Hello fellas, My girlfriend and I were riding across Brooklyn yesterday, when I spotted what appeared to be an abandoned bike, near a trash can on an industrial strip of south Williamsburg. Something caught my eye, so I pulled over to investigate...Glad I did! "How did you even see that? You bike guys are crazy. It was behind a bus and we were zooming by, you maniac!" "The radar is always on, baby." On top of a trashed 70's mid-range "boom bike" (unlocked, missing wheel and pedals, etc.), sat a black Brooks B.17. Curiously, it was TIED onto the frame with plastic cording, no seatpost on the bike. Always up for a project, I untied the saddle. We were on our way to a BBQ, and I had a musette bag full of Polish sausages. Threw the saddle in my bag and was on my way. What a Sunday. On to the questions: Because the saddle was tied on, there are large "dimples" where the leather sat on the seat lug cluster. Right in the middle of the saddle is a "peak" in the leather, falling where it will probably be less than comfortable to ride on. The saddle is fairly soft and the leather supple, no cracks or drying. Any suggestions as to how I might be able to re-shape it back to "normal"? My guess is, Proofhide and a ton of miles? But perhaps there is something I can do in the short-term, so I don't feel like I am sitting on a...leather saddle tied onto a bike without a seatpost, resting on the seat lug cluster?
Matthew Bowne
Brooklyn, New York