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Leather saddles don't live outside very well... if they survive being stolen they suffer badly in damp condition... and later need proofide to stop them drying which will be accelerated by excessive sunlight.
That said many a saddle has been rescued that I would have thought looked too far gone.
wildwest-
Aye I'm reconsidering... It depends whether I can convince her to keep it indoors or not I guess (we're long distance). Bought her cheap padded cycling shorts which is always a revelation for people who don't ride bikes very often so maybe I'll just give her those and consider swapping the saddle later on.
I have got my eye on a cheeky bargain on eBay, if I win it I'm going to be jealous as it'll be more expensive than anything I've got on my own bikes!
frankenbike
Are there any cheaper alternatives to a Brooks? For my girlfriend, want something that looks nice in a lady's-town-bike sort of way but don't want to invest too much money in something that may not get ridden very much and will probably end up living outside. I also don't have the bike in my possession and haven't measured my girlfriend's sit bones (...) so I have no idea how wide it needs to be, which is why I think something like a Brooks (that breaks in) would work well.