My interest in this Liberia and its components has allowed it to jump to the front of the restoration line ahead of my Bianchi and De Rosa. I posted it earlier here when I received it.





Before disassembly, I needed to return a few tools to local frame builder Hans Schneider, so I took the Liberia along to show it off. I’d suspected the bolt that secures the saddle was stripped so we removed the saddle to see what was happening. Sure enough, the aluminum bolt that tightens the saddle to the seat post was badly stripped. Hans will be making a steel copy to replace it. While we were at it, we grabbed a scale to see what the F. Michel saddle weighs. Surprisingly, it weighs only 1lb 2.8oz (533g). It’s only .2oz heavier than my Ideale 90 saddle with duralumin rails. Unlike the Ideale, the F. Michel’s rails are riveted to the cantle plate, and the adjuster at the nose is an unusual design.









(L) Ideale 90; (R) F. Michel