Brooks Saddles

[DebW]

I'm not joining the cult, but here are some pics of an old Brooks from a 1954 Raleigh three-speed that's sitting in my basement to be refurbished someday. I can see a "B" and a "7" and a "L" on the skirt, so probably a B17L. You all can swoon over it if you want to. But let me tell you, her leather is cracked, there is a tear by the rear nameplate, and the nose rivets are about to pop through the leather. If you sit on it, you're practically sitting on the metal frame underneath. It's so short that when I sit on it, my pubic bone is right on top of the nose. I should try adjusting the nose tension and see if I can tighten it up without tearing the leather. Any thought on whether I should keep this with the refurbished bike or send it to the Brooks home in the sky?