I'm interested to hear how that holds up.

that came out looking very good. if i did it, i'd be afraid of getting lumps, bubbles, and ridges in it.

I imagine it should do quite well. The heavy marine vinyl is thicker and adhered better than the original cover, but only time and long miles in the saddle will tell.

Did you staple it down? Just use a staple gun?

I was afraid of that too, but the first important step of using the righ adhesive and following instuctions EXACTLY made it easy to mold the vinyl to foam base. It took a bit of work to tension and attach it around the bottom edge and I couldn't have done it without using staples. I think next time I cover a saddle, I will use small binder clips around the lower edge to hold the cover in place until the adhesive sets.

The original cover had a sewn in edge around the lower edge which allowed for smooth easy attachment. I had to carefully pleat and trip the vintly on the bottom using an X-Acto and then finally I sealed the edges with a smelly type of glue meant for reapiring leather, vinyl, etc to ensure a stong bond.

Trust me, it's easier than you'd think.

The saddle had staples originally, so I used staples too. I thik once the edhesive sets, you could remove these and put a final seal of adhesive over the seam where the vinyl meets the plastic shell.

Thanks for the updates. I've added them to the original post.

http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/tension.htm ended up answering my own question, an article on wheel truing based on musical tones. i'm now practicing daily to try and perfect this method...

edit: seems to me i knocked my front wheel out of true. i guess i'm just gonna take a class on this ****.

Surprise surprise. A truing stand costs a lot less and works a lot better.

This technique is for tensioning the wheel and not just truing and has been used since the spoked wheel came into existence.

the pitch chart on that site doesn't mention crossings. that seem weird to anyone else? you'd think # of crossings would have an effect on pitch.

no matter the crossings, spokes should only touch one other spoke.

don't forget 4x and three leading three trailing although rare they are still out there

Make some DIY Toshi double straps
 

I made some Toshi-style double toe straps! :


(Click on the pictures if you want to increase the size)


Materials:

Leather strap (mine is a leather guitar strap)
Scissors
Rivets (or nuts and bolts if you're super-duper DIY)
Drill bit to make holes in the straps (I used the tip of an X-acto knife)


Attachment 37919

Step 1: Cut the strap into lengths about 12"

Step 2: Remove a section from the middle of the strap so that you leave two strips thin enough to fit in your pedals. Also leave a section uncut at the ends of the strips about 4" long.

Attachment 37920

Step 3: Remove a very small section from the middle of that large tab you previously left uncut so that you can secure the clips for the straps.

Attachment 37922

Thread the tab strips through the strap clips and secure them somehow (I used bolts and nuts because I'm ghetto fab like that...).

Attachment 37923

Thread the straps through the pedals and rock your new DIY Toshis!

Attachment 37924

Attachment 37925

To the forum's more discerning and fastidious mechanics and DIYers, please disregard the fact that I am using those crappy, plastic Well-Go cages... I am poor and haven't found enough change in the parking lot of my LBS to buy Cristophe cages.

I think you mounted your buckles backwards. They should be facing the outside, not the inside of your pedals.

You got me... I was in a rush to finish the project since it was like 4 in the morning. I noticed the clips after I posted this but didn't think anyone would notice. They have been corrected.

ooo man, i just bought some new double toshi. but u did a great job. id say cut those straps a lil shorter or you could keep the cool streamer look

Yeah, I kept the straps long to match the handlebar streamers which I will be posting a tutorial of later!

*note to self: Double-check all pictures for 4:00 AM rushed mistakes or you will be called out on each one.

How are these working out? They look like they might hurt your feet or at least mess up your shoes.

I made the heads face the inside of the straps so it's really only 1/16" inch off from flush with the strap. I think the bolts are the only thing ghetto about the straps, but I don't know how else to secure the clips.

Attachment 38063

you can get a rivet set for cheap from tandy leather

DIY double toe strap holders... the leather ones above look a lot easier though.

enjoy.

HERE

any hardware store should have a little rivet kit, composed of the two sides and a little anvil to hammer them in on. should fit right into the holes you made for the bolts.

Updates added. Thanks!