Saddle care...to polish or not to polish?

[wookiee]

Hi guys

I did have a nice new black Flite saddle but over the wet muddy winter the saddle is showing signs of wear...it has started to go grey/white on the rear top and a little around the nose. So can you polish it like a pair of shoes? Or should you seal it with some sort of spray? Or do I just accept that is the thing that happens and shows that at least the bike is used!

Any tips advice appreciated

Doug

 

[dirttorpedo]

Re:

If its leather you can polish it, but I would be worried about the polish rubbing off on my clothes during a ride. Maybe you could spray with a silicon sealer afterwards to minimize that from happening and protect it from the elements. Another option might be to rub some dubbin or other water proofing agent on it. I would probably darken the light patches up and protect the saddle from the elements as well.

 

[wookiee]

Re:

Thanks for the tip...was thinking maybe dubbins so might give it a go...my cycle shorts are mostly black anyway!

 

[Jussa]

Re: Re:

Thanks for the tip...was thinking maybe dubbins so might give it a go...my cycle shorts are mostly black anyway!

Greets Wook, now a collegue of mine rides horses for the RAF, and he has just passed onto me some Saddle Soap (http://www.goldlabeldirect.co.uk/produc ... cts_id=236)
Its great, does not stain and if you follow instructions will leave your saddle nice and supple, and give it a new lease of life. At the end of the day if its good enough for the Military then good enough for me, oh wait, I am Military............oh well, you get the picture, Uniforms have to stay pristine so cant afford any strange marks or stains on the ole Jodpurs!!!!!!

 

[wookiee]

Re: Re:

Thanks for the tip...was thinking maybe dubbins so might give it a go...my cycle shorts are mostly black anyway!

Greets Wook, now a collegue of mine rides horses for the RAF, and he has just passed onto me some Saddle Soap (http://www.goldlabeldirect.co.uk/produc ... cts_id=236)
Its great, does not stain and if you follow instructions will leave your saddle nice and supple, and give it a new lease of life. At the end of the day if its good enough for the Military then good enough for me, oh wait, I am Military............oh well, you get the picture, Uniforms have to stay pristine so cant afford any strange marks or stains on the ole Jodpurs!!!!!!

Cheers Jus looks like that may do the trick!

 

[Jussa]

Re: Re:

Thanks for the tip...was thinking maybe dubbins so might give it a go...my cycle shorts are mostly black anyway!

Greets Wook, now a collegue of mine rides horses for the RAF, and he has just passed onto me some Saddle Soap (http://www.goldlabeldirect.co.uk/produc ... cts_id=236)
Its great, does not stain and if you follow instructions will leave your saddle nice and supple, and give it a new lease of life. At the end of the day if its good enough for the Military then good enough for me, oh wait, I am Military............oh well, you get the picture, Uniforms have to stay pristine so cant afford any strange marks or stains on the ole Jodpurs!!!!!!

Cheers Jus looks like that may do the trick!

It will work wonders on your 'Wookie Bag' too..........

 

[dyna-ti]

Anyone considered taking it to a cobblers and having him work on it to repolish the leather as thats what they do all day :?

 

[Jussa]

Anyone considered taking it to a cobblers and having him work on it to repolish the leather as thats what they do all day :?

Good call, however you dont get the satisfaction of doing it ones self, and at the end of the day its no different to polishing your shoes

 

[wookiee]

Re: Re:

Cheers Jus looks like that may do the trick! [/quote]

It will work wonders on your 'Wookie Bag' too..........[/quote]

Not sure the wookiee bag needs a polish....Mrs wookiee does that for me!

 

[dyna-ti]

Anyone considered taking it to a cobblers and having him work on it to repolish the leather as thats what they do all day :?

Good call, however you dont get the satisfaction of doing it ones self, and at the end of the day its no different to polishing your shoes

Indeed nice to have done yourself
However
With shoes you arent polishing the leather but adding a layer of coloured wax and polishing that .
The leather itself has become roughened and has lost some of its staining. The colour is a stain, its not boot polish giving you that colour, and as such you address that and to do so a cobbler would be best. He's probably give it a wipe over with the stain then buff it with a highspeed wheel.
I cant say i really know what they use to impart a high gloss ,i doubt it would rub off on clothing though. Might just be down to the buffing :?