Need advice for avoiding embarrassing Brooks saddle stain...

[Zach Duval]

I cycle. I cycle with a comfy, well-broken-in Brooks on my Sam, and due to the comfortable nature of this setup, I cycle in my day-to-day shorts. I sweat while cycling longish or hardish rides, and enjoy such rides. However, I discover afterwards that I'be been left with a saddle-shaped brown mark on my rear.

I here turn over my embarrassing predicament for the wisdom of Rivfolk. Any advice?

Zach "generally seeking overall good hygeine/cleanliness" Duval

[Deacon Patrick]

Embrace the theme and squirt the front of your shorts with your water bottle whenever you stop somewhere? Sardonic grin.

Sorry, but I've got no helpful suggestions.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Lungimsam]

Wear Navy blue or black pants only while riding. Not joking.

[John Phillips]

That's why I ride in black MUSA knickers and on a B67 select saddle.

John

[Hudson Doerge]

If I'm gonna ride in light colored shorts I sometimes throw on my saddlecover and that does the trick. The saddlecover starts to wear faster, but it keeps my shorts cleaner.

[Zach Duval]

Also, ride report and photos: last ride in the Yellowstone Valley, 35 miles, before a relocation brings me into northwestern MT. Cut the basket off for this ride and very much enjoy the unhindered steering (and will be doing so for exploratory excursions around the new locale for the next few weeks).

On Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 1:36:41 PM UTC-6, Zach Duval wrote:

[Steve Palincsar]

Put a seat cover on the saddle.

[franklyn]

Hopefully this doesn't hijack the thread too much. I also ride with regular shorts, but now that I think about it, they are all dark colored. One exception was the butternut squash colored MUSA knickers, but they were never stained by leather saddles.

My question for Zach is on riding around yellowstone national park. My wife and I are thinking about visiting next summer, and are considering bringing our bikes. Are there pockets of nice riding or are the roads simply too busy with tourists in cars?

thanks,
Franklyn

[Patrick Moore]

I cycling in khaki shorts in warm weather and always have blackish stains from my Flites. They wash out, but I rather consider them badges of honor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqomZQMZQCQ

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[hangtownmatt]

Zach, have you ever wondered why most Lycra bicycle shorts are black?  This is carry over from the days when most serious riders used oiled leather saddles. Today, however, black is not a requirement because most serious riders use plastic saddles. 

Ducking for cover :>)

Matt

[dougP]

Darker shorts.  Gray, dark blue, olive, etc.  No tan or lightish colors.  This is the voice of experience.  A friend's somewhat sarcastic spouse suggested I was perhaps a bit too relaxed on the bike because my light shorts had a similar stain.

dougP

On Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 12:36:41 PM UTC-7, Zach Duval wrote:

[Joe Broach]

To counter those saying just wear dark shorts, I've never had any color transfer from honey Brooks in tens of thousands of miles, including plenty of sweaty tours and rainy commutes. If you have something other than honey, give that a try before you resort to covers or black shorts. I have had color transfer from a black Fujita/Belt saddle, even after years of use. Covers kill half the benefits of a leather saddle to me--breathability and lack of friction.

Best,

joe broach

pdx or

[Zach Duval]

The saddle has seen regular use on my commuter for more than a year, and only recently has dye transfer become an issue. I've read elsewhere that it may be that I'm over Proofiding the saddle, but recently I had the issue both before and after applying oil (I've treated the saddle three times since new). I'll leave off from adding any more Proofide for the foreseeable future, and in the meantime wear a cover during longer rides (which, I agree, is an imperfect fix, as doing so defeats some of my purpose in using a leather saddle).

As to cycling Yellowstone, I'm unfortunately not much help. I'm a bit east of the park and reluctantly admit that I've never cycled it (I've really only progressively gotten more into cycling in the last three years or so). Hopefully, I'll be able to do Glacier in the near future, though, as that will be closer to my backyard after this week.

I do know that there is generally a week in the very beginning of the season where most of the park is open just to cyclists. Otherwise, you are looking to face some rather heavy traffic, and people's behavior in this park especially seems to be without concern for safety (Google "bison selfie" for quick confirmation). Many people do cycle the park during the season's heyday, and they live to tell the tale.

 

On Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 1:36:41 PM UTC-6, Zach Duval wrote:

[Mark Reimer]

I've had a different but equally odd and embarrassing brooks stain - I wear black denim cut-off shorts mostly. They're super comfortable after being beaten into submission over many years and rides. After doing a 4-day tour on my B17 Special (in the darker brown colour), I found RED streaks stained on my backside. Turns out it was from the copper rivets. They've never washed out. Very weird, never had this before despite always riding Brooks models with the copper rivets. Looks like it's time to replace the ol' shorts. 

[John Phillips]

Zach,

    Riv has some very nice Rando Jo saddle covers for Brooks saddles in gray:  http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/s92.htm

and they're available in other colors on the Randi Jo web site. Very well made, snug fitting seat covers.

And Randi Jo will also make custom saddle covers if you give her the dimensions of your saddle.

She made one for my Berthoud Mente saddle that fits perfectly.

John

On Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 12:36:41 PM UTC-7, Zach Duval wrote:

[BSWP]

Paraphrasing sage advice from another field of endeavour... embarrassing sweat stains happen, and that's *where* they happen. Suggest cycling in darker shorts to minimize conspicuity of said sweat stains.

- Andrew, Berkeley

On Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 12:36:41 PM UTC-7, Zach Duval wrote:

[Peter Adler]

Black shorts hide all sorts of stains. I was unloading an old Frenchie bike out of my car yesterday at the beginning of a memorial ride for Alameda bike dealer Dennis Stone (didn't get up early enough to ride the 15 miles to Alameda NAS), and sort of lost it when I discovered that I'd thrown the chain and didn't have a rag. I replaced the chain on the ring, and then wiped my beschmutzed hand on my wool shorts, so I could get my gloves on and not mess up the pretty new bar tape.

I should probably wash those shorts today.

Peter, also in Berkeley

[Montclair BobbyB]

Get a matching T-shirt that reads: "You're GD right, my saddle is a Brooks!"....

[Justin August]

Get super crust punk and start wearing a butt-flap when off the bike.

Go grunge and tie a flannel around your waist when of the bike.

Go naked and have a brown stain on your backside be the last thing folks are staring at.

-J

[Hudson Doerge]

I've also had a few "stains" as mark describes. Almost like bleach spots from the copper rivets in a semicircle. Thought it was a kind of funny sign of how much I ride in certain shorts.

Another interesting note from my experience, I have had a couple black brooks saddles that left marks after most rides in light pants. A few years ago I got a b17 select, which I have to say is a fantastic quality saddle. The undyed leather was supposed to prevent saddle stains and it did for a while, but over years of use its almost as dark as the brown brookses and will now leave stains on my light colored pants. Just from all the sweat and grime that's been rubbed into the saddle over the years. I've found riding with a saddle cover to be just fine in most circumstances. The only real difference I've noticed is its a little more difficult to slide around on the saddle, which is one of my favorite things about a brooks.