Spa cycles Caldar leather saddle

[tinribs]

Anyone got any experience of these? Thinking of it as an alternative to new brooks saddle.

Thanks

[fatboy]

I tried their Nidd saddles but gave up. They never broke in and I kept breaking the nose piece. I gave up on Brooks too as my one got too saggy and put pressure on my prostate but that's another story!

[SimonCelsa]

I've only just realised the saddle I currently have on my commuter is probably a 'Calder'. I bought it second hand a few years ago but never really gave it a good try as it seemed a little unyielding. Having recently put together a fixed gear commuter I needed another saddle and committed to break this one in. I've been using it now almost daily for the past couple of months for a relatively short commute and must have put just over 1000 miles on it.

Here's how it looks now:

which is pretty much as it looked 'out of the box' I would imagine. Still rock hard and unyielding but maybe my arris has hardened up as it is not that uncomfortable anymore. My commute is maximum 10 miles per day and the furthest I've been on this bike is only 40 miles. I tend to prefer a wider saddle as I reckon my sitbones are quite far apart.

Anyhow, getting back to the saddle, no technical defects to report. I have proofed it with the 'SPA' cream solution numerous times to try and soften it a bit (no difference noted) and have given it a polish with 'Kiwi' light tan to even out the colour. The leather and backing material have a combined thickness of around 6-7mm so with my paltry 74kg pummelling the hide I can't really see this saddle getting any more pliable. It may be beneficial to give it a good soaking and ride it sodden for a few hours.

On the whole I am reasonably satisfied with the saddle. Hope that helps a bit, Cheers!

[tinribs]

Brilliant, thanks very much for all your advice! I've loved my current Brooks but haven't been as fastidious as I should have been with looking after it and it's now a shadow of its former self. So was just think of the spa saddles are probably v similar.

[SimonCelsa]

From my experience (limited, admittedly) I think the SPA saddles will take a lot more abuse than the Brooks offerings. I think the thickness of the hides has a lot to do with it. One of my Brooks got absolutely drenched on one ride and sagged/softened alarmingly. The leather on the 2 brooks I own feels 'softer' and more like shoe leather. The 2 SPA saddles I own could be mistaken for hard plastic, or compressed cardboard jobs!

[Vantage]

Spa's saddles are practically bomb proof so tough is the leather.
Couldn't break in any of my Nidds (I've had 3)and my last was a Wharf which I only kept for a brief time as my derriere was being pummeled to death on it.
Its new owner likes them though so like any other saddle, Spa's will have their lovers and haters.
With regards to the Nidds nose piece breaking, I've lost 2 Nidds to that fault. The problem was a design flaw. A very square cutout that resulted in a stressor (sp?) as in the photo.

The manufacturer addressed the problem about 2 years ago (very roughly) and current Nidds have that cutout rounded off.

[531colin]

.......... Still rock hard and unyielding ......

Have you tried slackening or removing the lacing? This will normally let the saddle flex a bit under your weight.

[SimonCelsa]

Have you tried slackening or removing the lacing? This will normally let the saddle flex a bit under your weight.

Good idea, perhaps I'll try that for the next 1000 miles and will report back accordingly, cheers

[jimlews]

No experience with the Calder, but I have a Warfe and two Aire. The Aires, I quite like.. So far.

The Warfe is "'ard as nails" and about as comfortable.
My first impression was that it was quite comfortable. But on longer rides I found it a PITA because it's so damned unyielding. It is the only saddle that has actually bruised my aris.
Then it started to droop in the middle, but without any softening, so it was like riding the big dipper. I was always sliding forward to the lowest point of the dip where it then exerted pressure on the perineal area with consequent numb nut syndrome. Lacing it with a cable tie (lace not strong enough) reduced the splay of the sides and the dip so I can now remain seated on the broadest area just forward of the cantle. if this were a Brooks that area would have become resilient and accommodating to the ischial promontries, by now. With the Warfe, no chance!
So I now intend to take a Dremel grinding tool to the underside to remove the plastic layer in the region beneath the sit bones in an attempt to make that area more resilient. Than the water/hammer treatment, if necessary. We live in hope.

[531colin]

Remove some of the plastic layer....interesting approach ....let us know how you get on!

[bgnukem]

I tried breaking in a Nidd (that someone else had given up on) but after commuting on it for over a year I gave up as well. No lacing and even put boot wax on it, to no avail. Stayed as hard as a rock.

Pity as they seem well made and I'd given up on Brooks because they were sagging and stretching prematurely!!

[greyingbeard]

Are people saying that Brooks are buying lower quality leather than they used to ?
Double the price, cut the quality, like every other "fashion" product.

I wonder if the cheaper(?) leather in the Spa would benefit from soaking in neatsfoot oil from underneath to soften it ?

[mercalia]

Are people saying that Brooks are buying lower quality leather than they used to ?
Double the price, cut the quality, like every other "fashion" product.

I wonder if the cheaper(?) leather in the Spa would benefit from soaking in neatsfoot oil from underneath to soften it ?

isnt there a plastic layer underneath so that would work?

[SimonCelsa]

Continuing a previous thread, for SPA saddle aficionados:

Have you tried slackening or removing the lacing? This will normally let the saddle flex a bit under your weight.


Good idea, perhaps I'll try that for the next 1000 miles and will report back accordingly, cheers

Spa Calder now with about 2500 miles on. Unlaced for the last 1500 miles. Still rock hard and unyielding but not uncomfortable for rides upto fifty miles. Haven't gone any further than that on this fixed gear predominantly commuter bike.

I think it has depressed a little in the sit bone area.I don't think it has become more comfortable, rather my arris has got used to it. No real complaints as such.

To mould itself better to a more personal shape I think would require it be ridden soaking wet for a spell.

[WrightsW5]

With traditional leather saddles, just simply soaking them in water then letting them dry out can leave them permanently softer, although there were the exceptions that would survive a nuclear war along with cockroaches and coronovirus.
Don't know how water treatment would work out on saddles with a plastic layer though?