Dutch Bike Co Weblog

While we've lost count of the classic bikes we've repaired and restored here at the shop, our sense of wonder at the unusual and beautiful products of the last century is far from dead. When this 1959 Apollo rolled through the door, we realized early on that under all the surface corrosion and cracking rubber we'd find a gem. Some might call it an antique, but this classy old roadster has a new lease on life and a new chance to get out there onto the pavement. We had a great time working on it, and thought we'd share a little!

A shot of the bike before any work was done.

Steel wool, if you didn't know, is excellent at removing corrosion from chrome.

Left = pre-polishing, right = post-polishing.  So shiny!

The finished product.

Check out those sweet rod-actuated stirrup brakes.

They really don't make them like they used to.

Time and leather treatment and more time.

Shiny means smooth braking.

So clean you can see me in it!

Fall is here!  Which means, for those of us living here in Seattle, rain.  A lot of rain.  Driving rain.  Endless driving rain.  I’m pretty sure that last November it actually rained every day.  However, any experienced Northwestern cyclist can tell you that the best way to combat the crushing depression of the winter months (other than maybe buying a SAD lamp) is to keep riding your bike!  And what this means, is fenders. 

There are many different types of fenders.  Because I insist on riding completely impractical bikes, my only option are the clip on, or “fairly ineffective,” type of fenders.

These fenders are convenient because they simply clip on to the seat stays and fork blades of the bike, and don't need any eyelets or mounting hardware.  They’re inconvenient because they don’t really work very well, and as a result my bike is always dirty

and my feet are always wet and sad.

So, despite the more involved mounting process, full fenders are a better option.  They provide much greater coverage, which is great for your bike because it keeps it clean, prolonging the life of your components, and great for you because it keeps you more dry, prolonging the life of your ride.  A great example of full fenders are the ones that Fritz has on his bike.  Look at that clean bike!

And look at those happy feet!

“But wait!” you might say.  “I ride a racy road bike! I don’t have room for fenders! Or eyelets!”  Not to worry!  Both Fritz and myself have extensive experience putting together custom fenders to fit on even the most race-oriented carbon fiber speed machine.  There are several ways we can do this, but our most common method is to actually fabricate some mounts out of rack struts (thin, rectangular pieces of steel) and use these to clear the tight spaces in between the tires and brake calipers.  In the case of bikes without eyelets, we can use different types of clamps to keep the fender stays attached to the frame.

So why wait! Get some fenders! Keep your feet dry!

We've been repairing, maintaining, and upgrading all types of bikes here at Dutch Bike since day one, because while we love the somewhat exotic (here in the US, at least) mechanical aspects of the bikes we import, one of our core beliefs is that the best bike is the bike that you ride, whatever it is. Whether we're installing custom fenders on your 90's Bianchi racer or overhauling your 1976 Schwinn cruiser, we love keeping bikes on the road.

Particularly in the past two or three years, I've seen a massive upswing in the numbers of bikes being brought out of storage, bought used, or restored for everyday use. All types of reasons – economic, practical, or ethical – bring these faithful steeds back into harness, but my favorite of all is that it just seems to have become cool. With increasing numbers of bicycles on the road – many of them seeing their second tour of duty – every shop is seeing an increase in repair traffic and, more relevantly, more people are becoming acquainted with the world of bike repair.

For many, getting a bike repaired can be even more intimidating than “taking the car in.” I will be the first to admit that bicycle service shops do not have a stellar reputation for friendliness or customer service, and even though a bike is less complex than a car it can still be an opaque and mysterious opponent when it's not working properly. For these very good reasons, a large number of my service customers don't come to the shop for anything as specific as wheel truing or derailleur hanger alignment, but rather for a general tune-up. It might be every few hundred miles or every few years, depending on where and how you ride, how your bike is designed, and how it's stored and cared for. Whether your mechanic calls it a “tune-up” or a “general service” or a “maintenance package,” the basic idea is the same: make my bike work so I can keep riding it. You drop your tired, creaky steed at the shop, and a day or two later you pick it up shiny and ready for another ride. What actually happens to the bike, though?

As you've seen in previous posts, I enjoy few things more than deflating the fear and mystery around the technical side of bicycles, and so today we'll walk through exactly what goes on during a tune-up. Different tune-ups will include a variety of different operations (wheel truing, adjustment, part replacement, etc.), and different shops will provide a sometimes bewildering variety of options and levels of detail. The tune-up you'll see here is our “Comprehensive,” usually best for older bikes or commuters with medium to high mileage. If the bike requires less I'll suggest a less in-depth “Standard” or “Basic,” or simply perform a few adjustments a la carte.

First, I'll remove the wheels to make cleaning the bike easier and because I'll be working on them individually later. I'll spray and wipe down the frame and components with a weak cleaning solution (I like Simple Green), because it's much more pleasant to work on a clean bike.

Now for the wheels: cleaning first, then truing and balancing spoke tension.

Next I'll open the hubs to check the bearings and inject fresh grease. When I put them back together, I'll be sure to adjust them so that they'll spin smoothly when they're installed.

Back on the bike, I'll do the same to the headset and bottom bracket bearings if they can be serviced. Before I reinstall the wheels, I'll sand and pick debris out of the brake pads for stronger and quieter braking.

Now that the pads are clean and grippy, I'll adjust the pad position and spring tension of the brakes so they'll work powerfully, quietly, and drag-free.

With the brakes “dialed,” I'll move on to the derailleurs; adjusting the cable tension and limit screws, and the position of the derailleurs themselves to optimize the speed, smoothness, and above all the accuracy of each gear change.

Finally, I'll check the tire inflation and take the bike for a test ride to make sure everything is working perfectly!

As you can see, there's no mystery and no magic here, but the proper tune-up should have your bike riding like new – or at least close to it – and keep you going for plenty of rides. Having your bike tuned may not be the most glamorous, but the cumulative positive effects of a smoothly functioning bike can be far-reaching!

Some of us bought our bikes because we wanted to be mobile. Some because we find them so very pretty. Some because they're so comfortable. For whatever reason you purchased your Dutch- or Dutch-type bike, if you got even a reasonable imitation of one you benefit from how little they demand in terms of maintenance. In previous posts we've walked through repair operations that you (or your trusted mechanic) might have run into in the course of owning the bike (tire and tube repair, shifter troubleshooting, etc). In this post, I'll walk through a large component of simply caring for your bike: lubrication.

In many ways, the chaincase defines the proper city bike. It makes them compatible with any wardrobe, and it's one of the main reasons why these bikes essentially don't have to be treated like a bike. They can be left outside in the rain and snow (and salt, if you're our Chicago shop bakfiets) every night of their lives, and won't punish you for it. That said, since your bike can last your lifetime, you'll want to take care of it to the minor extent it requires. Chain lubrication won't quite be your most frequent maintenance operation, but it's extremely easy and takes very little time. Once every nine months will be enough under even the most adverse conditions.

First you'll want to pick a chain lubricant. The thicker and stickier a lube is, the longer it will protect the chain, but stickiness attracts dirt. This leads to a constant dilemma when maintaining an exposed drivetrain; balancing how much grime covers my drivetrain and legs with how quickly my lube washes off when I ride in the rain or mud. Because the conditions inside a chaincase are so much cleaner and drier than the world outside, we can get away with using an extremely sticky, persistent lube that would attract a large amount of dirt and grime were it exposed. It will take a little longer to soak into the spaces inside the chain links (the only area where it actually does anything), but since we're only doing it once a year or so...that's okay. On a city bike, the tiny, tiny bit of extra drag introduced by a heavier lubricant will be imperceptible to even the most sensitive rider. For the most persistence, I recommend Finish Line Wet; a heavy, sticky synthetic formulated to stick to exposed chains through the nastiest conditions. It's also a beautiful shade of dark green. Dumonde Tech Original (the blue one) can be a fair substitute. Inside a chaincase, you can expect a heavy application of one of these lubes to last most of a year!

Lighter lubricants are just fine, but won't last quite as long or protect as thoroughly. That said, lighter oils and oil suspensions like good old Tri-Flow or Dumonde Tech Lite (the yellow one) can be quite useful for lubricating and providing a water barrier for your cables. Spending a few minutes letting the handy principle of capillary action pull drops of well-shaken Tri-Flow into your cable housing can not only substantially reduce drag and improve performance, but when applied thoroughly enough can also prevent the unfortunate wintertime disorder known as “Chicago cable freeze.”

Isn't physics great?

While they have some handy benefits, wax-based formulas and solvent-suspension “dry” lubes don't have much of an application on the mechanical systems of your city bike. Because they don't protect the chain as effectively, and because their dirt-shedding properties aren't necessary within the protected environment of the chaincase, wax lubes shouldn't be used. Neither type will work at all well within cable housing, so best to save them for your sporty bikes...if you must use wax at all.

Once you've chosen your formula, all that's left is applying it! The vast majority of you won't need any tools for this, except you bakfiets and Secret Service owners. You'll need a one euro coin, large flathead screwdriver, or other prying device to encourage the lower rear section of your plastic chaincase to pop loose.

All you with fabric chaincases need do is simply unsnap the snap.

Now that your chaincase is open, you can inspect your chain's lubrication and tension (refer to the rough guide in the last post for tension). If you cannot see lubricant on the chain – or if you see any corrosion – you should apply some. Nose the dropper tip or extended straw/noodle of your bottle into the chaincase until it's just touching the rollers on the inside of the chain.  Carefully spin the pedals backward while gently squeezing the bottle enough to run a bead of lubricant along the chain, letting it soak into the spaces within the chain and coat the moving parts.

Continue this process until your chain is thoroughly soaked in lube. Congratulations, you've lubed your chain! This would also be a good moment to lubricate the shifter cable as it leaves the housing.

Close up your chaincase, and you're finished!

Welcome back, class!  Now that you've adjusted your Shimano Nexus hubs, we'll dive into the next most interesting operation on one of these bikes: rear wheel removal.  Mastering this will allow you to replace tires or tubes that are worn out or damaged beyond patching.  This will get a little more technical than the previous post, so it's very important to make sure you're comfortable using tools and that you have the time and energy to safely put everything back together.  Please read through the entire post before tearing apart your bike, and be sure you're comfortable performing all the operations described (especially tensioning the chain!).  Troubleshooting and adjusting your hub didn't require any tools, but this will, so get out that toolkit and polish up your:

1. 15mm open-end wrench or 15mm deep socket w/ driver
2. 10mm open-end wrench and 10mm socket w/ driver (you can substitute another 10mm wrench or a small adjustable if necessary)
3. Cable cutters (diagonal cutters or wire cutters can be substituted)
4. 2mm hex key/Allen wrench
5. Dental pick, sharpened spoke, sturdy ballpoint pen, small switchblade, or something else with a nice point to it
6. Tire levers (if you plan on replacing tubes or tires)

Now that your tools are prepared, set your bike on its center stand (or clamp the seatpost in a work stand if you're lucky enough to have one).

We will remove the rear wheel first because it's a more complex operation and many of the steps will be duplicated in removing the front.  As an overview, we're going to disconnect the brake, open the chain case, disconnect the shifter, disengage the chain tensioners, and remove the wheel.  Then we will reinstall the wheel, engage the tensioners, tension the chain and center the wheel, reconnect the shifter and brake, and close the chain case.

To disconnect the brake, first loosen the cable fixing nut several turns.  Pull or clip off the cable tip, and pull the cable out of the brake.

Now once we've removed the torque arm clamp bolt the brake will be completely disconnected.

After that, move back to the right side of the bike and open the chain case, starting by unhooking the tension wire running along the bottom of the case.

Once the wire is unhooked about 3/4 of the way down toward the front, unsnap and unclip the rear section as we did in the previous post.

Now loosen the axle nuts about three turns (Don't worry, the chain tensioners will hold the wheel in place) and yank the rear section of the chain case frame straight back and out of the bike.

Shift the bike into first gear, and poke the long end of the 2mm hex key into the tiny hole in the back of the cassette joint.

Pull downward on the wrench to give yourself some cable slack, and then use your pointy tool to pop the cable and cable stop out of the cassette joint.

Pull the cable housing out of the housing stop, being careful not to kink the cable.

Now that you've disconnected the brake and shifter cables from the hub, all that's left is removing the wheel itself!  Loosen the chain tensioners until the nuts are even with the end of the threaded section, and loosen the axle nuts until the colored non-turn washers (yellow on the right, brown on the left) can completely clear the frame.

Lift the chain carefully off the teeth of the cog and set it down on the plastic of the cassette joint.

Now you'll actually remove the wheel: pull it straight backward until both chain tensioners are loose enough that you can flip them downward so that they hang from the axle.

The wheel will now be free to slide forward and out of the dropouts, and you're free to replace tubes, change tires or just marvel at your accomplishment.

To reinstall the wheel, you will essentially be reversing most of the steps you've just completed.  Set the chain on the cassette joint -- next to the cog but not on it -- and then slide the wheel back into the dropouts.  This may take some wiggling, and possibly even some fiddling to make sure that the chain tensioners are inside the dropouts, and the non-turn washers (brown and yellow) are outside.  Gently pull the wheel as far back into the dropouts as possible, giving yourself enough slack to flip the tensioners back into place.  Now that the wheel is held in place by the tensioners, you'll be able to reattach the shifter and brake cables, the chain, and the chain case.

Set the chain back on the cog and carefully turn the cranks a few revolutions to make sure that the chain is fully set on the chainwheel (front gear) as well.  To reconnect the shifter cable to the cassette joint, first slide the cable housing end into the housing stop.

Now repeat the trick with the 2mm hex key to wind the cassette joint back to a point where you can slot the cable stop into its cradle, making sure that the cable sits cleanly along its channel.   Shift up and down the range a few times to make sure that everything is working smoothly, and also use this opportunity to check the adjustment of your hub (just like you learned to do in the last post!).

Pass the brake cable through the housing stop and into the cable stop, tightening it down at at its original setting.  Make sure the housing is fully inserted in the stop.  At this point you can crimp a cable end cap onto the cable, then test brake function by pulling hard on the brake lever. 

Slide the rear section of the chain case frame into place, carefully pushing both top and bottom ends into place in the main chain case frame.  Be sure that the chain tensioner is outside the chain case frame on the axle.

Now that everything on the axle is in place, you can tension the chain.  This step is going to be the most technical that you'll perform during the operation, so shake the kinks out of your hands and get ready!  Tighten down the axle nuts until the tabs of the non-turn washers are fully inserted into the dropouts, but not so tight that you can't shift the wheel.  Throughout this step, you'll be keeping the wheel centered in the frame by watching the distance between the (ideally fully inflated) tire and the chain stays.  Tighten the chain tensioner nuts evenly as you bring the wheel back toward its original position.  On Workcycles bikes (especially if you are using the original cog size), you'll frequently be able to find this spot by the indentations left by the non-turn washers in the frame powdercoat.

Ideal chain tension can be an art and a science, but the easiest gauge will be this: at the tightest spot in the rotation of the cranks (because there will be tight spots and loose spots) you should still be able to move the chain slightly (<1/4") up and down with your fingers.  You should NOT hear a crackling sound as you spin the pedals through the tight spots, and the chain should not be so loose as to hit the bottom of the chain case.

Once you've got the chain at a nice tension, double-check the centering of the wheel and then reattach the rear brake's torque-arm clamp on the chain stay.

Now you can tighten down the axle nuts!  Make sure these are solidly tight, really get your arm behind the wrench (unless you're some sort of giant burly guy, in which case you'll want to exercise some restraint).

Now that the wheel is reinstalled and the chain case frame is reassembled, most of what's left should be familiar from the last post: closing the chain case.  Gently (because these are fabric parts, after all...) slide the rear section of the cover over the frame, keeping the chain tensioner outside.  Pull the edges of the inside slit (between the wheel and the chain case) together and slide the prongs of the clip into their pockets inside the chain case.  Snap the snap on the outside, and hook the wire back and forth across the hooks on the underside (don't miss any!).

...And you're done.  Go for a ride!

As you may have guessed, we love some internally geared hubs here at Dutch Bike Co.  We love the smooth shifting, the quiet operation, and the simplicity of use.  From the shop perspective, I enjoy knowing that our bikes are out there being ridden and loved - not worked on.
 
More than any other drivetrain, an 8 speed hub really doesn't require its user to be a "bike person."  An avid cyclist will certainly enjoy it -- as many of you have discovered for yourselves -- but anyone who can push the pedals will benefit equally from the utter simplicity and rock-like durability of this transmission.  Combine the system with a chaincase and in a year of riding you'll probably do no maintenance whatsoever.  You won't even have to wonder whether or not to feel guilty about it.

This brings us to the educational kernel nestled within this husk of a post: adjusting your Shimano Nexus hub.  At this point, you might reasonably grow apprehensive that I'll try to explain planetary gear systems, expose you to exploded views, or start talking about gear inches.  I won't.  Adjusting your hub is a simple and easy procedure that will likely take less than five minutes and won't get your hands very greasy at all.

Step One: Diagnosis
When I teach a repair class, this is typically the subject that receives the strongest emphasis.  Without understanding what's causing the problem, we can't fix it.  Bearing this firmly in mind, we'll quickly check the three main parts of the system: the shifter, the cable, and the cassette joint (I'll explain in a moment).  The cable will come first, because it's the simplest part of the system and -- relatively speaking -- the most vulnerable.  Around three out of four "mis-shifting" or "gear slipping" issues on our bikes have the same simple cause:



Here, the cable housing (the outer sheath) has been tugged out of the shifter, exposing the cable.  It has then caught on the edge of its proper place (the barrel adjuster) and failed to snap back in.  This 1/4" difference leaves the system totally out of whack.  The solution is even simpler than the problem: just nudge the end of the housing back into the barrel adjuster, and the tension already on the cable will do the rest, snapping it back into place.



If all is well so far, check over as much of the shifter cable housing as you can see for damage or kinks that could cause it to drag or bind.

Next, we'll move on to the cassette joint.  This is the little plastic unit on the side of the hub where the cable attaches, and that translates your pull on the cable into the actual gear change in the hub.  If you have a cloth chaincase (any Workcycle, Azor, or Jorg&Olif except Secret Service, Fr8, and Bakfiets) you'll need to open the back end just a little to see the cassette joint.  Unsnap the outside snap, then slide the clip out of the pockets on the inside.



Gently peel the rear section of the chaincase up and forward, and tuck it out of the way.



Now you'll be able to see the gray and black plastic cassette joint, and the little adjustment window with a yellow indicator line.  With a plastic chaincase you'll just be able to flex it inward slightly, and the view will be the same.



Now that you've ruled out problems with the cable, shift into fourth gear (you'll see a dot next to the number to tell you it's special) and check the yellow marks in the small window on the top of the cassette joint: if they line up, you're adjusted properly.  If they don't, then turn the adjuster on the shifter (with a couple of experimental turns to make sure of your direction) until they do.



...And you're done!  You've just done exactly what a good mechanic would have when confronted with Nexus hub "issues," and almost assuredly resolved them.  Take the bike for a quick test ride, and enjoy your perfect shifting.

Bicycle saddles exist so that riders aren’t obligated to stand for the duration of a given bicycle ride. They are a source of comfort to some cyclists, and a source of discomfort to other cyclists. Most other things you chose to sit on do not require you to straddle them and rest nearly your full body weight on one of the most sensitive parts of your body. As a result, a saddle is the most personal choice you can make when it comes to a comfortable ride. No other part of a bicycle will make you want to ride it more or less than the saddle, and yet many people who buy a new bicycle never even consider the possibility of upgrading the stock saddle, or even trying a few other saddles with a different size, shape or material before they head home with their new bike. ... While the investment in time to try several saddles is worth it, the true test is breaking in yourself and the saddle. Many modern saddles have no break in period. They have a hard plastic or carbon fiber shell which is covered by some leather, Kevlar, synthetic leather, or Spandex with varying amounts of padding underneath. For these modern saddles, the only break in is you getting used to how a saddle fits you. Many people go this route for convenience, cost, or ignorance to the existence of other options. While modern saddles can offer years of comfort and use, they do not offer one of the main reasons why a Brooks saddle is an excellent choice. Brooks saddles get more comfortable as you ride them because they conform to fit you. The only daunting parts about owning a Brooks are how to break it in, and then how to care for it in the years which follow. Both are easy, and require very little time or effort on your part. Rarely can so much comfort come from so little effort.

Step 1: Selecting a Good Fit

Before you buy a saddle that you have no previous experience with, such as already owning the same model, it’s worth sitting on the saddle before you buy it. When you are shopping to buy a new saddle, plan on spending at least an hour, or more if you need to go to a few different shops, to try all the saddles you are interested in. Take three things with you: Your bike, the clothing you expect to ride in, and an open mind. The reasoning is that you want to put yourself in the same conditions you will be using the saddle so that you can accurately assess which one fits you the best. No amount of poking a saddle as hard as you can with your finger will tell you if the saddle supports you well or not. Sitting on it will. A saddle’s weight will not tell you if it hurts to sit on. Sitting on it will. A saddle’s color will not contribute to the comfort of your ride. Sitting on it will. With this in mind, try to leave behind any preconceived notions you have about what you think you want, and just pay attention to what your body tells you. A notebook is also a good idea to bring alone, so that you can make some notes about how different models felt, what you liked, didn’t like, prices, stuff that you will not instantly remember if your life depended on it. Whether you, or the sales person, attach the saddle to your bike, start with it as close to level from front to back as possible. If you are female, you may want to lower on the nose of the saddle about a ¼”. This can be changed to suit your position and riding style, but it’s a good neutral place to start when trying a new saddle. When you sit on the saddle, you want the majority of your weight to be on your ischial tuberosities, the boniest part of your butt. You want little to no weight on anything forward of the ischial tuberosities, but contact and support are generally just fine. Ideally, your goal is to find a saddle which fully supports you, and does not limit your range of motion, while being comfortable to sit on. If you feel like the saddle is like sitting on the narrow edge of a split rail fence, you need something wider. If you feel like you are sitting on a bar stool, you probably want something narrower. If you are able, take the bike, or saddle more accurately, for a ten to fifteen minute ride. Make any minor height or angle adjustments you need, and test again for a few minutes. Then, try another saddle. Once you have made your selection, it’s time to buy it.

Step 2: Treating the Leather

Presumably, if you are still reading this, you ended up with a Brooks saddle, or spotted the title of this article and skipped the part about finding a new saddle. One thing everyone seems to agree on is Brooks saddles need some care to aid in their break in and extend their service life. Being natural leather under tension, they need to be kept clean, dry, and have grease/oil/treatment applied from time to time to prevent the leather from drying out. Brooks suggests Proofide as the best means of treating and protecting their leather saddles. While Proofide is a fine product, there are any number of others which work as well, do more to help the break in process, are easier to find, and cost less. Likewise, there are several products which you should avoid using, such as mink oil, or silicon based waterproofing agents because they are either destructive to the leather, or do nothing to actually treat the leather. As a rule, you want to both oil the leather to keep it from drying out or cracking, and you want to provide some means of water resistance to keep the leather from absorbing water. Proofide is good at the later, but not the former. Neatsfoot oil is good at the former, but not the later. It is therefore a good idea to employ both a leather dressing and leather protectorate to help speed the break in time and help extend the service life of the saddle. Chris’ Tip: Personally, I prefer Obenauf’s Leather Oil to neatsfoot oil, and Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP to Proofide. I have seen better results from infrequent applications of Obenauf’s to a Brooks saddle in the rainy weather of Seattle, than frequent applications of Proofide. This is my preferred product, what I personally recommend, and it is what I use in the shop for every saddle. I’m not paid, sponsored, or otherwise compensated by Obenauf’s at all, I just love their products. There are generally two means to applying oil to a saddle. One is to apply it by hand using a dauber, or by pouring a small amount of oil into or onto the saddle, then working it into the whole of the saddle. The other is to submerge the whole saddle in the oil for a period of time and then drain the oil back into the bottle. Both have their merits, but applying by hand requires you to have less leather oil on hand, and usually has less clean up and wasted oil. Whereas the submersion method ensures every part of the leather will be treated with oil. Sheldon Brown detailed an excellent means of soaking by forming a sheet of aluminum foil around the top of the saddle to catch the oil and pouring the whole of a bottle in to soak for 30 minutes to an hour here. If you want to apply by hand, here are a few tricks. Be aware the saddle will get much darker than it is now. Here are two new Brooks saddles in Honey, one has been treated and the other has not. There is a big difference. Also be aware if a color was used to make the saddle a color, then some of that dye will likely run out during the treating process, which could be an issue if you have white carpets and some oil drips. It will also come out on your shorts in the first few rides, so avoid light colored clothing at first, or use a saddle cover.

1. Clean off an area on your work area about as big as a jelly roll pan. You will want to have a clean and dry work surface. Using a jelly roll pan to catch any oil drips is a good idea as well. This is not something you want to do over the heirloom rug from your spouse’s dead grandfather, or a new couch (unless it’s leather).
2. Wash your hands. You want to prevent cleaning agents, dirt, and grease from getting on the saddle.
3. Have two or three lint free rags to wipe up oil and clean off the saddle when you are done ready before you start. You hands are going to get oily doing this, and people rarely enjoy oily hand prints around the house or on the clean linens.
4. Warm the saddle up before you start. It should not be hot, as it can damage the leather and you will need to be able to handle it. If the sun is out, ten to twenty minutes of sitting in direct sun should be good for most locations in the world on a summer day. If you live somewhere where it isn’t currently, or doesn’t get warm, try a hairdryer. Do not use direct heat though. It is common for other cyclists to feel sorry for you while simultaneously laughing at you if you forget your new Brooks in the oven.
5. Once warm, apply oil to the inside of the saddle first, then the outside. When you have a freshly dunked dauber of oil, be sure to get the crevices of the saddle frame and the nose piece first, while saving the big open areas like the middle for last.
6. Rub the oil around with your hands. Some parts of the leather will take oil faster than others and look dryer than the rest. This seems obvious, but the trick is to even the oil out over the whole surface inside and out.
7. Let the saddle sit for five or ten minutes in a warm place to absorb the oil on a rag or other surface which will not stain if oil drips off the saddle.
8. Repeat step 5 through step 7 two or three times. This is much easier to see visibly on any saddle which is not black because the saddle will get darker.
9. Using one of the clean lint-free rags, wipe off any excess oil, then warm the saddle again.
10. Once warm, apply the leather protector to the inside of the saddle first, then the outside. Rub it in with your hands paying special attention to the edges, rivets, and inside.
11. Place the saddle in a plastic bag just big enough to hold the saddle, tie it off so there is as much trapped air in the bag as possible, then place it in the sun for an hour. If you do not have access to reliable sun, put it somewhere warm, like the top of a dryer while drying a load of laundry.
12. Remove the saddle, and wipe it off with the lint free rag before mounting it to your bike.
13. Mount the saddle on your bike. I hate to be presumptuous, but I am going to presume that you know how to do this. There are an awful lot of seatposts out there, and I am leery of telling you how your seatpost works without seeing it. However, there are several saddles which will not work in some types of seatposts. Several Brooks have more than two seat rails and come with a clamp for a “pipe” style of seatpost. If you want to use a modern micro-adjust seatpost, you will need a Seat Sandwich®, which may not work will all types of seatposts. Consult your local bike shop if needed.
14. Adjust the saddle to your liking, but always start neutral. Clamp the saddle rails in the middle with the seatpost and ensure the nose and the tail of the saddle are level with each other. Most people like the saddle to be as close to level as possible, although many women like the nose of the saddle to be tipped down as much as ¼” or 6mm. The more upright your riding position is, the more tipping the nose up is worth considering. But if the saddle as springs, consider tipping the nose down so the saddle is close to level when you’re sitting on it with your full weight. In the end, you have to decide what is right for you. Do not be surprised if it takes several tried to find the best position and angle for yourself.

Step 3: Changing Your Habits

Once you have installed the treated the saddle, it should be ready for a few weeks of riding with little to no further attention. However, there are some differences between a leather saddle and a modern saddle which may necessitate some changes in your behavior and habits with your new saddle. ¨ Do not ride a leather saddle wet. It will stretch out the leather and dramatically shorten its service life. In point of fact, you should carry a plastic grocery sack or other specialty seat cover to protect your saddle in the event it starts raining while you have it locked up somewhere. If you do not have fenders, and expect to ride in the rain, get some fenders before you ride in the rain. The water which gets flung off the rear tire will to get your saddle wet enough to cause damage. The odd drop of water will not cause damage, but sustained tire spray while riding should be avoided. ¨ Avoid leaving the saddle in the sun for days and days. Ultraviolet light can cause the saddle to dry out and crack. Leather oil and protector will help, but it’s cheaper, easier and more effective to keep your bike inside, and not just for your saddle. A bike kept inside will last longer and work better than the same bike left on a patio, or in a shed. Bikes like the same environment as you do, which is to say about 70 degrees Fahrenheit/21 Celsius and about 50% humidity (give or take). ¨ Wear dark shorts or pants. The leather will stop leaching out any dyes eventually, but the first hundred miles or so will really do a number on whites. ¨ If needed, clean the saddle with a damp rag and a little saddle soap, but you probably won’t need to very frequently. The goal is to keep the saddle free of dirt and water. Fenders are the best way, but unexpected things such as stream crossings, irrigation run off, snow storms, chemical spills, etc. can be very hard on a leather saddle. Brush off any dirt that you can, and use a little water and saddle soap to clean up the rest. Changing your habits for the better is always the best way to extend the service life of any part, but especially for a leather saddle. While ferrous metals rust and aluminum can corrode when exposed to water and/or salt, leather will break down substantially faster than metal if left untreated and uncared for. Depending on weather conditions, and where you store your bike, reapply the leather protector about once a month to three months. Not a lot of the leather protector, just enough to give the outside a little bit of a shine. A blob of leather protector about the size of an apple seed will be enough for the top, and a blob the size of a grapefruit seed will be enough for the bottom. If you live somewhere really hot and dry, and you cannot bring your bike inside, aim for the monthly application. Likewise if live somewhere really humid and wet and you cannot keep your bike inside.