I have mentioned in a few posts how this winter has been good to me in regard to NOS leather saddles. I thought it was time to start a thread for all of us to post about any sweet saddle deals we've come across. And why not mention the ones which got away (who knows, maybe you have a saddle I bid on ), while we're at it.

But first confession time: I find winters to be tough here in the NH mountains, especially since I love to bicycle. Wrenching for 4-5 months can only help divert my attention so much, and I end up on Ebay searching for things I don't need. Unfortunately, usually one bargain leads to search for the next and pretty soon the snow ball effect occurs. This is what occurred with saddles this past winter.

So without further delay, here are the bargains I found to invest in. The combined outlay for all four NOS saddles, along with shipping was about $130. Not bad at an average price of $32.50 per saddle.

12:00 o'clock = Brooks B5N
3:00 o'clock = Ideale 45 "Croupon Impermeabilise"
6:00 o'clock = Middlemore
9:00 o'clock = Wrights W3N

I'll post more detailed pictures as the thread develops. Now, let's see your saddle treasures!

my big find isn't *quite* as vintage.....nor do I have a pic, but I was extremely stoked to get a 80s perforated black leather Turbo in very slightly used condition for $10 from the pull-off bin.

Bob, it must be the New England winter as I went a bit leather saddle crazy this winter, and either through purchase or trade ended up with a couple of new Brooks B17s, a used Brooks B17, a Brooks Conquest, an Ideale 90 (that came on a bike), and a Brooks B15. I'm still sorting out which bikes they'll end up on. That Middlemore you snagged looks very nice.

Neal

That Record seatpost looks very nice!

Neal, you know the drill--- Pictures! Pictures!

The Middlemore was the best bargain. About $19 shipped. The back name plate is plastic so it's not a real expensive saddle, but the leather is thick like the B5N. It's about the same size as a B-15. I can't find hardly any information about it other then it was made in Coventry, England.



Personally I like the Schwinn Approved saddle wrench better.

Schwinn! So that's yet another Park tool (I have one of those labelled Park, and I've also noticed a strong similarity in the early cone wrenches) that looks just like a Schwinn tool! Did Park make the early Schwinn tools?

In a similar vein, I walked into a guy I knows office to chat bikes and noticed a saddle sitting dusty on a shelf. It was a Concor in great shape, gave him $20 and left happy.

And it cracks too. This well worn Middlemore saddle was OEM on the 1974 Viscount Aerospace Pro I am refurbishing.




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What?! How did you get all those saddles for $130?

I have a vision of the good pastor up very early in the morning with a draft of a sermon open in one window on his computer, his eBay search screen in another, and a sniper program in a third.

Neal

Then I'll kindly take that Nuovo post off your hands



Beautiful set of saddles there, Bob. I'm melting at the B.5N - beautiful!

-Kurt

I bagged a couple of Regals for $60 ea from PBK, and nabbed another Ti version (not pictured) for $100 from Nashbar.

I might be persuaded.

The B5N was the most costly at about $45 shipped. But it is marked as a '78 and is pristine and came in the original bag. I'll post some closeups of it tonight.

Guilty! Except I've never used a sniper program.

Please don't fib me out to Mrs. PB. She would not be

I hate to reveal the basic secret, but all the auctions ended during the middle of the week. I won three of the saddles shortly after Christmas, which when combined with all the economic gloom and doom, I suppose very few people were shopping. This had to help as well.

Notice how your frame is chrome and mine is black. They look a little awkward, IMO, with the big silver rivets used to mount the name plate just below the saddle rivets.

BBM, your saddles certainly look sweet! Is one of these going on that new Puch (LOL) you smuggled home on Friday?

Yes, and the other is going on BlankCrow's Chesini.

BTW - the cat's out of the bag. I got busy this weekend, and went for a ride on Sunday. I was out longer than expected, and the wife and daughter returned earlier than expected. The shipping box had not been properly disposed of because I tend to procrastinate, so honesty was the best policy.

She didn't care. I love this woman.

cudak888 had admired the B5N earlier today so I promised better pictures. I couldn't help but compare the Brooks to the Wrights W3N. They appear to both have the same frame, but the Wrights has a thinner hide. I've included several pictures for comparison.



Brooks is on left, Wrights is on right.

Not NOS, but in keeping with "any sweet saddle deals we've come across," I present my first (and to date only) Ottusi saddle, which I purchased just over a month ago.

I had some bids in on that one. Very cool!

I'm having Tony Colegrave make me a replica from an orignal Ottusi he's rebuilding.

This San Marco Gran Sport came with a gas-pipe Lygie attached. I bought the hole bike for $10, and then I sold the bike and kept the saddle. I just now listed the saddle on eBay:

Sounds intriguing. I'd be interested in seeing some pics once you've received it.

is the Ottusi his own product or a modified Brooks (or something)? I've only heard the name in reference to modified saddles.

They were modified existing saddles, usually a Brooks B-17. The cantle plates were re-shaped for a narrower profile, bag-loops removed, leather trimmed, and usually large rivets were added.

This was done by a lot of racing mechanics and riders but Ottusi was considered a master.

They really are beautiful, and you can see how the shape became sort of a standard for the later purpose built racing saddles like the Unicanitor.

I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival, although I have no idea when that will be.

I got this 86 Brooks Professional for a decent price... I really don't mind missing the name plate to save some money.

A little late to the thread here - but I picked up this Selle Italia Mudialita at a swap for $8 and it looks like it's hardly been used.