Bigblock

I am very happy with the saddle. It looks fantastic, and it is holding its shape very well, it hasn't stretched. Last weekend I did 110km total (a 50km and a 60km) in fixed gear mode where there is no option to have a stretch as you ride. The saddle wasn't a problem. It hasn't changed shape to 'fit' my sit bones yet, but I do not feel uncomfortable. If I did there are techniques to speed up the process. (damp cloth for 30 min, let stand for an hour, ride for an hour, then let thoroughly dry for a few days) I do ride with Santini gel knicks, for all my riding. I am proud of the new skills, and now looking for another two tired Brooks saddle frames for two other bike projects. Philip

leather weight: it measured 6-7mm thick, if that helps With no experience with leatherwork, I thought that if I used the old cover directly as a mold, the new one would be bigger by the thickness of the new leather. This, I thought, would have caused problems at the nose of the saddle where a tight fit was necessary over the metal nosepiece. I would expect that the saddle weighs slightly more than before, as the new cover is thicker. But overall it is not an issue as I have other bikes for hill climbing. This bike is set up as a fixed gear to improve my cadence (pedal rotation speed) and so weight is not an issue.

this forum was one I scoured for information when I was looking for techniques for recovering my tensioned leather bicycle saddle. For what its worth, my step by step guide is here. It shows how I made the plaster mold, then wet moulded the leather. the finished saddle looks like this. I am happy with my first attempt at leatherwork.