Originally Posted by
Phil_gretz
Why? What?
Why not just start with a comfortable (for you) traditional bike saddle? Those contraptions you linked are heavy, over designed to replicate early suspension saddles, made with inferior leather, and are of suspect quality. Again, why? A commuter saddle has to stand up to the rigors of daily use in a wide range of conditions. Try something durable, but start at a bike shop, not on eBay...
What saddles have you ridden so far? What characteristics worked for you, and what didn't? How long is the commute?
Well, I want the look as well as the comfort. I was iffy on these as they look a bit over built.
I've never had a leather saddle just regular gel and plastic ones. I'm looking for one I can ride for at least 5 miles one way.
The bike I'm shopping for would be one that wouldn't see a lot of bad weather.
I've been to 2 of 3 local bike shops and neither really had much in the way of saddle stock.
Originally Posted by
MRT2
I use a Brooks, and would recommend it. While I have no opinion about the above saddle, I have read good things about Velo Orange leather saddles like this one. They also make an unsprung one similar to the B 17.
http://www.outsideoutfitters.com/p-1...FbAWMgodi2AAyQ
I just can't justify 100+ on a saddle. Can't. But that link looks the part and the price is easier to swallow. Thanks!!
Originally Posted by
Tim_Iowa
I have the first saddle, a cheap brown leather brooks wannabe. I put it on a '77 Schwinn Speedster (3-speed) that I polished up.
Review: Great looking, but not a great saddle. It's a knockoff of a Brooks B67 with the front spring of a B33. But, the springs are way too soft, as is the leather. This saddle is floppy side-to-side, so it saps some of your pedal power. The tension adjustment underneath the nose is laughably terrible; it won't hold tension at all and is nearly impossible to adjust. I had to take the saddle apart and jam a nut onto the tension bolt in order to hold some tension, otherwise the bolt slides all the way back in and the saddle is a noodle again.
The leather is thick, real leather. But it's not stiff enough to be saddle leather. I'm going to try lacing the sides of the saddle together underneath in order to stiffen it up and make it marginally usable.
Verdict: a fine saddle for show, but not for riding. At all. Scour the internet and forums for used Brooks saddles. They'll still be expensive; I've bought two (a Flyer and a B17 special) for $75 each. Half price on a Brooks is still more expensive than many saddles, but totally worth it.
If you're seeking a retro-looking saddle, there are several modern saddles today with retro looks, brown material, springs, etc. But these direct-from-china saddles aren't worth your time or money.
Thanks, this was what I was afraid of.
I'm looking for a retro-ish leather one. If I didn't want leather I'd already have bought one; I've a few neat older looking saddles. It's making the search harder, for sure!
Originally Posted by
customleather
You might try to have a custom leather shop recover a seat you currently have and is comfortable for you already. My shop does this on a regular basis. You can contact me if you have any questions. If not try and look around for some leather shops that may be able to help you. We don't charge a whole lot for that kind of stuff and I can't imagine other shops either.
Thanks but I don't have an old one that I could have recovered. The original saddle on the bike was some horrid thing with gel over unshaped solid plastic. Actually, I lie. I think that was a replacement.
Originally Posted by
Al Criner
Do you really want a 4-pound saddle?
The weight didn't enter into my calculations. My daily rider weights in the 40 pound range.