Crankalicious Leather Lacquer

Crankalicious Leather Lacquer does its job as a non-slip hide protectant well. Not only a preserve for accessories such as gloves, saddles, shoes and bar tape, it is also designed to improve grip in all conditions and I'm pleased to report it does both jobs extremely capably. It lasts well too, and a little goes a surprisingly long way.

• Pros: Protects, provides grip, lasts well
• Cons: Not cheap

As the name suggests, it's a lacquer not a 'food', so it won't nourish leather in the same way that something like Proofide or similar products do.

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Assuming the leather is essentially clean and dry, squirt in short blasts from 20cm, working the slightly milky fluid into the hide with some lint-free cloth. You're looking for even coverage not saturation. (Use newspaper to catch any overspray.)

Some grades of hide may darken slightly, so try an inconspicuous area first.

Based on two light applications, the products I treated were generally ready for use within an hour or so, although leaving them to dry overnight is ideal. I tend to apply it at the end of a ride.

Applied to some high-end but neglected mitts and my winter bike's long-serving Bobbin bar wrap and Swift saddle, none showed any signs of discoloration, though all assumed an attractive satin rather than full gloss texture.

Generally speaking , I would 'feed' shoes, saddles and my motorcycle leathers every six weeks or so, and this has been noticeably extended by using the Crankalicious.

Water beads quickly and rolls away, and grip has improved – some leather saddles can be a bit slippery, especially during the initial breaking-in phase, but improved purchase was immediately apparent on my saddle and bar tape, inspiring confidence on some very wet descents.

And while the invisible barrier prevents dirt sticking in the first instance, when it does come to washing bike and bits, surfactants in the washes have made negligible impression on the lacquer's qualities.

The palms of my mitts and my Quoc Pham leather shoes have also fared very well. The mitts had become very stiff, requiring a liberal helping of hide food to assume a supple state before I introduced the Leather Lacquer, and despite some wet, thundery rides, the palms have remained clean and supple.

The lacquer comes in two sizes, a handy pannier-friendly 100ml for £6, or a 250ml workshop version for £12. On paper that's not cheap, and though it offers a durable barrier, I'd still recommend applying a decent quality leather feed periodically, especially in the depths of winter.

However, a little goes a surprisingly long way and it's cost effective when you take into account the prices of saddles, gloves and footwear.

Verdict

Decent, lasting protectant with the bonus of improving grip