Originally Posted by
Raffi
I'm thinking about doing this surgery myself with a sharp blade. Does the lacing help anything too? Does it run underneath to the other side?
As you put pressure on the top of the saddle the skirts tend to flare out at the bottom. This flaring is worse after the slot has been cut. The flaring causes the top to sag and feel very soft, like you're about to fall through the slot, and also causes the skirts to rub some on your legs. The lacing (which goes back and forth, from one side to the other around the seatpost) will stiffen the top and reduce the sagging, and eliminates the potential for the skirts to rub.