Leather saddles..are they worth it?

CJay1

I bought a new gravel bike recently and just don't like the saddle that came with it.

I have it in my head to get a leather saddle. Mainly because of how nice they look! I'd be using it for long, relaxed spins or a bit of off road. No racing.

Any opinions on it? Are they worth it? I'm worried it could be like a wax jacket. Look great , heritage but you're better of with a modern , technical gore tex or similar.

Does anyone have any experience of Gilles Berthoud?

https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/83-touring-saddles

Wishbone Ash

When you say you don't like your current saddle do you mean in looks or comfort?

CJay1

Comfort. The bike came with a Fizik Argo Terra X5

magicbastarder

the comfort of the saddle is more due to matching your particular body to a suitable saddle; one beng leather won't make it comfy if it's still the wrong shape for you - but leather does offer the benefit of being able to mould to you over time.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058245940/leather-saddles-are-they-worth-it

The only leather saddle I've ever had a lot of experience with is Brooks B17. I've only cycled for max. about two hours at a time on a B17 but it is noticeably better than other saddles I've had over that length of time.

Planet X

Have a Gilles Berthoud Aspin. Had a Brooks Swift but it will 'Hammock" after a while. GB are made from much thicker leather and ooze 😀 quality. Pricier but worth it.

magicbastarder

i have a B17 too and i don't use it for long cycles (more than an hour or two) - it's too wide for that.

CJay1

PX, do you use it for long spins (6+ hours) ?

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119066851#Comment_119066851

I clearly must have a fat arse so :) Been using B17s on all my bikes for years having tried lots of alternatives, including the Brooks C17 which just ain't them same. Great for long rides IMHO, 6 hours on it today and 8 hours week before last. Also seems like quite a popular choice among the audaxars, who are probably the best folks to ask about anything related to long distances on the bike. That said, comfy seats are a very personal choice, one persons luxury is another's torture device.

Mefistofelino

I have a Berthoud ( Aspin). I believe there is an increasing number of quality issues with Brooks in recent years, around items like decreasing saddle leather thickness and frame failures. Currently using the Berthoud for spins up to 200km but still tweaking the saddle position. I did have an issue with the Berthoud and the customer support was really good.

I'd be a little wary about using a leather saddle for off road spins, depend on the likelihood of the saddle getting wet, which can cause it to sag. You can improve the waterproofing by applying extra grease to the saddle underside ( as it's usually not treated like the top, it can be a bit more porous) but too much waterproofing grease can soften the saddle.

Planet X

Gilles Berthoud leather saddles can be completely rebuilt. From the leather shell down to the washers and screws. Worth noting.

CJay1

Went for the Aravis in the end. I'll give an update here when I've taken it out for a few hundred kms

Planet X

^ Nice one. "Open" or standard? Might get an "Open" one for another bike.

CJay1

Was on the fence but went with standard.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074165#Comment_119074165

Ouch, the price, but they're absolutely lovely looking

Cetyl Palmitate

https://taborsaddles.com/en

This Portuguese brand is another option. I don't have personal experience but seem to have a similar offering

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076576#Comment_119076576

The racer version looks like a poor quality knock-off of a Brooks B17.

Cetyl Palmitate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076916#Comment_119076916

In what sense does it look poor quality? I'm no expert but they all look broadly the same from the website pics. Similar dimensions, shape, weight etc.

Maybe it is lower quality but I'm just curious as to what it is that makes it look that way to you?

Mefistofelino

A few things. (To be fair to Tabor, I actually haven't seen one of their saddles in the flesh so only going on the photos. And there are quality issues with the likes of Brooks as well.). The frame looks like a poorer quality stamping, the clamp looks less robust and the attachment of the rear rails to the plates appears less substantial.

The ventilation / drain holes aren't finished off underneath and look misaligned. The transition from the top to the sides is a little rounder in the Brooks.

The leather in the Tabor is quite thick - this is good from a saddle strength viewpoint but a bit detrimental to the whole breaking-in process. And with such a thick leather, I'd expect to see the lower edges (below the "Tabor" logo) chamfered as they will catch and abrade the inside leg of your shorts. But they're not.

Some of the issues are purely aesthetic and a €60 premium is a lot to pay for some nice feature that ends up hidden under the rider. However I would have concerns about the frame. A tensioned leather saddle is more like a hammock and the frame is key to this. A number of audaxers have had terminal saddle frame failures - and on some very expensive saddles too - so the frame construction is critical.

If I were in the market for a saddle that's less expensive than the Brooks but gets good reviews, I'd go with those from Spa Cycles in the UK. Similar (and in some cases lower) prices than Tabor and seems to have a better finish. However, getting hold of one is a problem as they no longer ship to the EU

Thinkingaboutit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079110#Comment_119079110

Addresspal seems to be fine for shipping areas like that. I've ordered heavy enough things through it, not bike parts, but I get what I order, and while the cost is now a bit high, it works.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084089#Comment_119084089

Be careful with that though, you will most probably end up paying double VAT (shipper is shipping to the "UK" so charges VAT, Irish VAT gets piled on top of that) not to mention duty and whatever "convenience fee" An Post charge. A colleague got caught like that ordering a Fire tablet from Amazon at Christmas - it more or less doubled the price of it