Cycling UK Forum

After approx 16 years in a draughty and damp wood shed, I today retrieved my Cannondale T2000 tourer and drove it to my local cycle dealer for inspection and service. The saddle is the Lepper Voyager http://www.lepper.nl/en/saddles/# which was standard Cannondale equipment in the late 90s.

Anyway, the saddle is in a pitiful state; the shine that one sees on the surface of a leather touring saddle has gone and the surface is matt and rough. The brass rivets are green with mould. What may I do to restore a neglected and long-unused leather touring saddle back to a serviceable condition?

feed it with proofide , if its like a brooks it may need the nose bolt tightening and then ride it.

quick wipe with an oily rag, and use it, your bum will soon polish it up, don't fret too much unless its a 'prom queen' after all you didn't care for it too much leaving it in that shed for 16 years.

The rivets have tarnished, not gone mouldy. They could be polished, were you so minded (Dremel-type tool, prhaps)

Bonefish Blues wrote:The rivets have tarnished, not gone mouldy. They could be polished, were you so minded (Dremel-type tool, prhaps)

wire wool!

yostumpy wrote:

Bonefish Blues wrote:The rivets have tarnished, not gone mouldy. They could be polished, were you so minded (Dremel-type tool, prhaps)

wire wool!

Used carefully, yes! Or a tiny pad of wet and dry, or basically something mildly abrasive that won't knacker the leather surrounding said rivet.

Do you use Scotchbrite or similar in the kitchen?
If so, tear a little piece off next time you change it, charge it with proofide and use it, gently, over the rivets.
Otherwise just rub patiently with whatever piece of rag you use to apply the proofide. They'll improve. IMO the last thing you want, in the circumstances, is a bright shiny showroom finish so no need to take drastic measures!

Neatsfoot oil might help.I used it to refurbish a very sad looking Ideale saddle without it becoming floppy.I haven't found that proof ride works as well on really neglected leather.

Bonefish Blues wrote:

yostumpy wrote:

Bonefish Blues wrote:The rivets have tarnished, not gone mouldy. They could be polished, were you so minded (Dremel-type tool, prhaps)

wire wool!

Used carefully, yes! Or a tiny pad of wet and dry, or basically something mildly abrasive that won't knacker the leather surrounding said rivet.

Apply a piece of masking tape (or other suitable) over the rivet, then either cut out dirctly, around the rivet with a sharp knife, or trace with biro and cut out, after removing the tape. Then reapply tape and scrub the rivet, but not too hard!

Neatsfoot oil can oversoften a saddle so don't actually soak the thing in it by inverting it and plastering the underside!
If its cracked it will stay that way.
Try just bulling it up with boot polish like a squaddies boots,but wear black shorts!
Or brown,of course,but neatsfoot oil will darken it badly if its brown.
R