OlyBikes Blog: Jandd Waterproof Saddle Cover

We live in the Pacific Northwest, a very wet area, as any frustrated Olympian awaiting spring this year can attest. Despite our wet weather, commuting and doing errands by bike is pretty popular here. Good bike parking under cover from our frequent rain is not always available, yet we have some compelling reasons to want our saddles to remain dry:

1. We enjoy tensioned leather saddles, that should be kept dry for proper longevity.

2. A wet butt is usually attached to a sad rider -- even if your saddle can get wet, it is not very fun.

We have carried and used several waterproof saddle covers over the years, and liked many of them. Some are no longer available, such as Truant's cover. Jandd offers a pretty darn good one that we carry now and recommend for anyone, regardless of whether their saddle can survive getting wet or not.

The cover has a very tidy appearance, with a webbing strap the holds the cover in a tight roll via velcro. Unrolled, one can see a decent waterproof coating, though it is not seam-taped. In use, though, this has not proven to be an issue because there are no seams atop the cover, unlike many other offerings out there, so there really is no way for rain to penetrate. Way to eliminate a major failure point, Jandd.

So, how's it fit? It fits PERFECTLY on a Brooks Pro/Conquest/B-17, and snugs up like a dream with the included shock cord. Very nice, indeed:

This product is intended to be for use when the bike is parked -- it is not for riding on. That might sound funny, but many folks are used to covers that are intended as "re-upholstery" for a worn saddle, like the old Avocet saddle covers. If you ride on the Jandd saddle cover, you will likely abrade the waterproof coating, ruining the it. Instead, use the cover only when parked, and stow it when riding the your bike. Think about it. When you are riding the bike, you are protecting it from rain.

We do note that there is no "leash" to prevent the cover from being lost accidentally. We have a workaround, though. Loop the shock cord around a saddle rail and put the whole cover through that loop.

You can still deploy the cover and also roll it up and store it under your saddle above the rails. This way, if it the cover ever came off your saddle, whether deployed or stowed, it would still be attached to your bike. Here's to dry saddles, dry butts, and well-made products. Come on down, and get set up with a Jandd saddle cover.

Now, about the lousy weather we've been having....