squeaky saddle
 

I have an old foam saddle on my bike. Last year, the leather covering started splitting at the seams so I put some duct tape on it. It slowed down the split but it finally completely split. So now when I do a pedal stroke, the leather rubs on the foam and it squeaks. I rode 75 miles today and it was driving me nuts. I have 2 weeks before I leave on a one week tour and would love to hear anyone's suggestions on getting the squeaking to stop. I won't be replacing the saddle this close to the tour though sot hat suggestion is out.

Tiff :)

Squeaks come from two things rubbing together. If your saddle is broken, you need to identify what pieces are rubbing and then stop the rubbing, or lubricate it. If I were you, I'd buy a new saddle, even if it's a cheap one. It's near the end of the season and shops often have cheap saddles on sale.

Take it to a shop that repairs leather goods...maybe someone who does reupholstering could do a stitch job for a reasonable price. I once took a motorcycle saddlebag to a shop for repair. They were able to add a rivet which still holds fine. It didn't matter that it didn't match cuz it doesn't show unless the lid is opened.