Breaking-in a Brooks team pro

hey boys and girls,
has anyone tried the sheldon brown's method to soften a brooks saddle? its here.

I have an amazing team pro bought really cheap a couple years ago but I never paid much attention to it until now. I've read that it'll break in after a few hundred miles but I think I'll be "assless" before that time arrives..

thanks

ps.: after reading sheldon's site I realized that team pros are actually the ones with the toughest leather...bad luck innit? ahaha

Vaseline everyday. You'd be surprised.

EDIT: **Use till saddle feels slightly softer. Always wipe off excess vaseline. **

Once softened, use Proofride, or Clear Kiwi Show Polish to continue long life and appearance of saddle.

They don't work that way. They break You in.

Seriously though, try your old saddle for a few miles, bet it feels worse

They don't work that way. They break You in.

I wasn't speaking theoretically. I own a Brooks, and its comfy. It was hard to begin with, but I vaselined it up at the beginning, and knew that this would help protect against the elements - Vaseline on the topside, and underneath. I feel that especially when its colder, the vaseline warms up underneath you, and makes the saddle more supple as it too heats up.

Still, I do recognise that many people have not got on with Brooks' at all, like Edscoble, and own illustrious leader. I fear their arses are too soft for prison life.

^I might try that, it makes sense. and it's a lot easier than sheldon's method I think

Loosen the bolt first, ride it like that for a couple of weeks and then tensioned it back to normal.

much easier to break it in, especially since the Team Pro is one of the hardest saddle I've seen.

I thought of that, I don't have the spanner though. will arrive in the next couple of days thanks to wiggle

thanks!

Team Pros are so ffing hard. I haven't really bothered with oiling saddles ever. I have seen one or two ruined with olive oil, not sure how long they were soaked, or if they really needed it to start with ... old, not that thick, someone just assuming that they needed to do it without really trying the saddle out first... you get the idea.

But I think the oil thing would probably be a good idea in your case. Maybe not soaking it, just apply it weekly for a month or two, and keep riding it in between. Don't keep applying it for ever, just once or twice a year after that.

What GA2G says is probably right, that warmth (and your sweat) are the key things in getting it to go supple in the right places. You just need to use it on a few 50k rides, and it'll break you in nicely.

I think I'll mix it all up:

1st. loosen the bolt
2nd. vaseline on both sides
3rd. ride it a lot.

that has got to work! anyway, even if it keeps being a hard sob maybe my ass will get harder..ahahah

To be honest, I'd rather trust Brooks' own product than vaseline really, they're less damaging on the long run, I think.

To be honest, I'd rather trust Brooks' own product than vaseline really, they're less damaging on the long run, I think.

I thought their product was only a protection against elements, didnt think it was a 'softener'

Nope, it's meant to be a conditioner too. Use it regularly for a short while, then once in a blue moon after it feels a bit nicer.

It's made of mostly pig fat and Beeswax, I think. So some lard would do.

Consider getting some oil like Sheldon says, just for the early bit. Then use wax-type things for the long term.

Nope, it's design to help speed up the breaking in process.

leather food / saddle soap would soften her up ???

I read one technique was to put a DAMP cloth on the saddle for about 10 min to then go for a ride of 30 min, then come home and let it dry completely.
When the leather is damp you can mould it (that is how they get the shape in the first place),
when you ride it when it is damp, it will mould where you want it.
Then when it dries it dries to your shape.

If you soften the leather with additives it may stretch when weight/tension is applied.
You actually want it to be firm, just shaped to caress your rear end.

the post about this technique is here. Scroll down to "Breaking in a Brooks saddle".

give up, it'll never be comfortable, and it'll add a kilo to your bike.

give up, it'll never be comfortable, and it'll add a kilo to your bike.

you like brooks then?

give up, it'll never be comfortable, and it'll add a kilo to your bike.

+1. Get a Toupe, a Fizik, a Selle Italia - anything...

just ride the blood thing!

what about soaking the underside in neatsfoot oil - that's what they use on saddles for horseriding - and leaving it upside down for 24 hours? After that it's supposed to go on the bike and be given a coat of proofide on the top. has anyone ever tried this? sounds a bit drastic to me1

just undo the tensioner to loosen it a bit and ride on that for a couple weeks before tensioning it back to normal, much easier.

I got a Team Pro back in November. Its’ alright. Gonna try the tensioner thing tonight.

I ride with knicks under my jeans though, and the Brooks is way more comfortable than my Kashimax.

The Brooks conditioner is this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHELSEA-DUBBIN-COLOUR-CLEAR-100ml-tin-FOR-LEATHER-BOOTS_W0QQitemZ250477332998QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_SportingGoods_HikingEquipment_RL?hash=item3a519cca06#ht_500wt_956

Super awsome stuff. Dubbin softens leather, but it also protects the outerlayer from drying and then cracking. If one applies it semi regularly ones leather item should last indefinitely (sorta).

I ended up using some cream from decathlon used to soften/protect horse saddles. I had it at home already but it costs 6euros, smells lovelly and, eventhough it's not as comfortable as I'd like it is a bit softer. I might untighten the bolt and go for a big ride when the weather clears up

If you use neatsfoot or any other leather oil to soak in on the underside, you may want to wrap the surface with kitchen foil to protect it and whatever it's lying on. Brooks warns that this method may stretch as well as soften the leather; so you may do better to use proofhide and just ride it on commuter length distances every day till you're used to it.