Berthoud Saddle:final verdict
 

Overall I would not recommend this brand of seat to fellow retro-grouch leather lovers. The overall sticker price and quality simply do not add up. The rails of the saddle require another machined part to hold the rails in place. This feature is design flaw. The Berthoud saddles are not true tensioned leather saddles.

The cover is made from CNC'd thick leather. It's thickness is impressive however the way it is attached in the Berthoud mechanism is flawed. The rails are press fit into a plastic assembly. The rivets are removable.

The saddle can be repaired or taken apart but what good is it if the design is flawed. If a saddle is going to have a rider on it, the rails should not simply be press fit into a plastic polycarbonate plastic plate. It should we welded metal with no potential for twisting or slipping.

Once again it's not a true tensioned leather saddle. The Brooks design has the saddle molded specifically for it's own rail system. The leather when attached to the rails is tight. The rails are welded and won't twist or slip, unless the leather is far too supple.

Please note I am reviewing the Galiber titanium race saddle. The saddle is far too expensive. For the same amount of money I can get a hand hammered copper rivet Brooks. The handmade craftsmanship and old world charm simply don't come with the high price tag of the Berthoud.

Both the Berthoud and Swift saddle feature a fairly narrow hide and that does not really leave enough material for lacing when well broken in. That feature is something every person ought to consider. The Brooks team pro has enough leather to be butchered and tied.

IMO the Berthoud saddle had a good idea but the cheapness of materials and design does not offer a better alternative than Brooks. Some will argue that quality of Berthoud can compete with Brooks. I do not agree at all.

I can't stress enough that the Berthoud is simply a pre-molded hide attached with screws. The Brooks method is different because the leather mold is intended to be fixed to the frame with rivets. The shape is tightly adhered and holds tension and shape.

So.. folks...Anybody who wants to trade a like new or slightly used Brooks Professional for the Berthoud can shoot me an e-mail. Don't get mad because "I told you so"

sorefeet,

just my advice, but you don't need to make a thread for every saddle you get...and then another for a follow up. please bump your original posts instead.

Not Again
:deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse2::deadhorse2::deadhorse 2:

my berthoud saddle does not twist or slip -- it's solid. how much do you weigh?

I find the construction to be top-notch.

as for saddle comfort, that's such a personal thing. works great for me, but perhaps not for everyone.

Honest question : did you even try riding the saddle? How many miles?

I don't understand how you can offer a review and expect to have it taken seriously when it makes absolutely no mention of how the saddle rides, is it comfortable, is it durable etc etc. I get that you're trying to tell us it isnt a tensioned saddle and by simply looking at it you feel it wasnt worth the money, but is the point of a saddle supposed to be to provide a platform from with you sit on to ride your bike?

So, maybe you just forgot to mention how it rides, how long it took to break in, how it feels after 20 40 or 60 miles on it. How it holds up in different conditions, how durable it is based on using it, and so on. I get that you're not comfortable with how it was built by looking at it, but so what? It's a freakin bike seat. How do you think it functions as a bike seat???
IMO if you added that I'd be able to take your reviews much more seriously. Without that this just seems utterly ridiculous.

This is all we really needed to hear. The rest was done a few weeks ago.

I know one thing. If I seek out a used Berthoud, I won't seek out yours.

That thread was a mess of abuse and not enjoyable to read. I think a new thread is better than bringing that one back up. Of course this one will probably turn into the same so I guess it doesn't matter.

Hey - I wonder if the hide from these dead horses might be a suitable material for saddle leather..... or do you think they've been beaten too severely already?

That just makes the leather more pliable.

I'm interested in seeing a response to Holiday76's question. Did the extra piece help secure the rails?

hey, how do you make the beating a dead horse icon? I NEED that

Sorefeet...since you've crapped on Berthoud and Brooks, what exactly do you recommend?

fbf,

Hit reply with quote under the post. Read the quoted text.

BE AMAZED.

Dead horse?

Type "deadhorse" but change the quotation marks to colons.
Lots of words work that way, such as beer :beer: but for some reason not wine :wine: nor :frenchfries:

Or, below the smileys menu, hit "more" and scroll down. There's some good ones down there.

Voulez-vouz de fritte avec ca?

i bet he's going to recommend something old, out of production, and "made better back then than they do now." i'm selling flame suits and torches if anyone wants one.

positive commentary: everyone's rear end is different. as you age, something you thought fit your behind like butter might have turned into a block of lard.

second piece of positive commentary: i went to harris and asked one of the workers there who had something like ten brooks' saddles on his fleet of bicycle. he said he loved the berthoud, and it was worth every penny. however, it was too expensive to justify the cost of replacing all of his saddles. he bought the saddle on a whim, threw it on one of his bicycles, and took a tour all the way to the end of the cape and back without issue.

I'm treating the hide, then I'll apply Proofide.

He did say he was trying out Brooks "select" saddles and seemed to like them more.

give it a week

One of these: http://sheldonbrown.com/images/stonesaddle.jpeg

Man, "fit" and "comfort" are so darned subjective. "Quality" may be less so, but everyone has to be on the same page about what constitutes "quality" - I'm certainly thinking craftsmanship, durability, functionality, etc. I've ridden all sorts of saddles over the years and have zeroed in on about three that best fit my personal needs for different riding situations and which have stood the test of time and use (mine.) But those are my own personal opinions and it took a lot of miles and hours in the saddle for me to reach those opinions. Other people will feel differently, and that's ok by me - it's their butt. For me, the value of this thread would be to describe what works and what doesn't: give me a reason to pay the extra scratch for this saddle, or not.

Opinion as fact. Nothing to see here... move along people.....

This is like one of those things that are ugly, but you can't look away...

Sorefeet had a couple of threads complaining of the poor quality of first a Brooks and then the Berthould. Both of which stretched out of shape on him in record time. The Berthould came apart on him but the company sent him a part or something which fixed it but he doesn't like the construction of the Berthould. Apparently, he still wants another Brooks; why I have no idea. I'm pretty sure if he posted another saddle thread he'd get banned.

Sorefeet, just get a Lorica covered plastic saddle and be done with it.