Saddles Thread?

[JWestland]

It does tend to get in ones legs while cycling though 

[il padrone]

Ah. Carried to camp. Only to be drunk post-ride. Two pints make for excellent rehydration in my experience 

[kingnutterrick]

Has only one used the rivet pearl saddle SJS cycles carries. I am looking for a nice saddle.

[JWestland]

Do you know what type of saddle agrees with you?

Nothing like a good leather saddle (Regal/Brooks/Rolls/Concor) but some people don't get on with them.

[il padrone]

Nothing like a good leather saddle (Regal/Brooks/Rolls/Concor) but some people don't get on with them.

Only one of those is a real leather saddle 

[Peejay]

To Kingnutterrick,
I have a Rivet Pearl on my Raven. Just done around 300 miles on it and it's an armchair! Best saddle I've ever owned. No real break-in period as it was good from the first ride, however it is getting better with use.
I normally ride Brooks Pro's and still have them on my Sherpa and Bob Jackson - great saddles and still comfy to ride on, but the Pearl is just that bit better.
Being a big guy - the Pearl is more suitable as it's a bit wider than a Brooks Pro 170mm vs 160mm, and the cut-out works real well, no "hard as iron" feeling on the front of the saddle.
Build quality is superb, in my opinion better than Brooks - weight is similar to a Pro (chrome moly) - and the mounting rail to top of saddle height is the same - so no saddle height adjustment.
If you are after a touring style saddle on the wider side go for one. I'm going to change my other bikes to Pearl saddles in the new year.

Pete.

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Some reviews of the Rivet Pearl saddle (they come in a variety of rail choices and colors) can be found here:
http://road.cc/content/review/88162-rivet-pearl-saddle
http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-look-at-rivet-saddles.html
http://justrollingby.com/2013/03/06/the-rivet-pearl/
http://cyclingabout.com/index.php/2012/07/review-the-rivet-pearl/
http://campyonlyguy.blogspot.com/2012/07/campy-only-road-test-rivet-saddles.html
http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/rivet-saddles-long-distance-cyclists-26750.html
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=69777.0
(Rivet Diablo): http://ridingthecatskills.com/2013/01/04/on-the-rivet-saddle-a-preliminary-review/

Mfr. landing page: http://rivetcycleworks.com/
Mfr. saddle page: http://rivetcycleworks.com/the-pearl/

For those of us with longer memories/dabblers in older bikes, here is the much older version of the Pearl: http://bikeville.blogspot.com/2013/05/pearl-aluminum-rail-leather-saddle.html

If only an older saddle will do, don't forget Hilary Stone: http://hilarystone.com/saddles.html

Helpful overview of saddles here:
http://www.randorichard.com/hints-helps/saddles
http://www.randorichard.com/hints-helps/saddles-2

Best,

Dan.

[JWestland]

Only one of those is a real leather saddle 

I've still to own a Brooks. Vintage Brooks on an Italian bike...hm not sure. It would fit the Thorn though

But mind you the brand new Regal is definitely harder than the Specialized Avatar I had! Working my way up to this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html

[Danneaux]

Working my way up to this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html

A do wish my recent Brooks B.17s didn't go soft so quickly. Each new one I buy seems softer than the last. I do hope Brooks isn't trying to make their products more "accessible" to a mass audience, neglecting their hard-core fans in the process.

A happy side-effect of Danneaux's Great Suspension Seatpost Experiment may be longer saddle life, 'cos the leather doesn't have to absorb the sharp impacts from a bouncing posterior all by itself. Time will tell.

All the best,

Dan.

[Pavel]

A do wish my recent Brooks B.17s didn't go soft so quickly. Each new one I buy seems softer than the last. I do hope Brooks isn't trying to make their products more "accessible" to a mass audience, neglecting their hard-core fans in the process.

A happy side-effect of Danneaux's Great Suspension Seatpost Experiment may be longer saddle life, 'cos the leather doesn't have to absorb the sharp impacts from a bouncing posterior all by itself. Time will tell.

All the best,

Dan.

Yes!  Yes, YES!

[julk]

Try lacing a brooks saddle when it goes too soft.
It is very easy to do and it brings it back to ‘normal’.

Use a spring toggle clamp on the lacing and you can then adjust it quickly to suit.
Julian.

[Andre Jute]

Try lacing a brooks saddle when it goes too soft.
It is very easy to do and it brings it back to ‘normal’.

Use a spring toggle clamp on the lacing and you can then adjust it quickly to suit.
Julian.

And it looks very trick too, without having to take a blade to the leather to cut slots in the top, which is the next step up in mangling Brooks saddles.

[JWestland]

Is it really that bad? The manfriend's well sat-in Brooks feels very comfy.

I now almost must have one to compare it to a stone saddle

[Danneaux]

I now almost must have one to compare it to a stone saddle

As Pavel might say, "Yes!  Yes, YES!"   (Any excuse for a Brooks, Jawine!)

All the best,

Dan. (...who likes his Brooks B17s firm in feel and convex in shape)

[John Saxby]

Well, just received this very day from Spa Cycles in 'arrowgate, a new black Nidd touring saddle, and very spiffy it is too.  Pretty much identical in shape & size to my dark brown B17 with copper rivets & plated rails.  Have some slight misgivings as I don't normally buy knock-offs...  Then again, I also bought a set of Spa's XD2 cranks for my Raven's drive train, and am very pleased by how pretty they look, all the more so 'cos of the very good price -- sans VAT, several steps south of £20.

When my Brooks migrates next spring (northwards, of course, as the sun rises higher in the sky) to sit atop my Raven frame & 'post, the Nidd will take over day-ride duties on the Eclipse, making that bike wholly black, grey n silver.  It comes, BTW, complete with a pre-punched-and-laced transverse tightening setup.  The Nidd will be Obenaufed shortly, for protection during its hibernation against the effects of our forced-air heating.

Comparative reports & side-by-side fotos to follow after the vernal equinox.