Composites, microfibers, synthetics. They amaze in their qualities; light, strong, durable – unyieldingly stiff or unimaginably suple, depending on our whim. When modern components arrive on my doorstep, upon lifting the unremarkable cardboard box I often wonder whether there is anything at all inside or if perhaps the person on the other end of the postal system had allowed their mind to wander beyond the task at hand and neglected to place the product in the box before sealing it and handing it off to a worker whose uniform invokes the wrath of dogs the world over.
This was not the case when my vintage 80’s-era Selle San Marco Rolls was delivered from deep within the bowels of eBay. The box had a heft to it that hinted at something substantial within its confines. Freed from its cardboard prison, the saddle lay heavy in my hand, its heft signaling an inherent quality about it that only heavy products seem to convey. But the saddle showed its age; the leather was dry and worn, the brass trim and emblems tarnished black.
This saddle isn’t made of synthetics, it was no lost cause. This saddle is made of organic materials that require care and maintenance in order to maintain their beauty. And, when let fall into disrepair, they can often be restored to their original glory. Out came my polishes and waxes, and within a few minutes the leather covering the saddle which had only moments before been worn and gray was now gleaming with a deep, black finish. The brass, touched up with polish and the tarnish wiped instantly from its surface. Within a quarter hour, the saddle was once again a beacon of a bygone era.
These old leather saddles took a few hundred kilometers to ride in; not as long as their all-leather predecessors, but much longer than our carbon-shell, microfiber modern saddles. With time, the rubbing of chamois-clad tooshie polished the leather into a gleaming beauty which whispered of the long journey over which it had carried its rider as they forged their path together along La Vie Velominatus.
Heavy and big as they were, these saddles had character; one would somehow be more comfortable than another which was supposed to be identical. Each would develop its own unique finish as the characteristics of the leather cover and the shape of it’s rider’s backside would reveal its unique beauty over time. The saddles owned by the Pros in the 80’s and 90’s became impossibly shiny; I remember being enraptured by the sight of the gleaming saddle swaying back and forth as Gert-Jan Theunisse moved en danseuse up the Galibier in the 1989 Tour enroute to a solo win atop l’Alpe d’Huez.
If today’s saddles are marvels of lightweight and comfort, these old saddles were a looking glass into the history that rider and machine had forged together.
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@unversio They aren't fastback, they just don't have massive caps on - fastback are fixed to the back of the tube, not the sides as these are.
What's with all the 'in memoriam' nostalgia - leather saddles aren't out of business, like hairnets.
Brooks and San Marco are still going strong and I have Brooks on all my bikes, even the Ridley.
They're the most comfortable saddles you can get, and with the Ti versions coming in around 270g they aren't that much heavier than a Fizik or Selle.
I have used a Rolls but I find them much less comfortable than Brooks. The Rolls is leather over a plastic shell so it wears but it doesn't mould the way the Brooks saddles do.
This was from the early days of my Swift in Honey leather. It darkened a lot because of the sweat here in Abu Dhabi. Copper rivets, titanium rails.
As for care, yes any saddle (horse) polish like Dubbin will be fine. Brooks sell their own brand saddle cream but it's much the same stuff I think, from the smell.
@Alex There is more padding in modern saddles than there is/was in the leather ones. They aren't padded at all - the leather is the padding.
They were beautiful looking saddles and I do recall having one for a couple of years in the early 90's. I also recall it being uncomfortable for the first few months, wondering why everyone spoke lovingly of theirs? It slowly softened, getting better over the ensuing months until my arse and the saddle had become one. Unfortunately I probably didn't take as much care of it as one should. The leather became dry and brittle and it went the way of my downshifters, replaced by the newer. lighter and shinier versions.
@Oli
I see. These fastback seat stays are cool. Here are examples.
@unversio
Lovely lovely lug work!
Damn Frank, your TSX sure is looking superfly, I have to say.
ChrisO - Something about taking a modern as bicycle and tossing on something old because you love it and it works pleases me. Not sure exactly why, but I find it to be awesome. Can you please share a full photo of your Ridley with a cool leather saddle?
Also, since we're discussin' such things, here's a view of my Casati. They did something neat and hid the pillar clamp in the ST. Not sure if this style/shape/form has a specific name or not, but I bet someone knows!
@RonYou say the sweetest things...
Here it is not long after I got it.
I have apparently become synonymous with the saddle. I met some guys from Dubai for the first time at a race a few weeks ago and they were like "Oh you're the guy with the Ridley and and the old brown saddle, yeah we know you."
They weren't backing away slowly at the same time so I assume it was OK.
In retrospect the honey saddle wasn't the best choice for Abu Dhabi. First because it very quickly became a brown saddle not honey, and second I think that colour stretches a bit more - black would have been better. In fact I now have a black saddle on (also a Ti Swift) and the Honey will go on my Roberts in London.
@ChrisO
You've all got me interested now so I am looking at a Brooks Swallow (seems more akin to a modern shape)...you tried these or are all yours Swifts?