After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.
What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the metal frame which leads to chafing.
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.
What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the metal frame which leads to chafing.
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
Punch holes along the lower margin of the leather between the nose and the flare. Reeve some small stuff between the holes on the two sides. This will increase the support. Look for pictures and further instructions on the web. Hope it works out for you.
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
It may be time for another seat.
"Steve Sr." <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Hello,
After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.
What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the metal frame which leads to chafing.
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
"Michael Press" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>,
Steve Sr. said:
Hello,
After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.
What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the metal frame which leads to chafing.
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
Punch holes along the lower margin of the leather between the nose and the flare. Reeve some small stuff between the holes on the two sides. This will increase the support. Look for pictures and further instructions on the web. Hope it works out for you.
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
Another possibility is that the saddle is a little too far forward.
Given a fixed bottom bracket/handle bar position, my butt tends to find it's own place on the saddle and if the saddle's too far forward, that place is on the steel under the back of the saddle. -- PeteCresswell
"Michael Press" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>,
Steve Sr. said:
Hello,
After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.
What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the metal frame which leads to chafing.
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
Punch holes along the lower margin of the leather between the nose and the flare. Reeve some small stuff between the holes on the two sides. This will increase the support. Look for pictures and further instructions on the web. Hope it works out for you.
Thanks for the suggestion I might try this as a last resort. The Lepper doesn't have much in the way of flaps on the side of the saddle so I don't know how much help this would be.
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
Is it possible that it has not been proofhided enough? The problem appears to be that it absorbs perspiration too easily. Would more proofhide keep it from doing this?
To corroborate this I happened to ride a century this past Saturday in the rain. The saddle was covered with a plastic grocery bag which happen to make a great emergency/disposable saddle cover. The saddle stayed dry and it never deformed or became uncomfortable.
Quoted message said:
It may be time for another seat.
I hope not. I have not given up on this one yet!
Steve
Quoted message said:
"Steve Sr." <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Hello,
After about 5 years of nearly continuous use I think my Lepper Voyager leather saddle has turned on me. I have noticed it recently as the weather has changed and I am now perspiring more.
What is happening is that the saddle is good for about the first hour and then as it picks up perspiration it expands and then becomes uncomfortable. I end up being supported by the leather saddle and the metal frame which leads to chafing.
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:56:04 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Per Jack Kessler:
Quoted message said:
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
Another possibility is that the saddle is a little too far forward.
Given a fixed bottom bracket/handle bar position, my butt tends to find it's own place on the saddle and if the saddle's too far forward, that place is on the steel under the back of the saddle.
Thanks for the suggestion. I initially thought that this saddle was a bit too far forward. It is in a Thomson post and is set back as far as it will go. Unfortunately, the Thomson has no offset to the rear so I would have to replace the post to further the experiment.
According to the fit my knee is in the correct place over the pedal spindle. I know that this is just a good starting point but don't know of a better way to determine the optimum fore/aft saddle position. Anybody have any better suggestions?
I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is too tight?
Maybe it *is* already to tight! Generally this screw should be left as it is, since tensioning the leather too much may just destroy the structure - and the saddle becomes even more worse afterwards.
Better: Punch some holes into the sides and tension the saddle by moving the sides towards with a thin cord.
Quoted message said:
This saddle has never been ridden uncovered in the rain and has always been proofhided on a regular basis. It seems now that it just picks up moisture and looses shape. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening or is this a sign that the saddle is toast?
Did you ever apply any kind of wax (similar to "Brooks Proofide"😉? This may help a bit.
>I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to >help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems >almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is >too tight?
I've always heard that you barely (or don't) touch the adjuster screw for the saddle tensioner.
A couple years ago, my 10 year old Brooks was sagging to the point it's comfort had fallen off on longer rides. I decided I had nothing to lose, so I tensioned the saddle.
I ended up extending the adjuster about 3/8th inch which is usually considered *a lot*!
Worked great and still working great 2 years later.
Don't know how much difference there is between your saddle and my Brooks, but I'd try going the tension route. Try a bit... ride...tension some more...ride, etc.
I think it is definitely true that over-tensioning will destroy the saddle, so go in small increments over a period of time.
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
Is it possible that it has not been proofhided enough? The problem appears to be that it absorbs perspiration too easily. Would more proofhide keep it from doing this?
I think you do have to be careful about adding too much proofide.
It will over-soften the saddle. I think once a year is probably good enough for a proofide treatment.
>>I have recently tightened the nose screw about 2 turns which seems to >>help initially but towards the end of my lunch time ride it seems >>almost as bad as before. Should I tighten it even more? How much is >>too tight?
I've always heard that you barely (or don't) touch the adjuster screw for the saddle tensioner.
A couple years ago, my 10 year old Brooks was sagging to the point it's comfort had fallen off on longer rides. I decided I had nothing to lose, so I tensioned the saddle.
I ended up extending the adjuster about 3/8th inch which is usually considered *a lot*!
Worked great and still working great 2 years later.
Don't know how much difference there is between your saddle and my Brooks, but I'd try going the tension route. Try a bit... ride...tension some more...ride, etc.
I think it is definitely true that over-tensioning will destroy the saddle, so go in small increments over a period of time.
SMH
I think that you hit it. I have already put about 2 turns on the tensioning screw and it seems to have helped. I am also simultaneously changing the saddle angle slightly to get it back to where it was. when I first started noticing a problem I thought it was angle related (too steep) so I flattened it.
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
Is it possible that it has not been proofhided enough? The problem appears to be that it absorbs perspiration too easily. Would more proofhide keep it from doing this?
I think you do have to be careful about adding too much proofide.
It will over-soften the saddle. I think once a year is probably good enough for a proofide treatment.
SMH
So far I have only been applying it when the leather starts to look dried out in places. I let the saddle dry, put on a coat of proofide with a small brush, and then put it out in the sun or into a slightly warm oven to get it to soak in.
It may be that you have proof-hided too much and has softened. If leather is over-lubricated it softens and stretches. Which is why you are riding on the metal seat from rather than on the leather.
Is it possible that it has not been proofhided enough? The problem appears to be that it absorbs perspiration too easily. Would more proofhide keep it from doing this?
I think you do have to be careful about adding too much proofide.
It will over-soften the saddle. I think once a year is probably good enough for a proofide treatment.
Not my experience. Proofide does not soften my saddles. I Put the saddle inverted under a 100 watt incandescent light bulb, and slathered the underside with proofide. Left it over night. The proofide migrated all the way out to the riding surface. The saddle still sounds like a block of wood when flicked with a finger. Fifteen years old.
