Saddle Swap and Try - discussion thread

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europa
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Saddle Swap and Try - discussion thread

Postby europa » Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:34 pm

You can blame Kalgrm for this one, it being his idea.

Saddle Swap and Try

Saddles are a very personal thing and what suits one bottom may be unbelievable torture to another. The only way to find out if a saddle works is to sit on the thing ... for quite a few kms. Strangely, bike shops are reluctant to give you a saddle for a quick 100km test ride :roll: So some of us who have spare saddles have offered to lend them to other forumites to try.

Obviously, this will work on trust. We here at Bicycles Network Australia have no ability to control this or to recover lost saddles ... though abusers of this may find their priviledges on the forum severely curtailed.

It works thusly:

- people with a saddle they don't mind lending to a total stranger, place a post in this thread stating where they are and what the saddle is

- the owner of the saddle is free to refuse any request for a loan for any reason and need not give that reason

- people who wish to test ride a saddle, Private Message (not post on the open forum) the owner and negotiate the whole business.

- the borrower of the saddle will be responsible for all postage costs

- the owner of the saddle may not ask for any money for the loan (it is a free service)

Because this operates on trust, and in general, the only way we have of knowing other forumites is through their posts on the forum, I strongly recommend that loan saddles only be available to people with established records on the forum or who have a saddle available for loan. This is not a hard/fast rule, the owner of the saddle is free to loan it to whom he pleases, but I suggest that new members don't ask as refusal can offend.

Richard
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Last edited by europa on Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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europa
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Postby europa » Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:37 pm

Okay, it's on. I've nutted out a provisional set of 'rules' for it. If you have any suggestions about what could be added or should be removed, particularly spelling errors :roll: , say so and I'll make the changes. Note, the above post will remain the definitive guidelines for this service - ie, I'm edit that post as needed (and note the date of the changes).

Let's discuss the system first before anyone lists any saddles.

Richard
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Postby MichaelB » Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:45 pm

It might also be worth mentioning if the saddle that is up for swap would be available for purchase, or is strictly for loan only ?

Apart from that, I'm up for it - the trying bit anyway ...

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Postby europa » Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:50 pm

MichaelB wrote:It might also be worth mentioning if the saddle that is up for swap would be available for purchase, or is strictly for loan only ?

Apart from that, I'm up for it - the trying bit anyway ...
Not a bad idea - does the owner note that in his post or does it come out during the negotiations with the borrower?

Richard
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Postby MichaelB » Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:04 pm

europa wrote:
MichaelB wrote:It might also be worth mentioning if the saddle that is up for swap would be available for purchase, or is strictly for loan only ?

Apart from that, I'm up for it - the trying bit anyway ...
Not a bad idea - does the owner note that in his post or does it come out during the negotiations with the borrower?

Richard
Note it in the post. Probably more like that sale is up fro negotiation rather than state a price, otherwise, it should be in the FS section

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Postby europa » Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:21 pm

MichaelB wrote:Note it in the post. Probably more like that sale is up fro negotiation rather than state a price, otherwise, it should be in the FS section
Along with the ruling that the saddle must be available for loan as well as purchase.

Richard
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Postby Kev365428 » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:12 pm

Sounds like an excellent idea to me....although my saddle suits me fine.

Slightly off topic, and only for those in Sydney, the Bike Barn at Parramatta have said to me in the past that they are happy to loan a saddle for a few hours to test out.

Good on them, I say.

Kev.

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Postby LuckyPierre » Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:06 pm

Sounds good to me.
I suspect that you should delete these 'noise' messages Richard and we can kick the idea off.
ps. as usual, I've had another idea as soon as I said: "Sounds good". :?
Post date / time / place for 'saddle swap' meet and greet. Then a group could get together and try a few saddles across an afternoon (or just sit in the sun in a beer garden and talk about saddles). :)
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Postby europa » Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:26 pm

LuckyPierre wrote:Sounds good to me.
I suspect that you should delete these 'noise' messages Richard and we can kick the idea off.
ps. as usual, I've had another idea as soon as I said: "Sounds good". :?
Post date / time / place for 'saddle swap' meet and greet. Then a group could get together and try a few saddles across an afternoon (or just sit in the sun in a beer garden and talk about saddles). :)
Both good moves Peter, though I think the saddle swap meets are best organised on a local level. Like to try one for Canberra?

I'll clean up tomorrow - give a few more people time ot respond ... such as Christopher who's probably going to have kittens :shock:

Richard
Last edited by europa on Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby heavymetal » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:26 pm

I somehow don't think anyone would like to try my saddle :shock:

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Postby europa » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:51 pm

heavymetal wrote:I somehow don't think anyone would like to try my saddle :shock:

Kev.
Bung that wreck up again and I'll replace it with a picture of my cat :twisted:

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Postby Kalgrm » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:50 pm

What you have written above sounds exactly like what I had in mind Richard. I'll also post photos of the saddles I have in my own posting, but we should not make that compulsory.

Cheers,
Graeme
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europa
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Postby europa » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:45 pm

Kalgrm wrote:What you have written above sounds exactly like what I had in mind Richard. I'll also post photos of the saddles I have in my own posting, but we should not make that compulsory.

Cheers,
Graeme
That's a very good idea, or a link to where they might be seen in a shop or something.

Richard
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Postby thomas_cho » Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:23 am

Is there a rule that contributors will at least clean the saddle before they mail it out, and people will clean it after trying it out, AND before they send it back to the owner?

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Postby Kalgrm » Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:34 pm

As long as we all promise not to ride naked on borrowed seats, I think we'll be okay. However, feel free to give any saddle you borrow a wipe with mild disinfectant if you feel you can't trust the owner to always wear pants on his/her bike. This applies to site admin too! :D

It's a seat, not a dinner plate. You're no more likely to catch a disease from sitting on someone's saddle than you are to get pregnant on public transport! ;)

Cheers,
Graeme
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Postby europa » Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:44 pm

Kalgrm wrote:You're no more likely to catch a disease from sitting on someone's saddle than you are to get pregnant on public transport! ;)
You won't? How come my tummy's so big then?

Richard
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Postby Kalgrm » Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:51 pm

europa wrote:You won't? How come my tummy's so big then?
Ummm - beer???

hmmmm - beer .....
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Postby Mulger bill » Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:48 pm

europa wrote:.....How come my tummy's so big then?

Richard
It hasn't actually changed size, it has changed shape to accomodate your riding position. :wink: I know mine has...

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Postby europa » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:39 pm

Okay, a kick in the bum for those who haven't put their ads in official thread yet ... but only a friendly one :wink:

I'm really posting here to ask if we want to expand the service to other bits and pieces. For example, I've got a suspension seat post off the horrible hybrid. There are a pair of 27 x 1 1/4 wheels. There's the Porsche 244 that lives up the road :wink:

Richard
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Postby Kalgrm » Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:14 pm

Yeah, sorry for the delay. Been waiting for the camera from work. Have it now - just need the time!

I like the idea of other stuff for loan. Perhaps we should just have a single thread where people who want to try something out can post to ask if anybody has one to lend. Otherwise we'll have a thread full of stuff nobody wants and is too full to browse (a bit like my shed ....)

Cheers,
Graeme
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