My Saddles

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: My Saddles

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:24 pm

GaryF wrote:I was completely unaware of the qualities of kangaroo leather.
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_ ... Properties

I have some that I used for stitched bar wrap. I might use some more of it for the Gios Torino now that I have a longer stem.
It is not thick enough for tensioned saddle applications.

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GaryF
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Re: My Saddles

Postby GaryF » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:41 pm

Clydesdale Scot wrote:
GaryF wrote:I was completely unaware of the qualities of kangaroo leather.
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_ ... Properties

I have some that I used for stitched bar wrap. I might use some more of it for the Gios Torino now that I have a longer stem.
It is not thick enough for tensioned saddle applications.
Your CSIRO report on kangaroo hide is eye opening. It is great stuff. Thanks for sharing that information. I suppose others know this but I didn't.

It would really look fantastic used as a bar wrap especially stitched on. That, with a kangaroo hide saddle, would be so classy and unique, your Gios Torino would definitely look dressed-up. You'll have to show the photo's if you do this. You say you are not skilled, but I tend to disagree, I think you put your mind to it and create those skills. I'm so impressed.

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uart
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Re: My Saddles

Postby uart » Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:53 pm

WyvernRH wrote: Also I am a big fan of the touring <sic> type plastic/leather combo saddles that came out around the 80's like the Turbo, the Royale and the Madison. I can just jump on any bike fitted with one of these and be comfortable.
Just looking through my old stash, and there's a couple of this type that I'm thinking about re-covering.

One is an '80s era that's just marked "G.E.S. Made in Spain". This was a moderately light weight saddle for it's day (about 300g) and I always found it surprisingly comfortable.

The other one I have even less idea about, other than it's '80s at the very latest, but possibly a lot earlier. The only marking on it is "Made in Italy", and unusually (for a plastic shell saddle) it has the tensioning bolt system in the nose to adjust the body flex. Also, and this may just be because of it's age, the shell looks a bit different to modern plastic shells, with a kind of fibrous appearance in places where it's been a bit scuffed up. This one is a very substantial saddle, a little bit heavy but an exceptionally comfortable touring saddle.

I'll post some pictures later if anyone is interested. I'd definitely be curious to know a bit more about the "Made in Italy" one with the tension bolt.

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GaryF
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Re: My Saddles

Postby GaryF » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:40 pm

uart wrote:
WyvernRH wrote: Also I am a big fan of the touring <sic> type plastic/leather combo saddles that came out around the 80's like the Turbo, the Royale and the Madison. I can just jump on any bike fitted with one of these and be comfortable.

One I have even less idea about, other than it's '80s at the very latest, but possibly a lot earlier. The only marking on it is "Made in Italy", and unusually (for a plastic shell saddle) it has the tensioning bolt system in the nose to adjust the body flex. Also, and this may just be because of it's age, the shell looks a bit different to modern plastic shells, with a kind of fibrous appearance in places where it's been a bit scuffed up. This one is a very substantial saddle, a little bit heavy but an exceptionally comfortable touring saddle.

I'll post some pictures later if anyone is interested. I'd definitely be curious to know a bit more about the "Made in Italy" one with the tension bolt.
Yes, post a couple of photos please uart.

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uart
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Re: My Saddles

Postby uart » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:47 pm

GaryF wrote:Yes, post a couple of photos please uart.
No worries Gary. I'll snap a couple of photos tomorrow when I've got some decent light. :)

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uart
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Re: My Saddles

Postby uart » Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:12 pm

GaryF wrote:Yes, post a couple of photos please uart.
Well here goes, they are very ugly at the moment though. :oops:

Both of these are from very old bikes that I used to ride some decades ago. Both were stored badly when I stopped ridding and some of the leather chewed off by rodents during that storage.

The Italian one had long ago been re-covered in the blue leather shown, and that brown leather patch was just a temporary thing so that I could ride it (the old touring bike) and see if it still suited me when I started riding again a few years back. Similarly with the old black Spanish one. That one was on my old racing bike, and I had to patch that too.

When I restored those bike they got new saddles, so these two have just been sitting in a box for the last few years while I was thinking about getting around to recovering them properly. This thread has given me the inspiration to fix them, so hopefully I'll be able post some pictures of them looking nice again when I get around to cleaning them up.and re-covering them. :)

Image

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P!N20
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Re: My Saddles

Postby P!N20 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:41 pm

1. GES Cobra: http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... 6&AbsPos=1

2. Probably an early Selle Italia something or other, looks a bit like the Criterium, although that's not threaded: http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... &AbsPos=14

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uart
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Re: My Saddles

Postby uart » Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:55 pm

Yeah that looks close. It definitely wasn't the Cobra though, it originally had something like "Hurricane" written on it. Actually I think that it was a GES Hurican, spelt like that.
2. Probably an early Selle Italia something or other, looks a bit like the Criterium, although that's not threaded: http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... &AbsPos=14
Yes I've noticed the looks are somewhat similar to early Selle Italia saddles. I've never seen one with the tensioning bolt though.

The GES one I bought new in the late 80's. The other one came on a old bike I bought - it was already old in the late '80s

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GaryF
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Re: My Saddles

Postby GaryF » Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:05 pm

I agree with you guys - GES Hurican for the first saddle and I cannot remember seeing a plastic shelled Italian saddle with a tension bolt. Yes, it looks like a Stelle Itallia 'something' as PIN20 describes it.

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P!N20
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Re: My Saddles

Postby P!N20 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:18 pm

uart wrote: Yeah that looks close. It definitely wasn't the Cobra though, it originally had something like "Hurricane" written on it. Actually I think that it was a GES Hurican, spelt like that.
You're right, GES Crono Huracan: http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... 6&AbsPos=2

I wonder if the world champion stripes are still under that black leather?
GaryF wrote:I cannot remember seeing a plastic shelled Italian saddle with a tension bolt.
Yeah, it doesn't make mush sense, does it? Perhaps it was an early plastic model and the manufacturer just used the rails they had lying around. Is there any rivets under the leather, Uart?

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uart
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Re: My Saddles

Postby uart » Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:33 pm

P!N20 wrote:
uart wrote: Yeah that looks close. It definitely wasn't the Cobra though, it originally had something like "Hurricane" written on it. Actually I think that it was a GES Hurican, spelt like that.
You're right, GES Crono Huracan: http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... 6&AbsPos=2

I wonder if the world champion stripes are still under that black leather?
Yeah that's it, world champion stripes and all. I thought it was a bit lighter than 390g though? (Just weighed it. Mine is barely 300g?) Rails are crmo or some alloy, as there is no corrosion (despite poor storage).
Yeah, it doesn't make mush sense, does it? Perhaps it was an early plastic model and the manufacturer just used the rails they had lying around. Is there any rivets under the leather, Uart?
No, it never had any rivets. The original covering was a brown (slightly suede-ish looking) leather.

And weird as it is to have a plastic shell with the tension bolt, it does work. The shell is quite pliable. With that bolt fully slack there is a lot of give when I put full weight on it (sinks to near touching the seat bolt). When I tension it up a little I can get just the right amount of spring in the shell, it can be made very comfortable. It's big heavy saddle though, 500g.

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