a very dry climate — i.e. central Utah.
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So Richard, I soaked the saddle, slathered on the oil, and came back after a 15 minute ride. Happy to report that it’s got some pretty nice indentations in it now! Keep in mind though that I’ve been using this saddle quite a bit prior to this and was getting the faintest of indentations earlier, so technically this is not a new saddle. What do you recommend next? Should I apply mink oil and leave it overnight, or should I be sparing with the mink oil- I have a feeling that all I need to do is keep riding regularly from this point onwards and let the saddle break in naturally from now on. I wasn’t sure though if putting on more mink oil would accelerate that process, which I don’t want to happen. I live in Singapore btw, which is very humid!
Thanks for your advice
Bob
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Did you do the hot water bath or just put on mink oil to a “cold” saddle? I would apply more mink oil if it feels dry and let it sit overnight. If the saddle feels soft and moist, then perhaps put a very light coat on.
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Bought a can of Proofide when I purchased my B17. Will it work as well in place of mink oil? I’ve used a water-soak-preservative method to shape double-soled moccasins to my feet in the past, so I know it can work. It’s particularly encouraging to get this step-by-step guide. Since I’m only an occasional rider, I might not live long enough to break the Brooks in under my normal riding conditions.
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Steve,
To be honest with you, I have not used Proofide. It seems like it has more wax it in than mink oil, like SnoSeal for waterproofing hiking boots. My guess is that it will not soften the saddle as quickly as mink oil.
~ RWS
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So I got a brooks b17 saddle for Christmas. Been wanting one all year long:) Read all 10,000 online posting on how to break in your saddle:)
So I figured I go with the safest route proofide and just puting the miles in. I rode it like this for approx 1,000 miles…damn thing was still hard as a rock…and actually got me dreaming of other saddles….butt was hurting bad even after riding. So I actually got the saddle from REI and I was thinking if I try the water/mink oil method that I can take it back if it is a disaster. The saddle felt amazing on 15 min ride after soaking in water 7 min and covering with mink oil. And has still felt amazing since 3= months later and completeing an IMBA epic ride where my ass did not hurt the entire time! For what it’s worth I’m riding a Karate Monkey with a thudbuster. Now my Brooks is everything i hoped it would be. For what its worth I weigh 257 lbs. The only thing I wish could somehow change with the Brooks design is the rail at the back of the saddle. It would be perfect if it were somehow not there:)
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Thanks for the report Cave Man Mike. I like the Gilles Berthoud saddles because they use polycarbonate on the rear and not steel.
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Did you wear, and do you now wear padded shorts while breaking in or now while riding? I’ve heard you don’t need them, but I am not sure what you did.
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All my cycling shorts have a padded chamois, including those I use to break in a saddle. I think my sit bones are very pointed as I seem to need the padding, although I frequently do rides up to 4 or 5 hours without using chamois cream. I have not thought of using unpadded shorts for breaking in a saddle, but that sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the idea.
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This old tired Marine finally wore out a bike and a Brooks B17 that was pushing 30 years old.
Bought a new bike and another B17..going to try this method as soon as I locate mink oil.
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Do you know if the mink oil will discolor my saddle (natural B67S)?
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Yes, it typically makes leather a lot darker, especially after repeated applications.
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I tried your hot water method on a new Brooks B17 yesterday. Seems to work very well.
The sides have flared out some though and may require drawing them together with some leather lacing if it bothers me.
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Hey! I’m so glad I found this! The Proofide didn’t do much for 300+ miles on my B17. I soaked mine for 7 minutes in 103F deg water, dried it, worked the top with 10W-30 Mobil 1 (I didn’t have mink oil & I’d read somewhere that Lon Haldeman used motor oil too) After riding about 15 min up/down the street, the seat has dimples! I coated the seat with Lexol. Wax from the Proofide still hangs from the underside–it’ll come off with the next soaking, if it even requires it!
BTW, the seat has darkened and looks nice!
Thanks, thanks, thanks!
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As of 2018, this still the best preferred method? How’s the saddle holding up all these years later?
I am going to do the soaking and Minks Oil tomorrow to a Brooks B67. Thanks for the advice and taking the time out to for the write up. Sounds like great advice still all these years later.
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My GB saddle is still holding up fine after applying mink oil on it some time ago. The key is not to let it soak too long in the very first bath that you give it so it doesn’t get too soft.
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Hello Rando,
My girlfriend and I just got two brand new brooks flyer saddles, one the normal flyer in a honey coloured leather, the other a darker brown flyer “s”
She chose not to use your water method and is experimenting with the oven.
I chose to try your water method and followed all of the prescribed steps exactly and honestly i received pretty good results EXCEPT that my honey leather is extremely discoloured and stained from the water. The entire length of the saddle has strange tiger stripped water patterns, huge blotched stains on the sides of the saddle and even some patterns that appear to be the color fading from the front tip and rear rim near the edge of the seat.
At first I was disappointed and quite angry that the brand new color was ruined in less than 7 minutes, especially since it came out of the box less than 24 hours before. The patterns faded a little bit over the past two days but are still visible especially in good lighting… fortunately I get over these things quite quickly and do not care too much about the patterns but I thought it may be an important warning to be noted in your blog that anyone with a lighter coloured saddle should expect to see very apparent water stains.
…or did i do something wrong?
it seems these stains and patterns wouldnt be visible on a black saddle.
anyways… its comfy and quickly broken in which was the plan from the beginning! haha
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Thanks for the input and for sharing with me and my readers. I am guessing, as you said, that the discoloration problem is due to the fact that your saddles are not black and that the lighter colors more easily stain. I hope that over time, as you ride and reapply light coatings of mink oil, that the stain patter will even out. Which technique did you guys find works best?
I will add a note to my text about staining. Thanks for your comments!
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My Salsa Marrakesh came equipped with a Brooks B-17 in honey brown. I used the water method and man am I pleased. I used thin shorts for the first fifteen minute ride and got some great impressions. I banded the saddle with a strap to hold the sides in over night. I slathered on some more mink oil before a ride this afternoon. I rode about sixty miles and not one problem from the seat. I did bring up the tension on the seat after todays ride. Compared to the old way this was a wonder. It almost looks like my Ideale 91 that has tens of thousands of miles on it after only one day!
For those who care the process did darken my saddle to a dark brown. I did not get the splotchy color variations that others have mentioned and actually prefer the dark brown as opposed to the honey color. For the life of me I can’t figure out why Salsa put a honey brown saddle on a black bike! Problem solved.
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Hey there!
I recently bought a Specialized Sequoia Bike (matte black base model 2018)
The seat that it comes with was horrific for me, I mean straight away so bad.
So I purchased a Brooks saddle B17, black to match my all black bike. I bought the Brooks saddle treatment and started breaking the leather in. I am a bronze artist and sculpt in wax, thus have industrial heat guns.
I keep heating my Brooks with my heat gun, under the saddle and on top. Getting the leather almost hot to touch. I then slather good amounts into the leather with my fingers. Since the leather is good and hot, it soaks right in within seconds.
I then go back over with my heat gun and watch it soak in deeper. I then massage the sitting and crotch areas with my fingers and palms, pressing the leather slowly down, also grabbing the side flaps and bringing them into the steel framework…
have not ridden this new bike much at all yet. (Just moved and house is no one right now) However, this seat is already five times more comfortable than it was and it was better than the seat that came on my new bike, straight out of the Brooks box!
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Fat guy 56 no bike sense teens. Baugh imperial flyer did hot water method 7min and mink oil . Seemed a lil over soft , bike still in shop so I put set in my office chair with a book under the nose to keep level. Set timer for 20 minutes, I felt a lil tender after 10min after that 20 came befor I knew it no pain . Adjusted to 1/3 put added more mink oil . Next day applied proofide didn’t want to over animal fat it ,over night added massage in a good amount of more proofide . Did a 30mi ride and train commute in thin sweat pants , no serious pain or complaints. Can’t wait to ride with padded short . Comffy already. Thanks for the advice
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While riding in the rain, 1/2 of my “broken in” Brooks B17 got wet. After it dried, I liked that half better than before–I soaked the entire saddle yesterday! And again today!
Now, to know if my rear end was getting hardened from preparing for the Seattle to Portland ride, I rode 34 miles with the saddle (Fi’zik Pave) that came with my bike. Uh, uh. That saddle violates the Geneva Convention for bike comfort.
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I also rode STP this year (one day plan). It was my first time on that gorgeous route. I used my trusty Brooks Team Pro. No problems at all. How did the B-17 work for you this year?
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The saddle was great both days. I should have increased tension on the bolt (I even brought the little wrench!)–my shorts suffered a hole from rubbing against the mildly flared out right edge. I did strap the edges as you did–inspection should occur every 50 miles on a long ride, not just every day as for training rides around home.
.. I do love the STP, too. Most roads are easy (evidenced by presence of riders of all fitness levels), smooth and well signed with John Henry’s. Traffic behaved very well and you could almost eat the scenery.
I’ve already registered for the RSVP (Seattle to Vancouver) and I’m looking forward to more quality time with my B17. 🚲🚲🚲
Cheers!
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If you are chafing on the edges, consider the slightly narrower Team Pro, instead of the B-17. But the Team Pro is not as flat on top so more of your weight will be in the center and not on your sit bones.
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