Help! I Think My Leather Saddle Has Turned On Me...

It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather
is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on
the metal seat from rather than on the leather.

It may be time for another seat.

"Steve Sr." wrote in message
...
Hello,

After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager
leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the
weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.

What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour
and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes
uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the
metal frame which leads to chafing.

I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to
help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems
almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is
too tight?

This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always
been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up
moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this
from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?

Thanks,

Steve

Per Jack Kessler:
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather
is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on
the metal seat from rather than on the leather.

Another possibility is that the saddle is a little too far forward.

Given a fixed bottom bracket/handle bar position, my butt tends to find it's own
place on the saddle and if the saddle's too far forward, that place is on the
steel under the back of the saddle.
--
PeteCresswell

Steve Sr. wrote:
On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 22:01:55 -0700, "Jack Kessler"
wrote:

It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather
is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on
the metal seat from rather than on the leather.

Is it possible that it has not been proofhided enough? The problem
appears to be that it absorbs perspiration too easily. Would more
proofhide keep it from doing this?

I think you do have to be careful about adding too much proofide.

It will over-soften the saddle. I think once a year is probably
good enough for a proofide treatment.


SMH

In article zaU3g.1317$Te.341@trndny04,
Stephen Harding wrote:

Steve Sr. wrote:
On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 22:01:55 -0700, "Jack Kessler"
wrote:

It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather
is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on
the metal seat from rather than on the leather.

Is it possible that it has not been proofhided enough? The problem
appears to be that it absorbs perspiration too easily. Would more
proofhide keep it from doing this?

I think you do have to be careful about adding too much proofide.

It will over-soften the saddle. I think once a year is probably
good enough for a proofide treatment.

Not my experience. Proofide does not soften my saddles. I
Put the saddle inverted under a 100 watt incandescent
light bulb, and slathered the underside with proofide.
Left it over night. The proofide migrated all the way out
to the riding surface. The saddle still sounds like a
block of wood when flicked with a finger. Fifteen years
old.

--
Michael Press