Recovered saddle

I've done my Flite twice now, and both times I had excess leather bunching at the back and nose of the saddle. How did others overcome?

I thought about cutting slices, particularly at the nose and overlapping them underneath, which would make it smooth but less durable.

Help!

As you said but I overcut on the front. Not tooooo bad for my first effort though. The cutting thing to avoid bunching's a good idea.

Did this on a couple of old road bike saddles in the past. Got the leather from charity shops - usually a reasonable choice of cheap jackets, old furniture leather is also good because of its thickness. My favourite was a Selle covered in red hide from an old ladies bag (The bag was old not the lady!). Staple guns work OK around parts of the saddle to hold them firm but no access for several parts.

Anybody had any problems when the saddle gets wet? New saddles tend to let the water run off, a quick wipe and you're off.

Does anyone know of a leather treatment that could be used?

I'll be attempting this soon, just looking for a bit of leather.

valleyboy":3avxyp4l said:

Anybody had any problems when the saddle gets wet? New saddles tend to let the water run off, a quick wipe and you're off.

Does anyone know of a leather treatment that could be used?

I'll be attempting this soon, just looking for a bit of leather.

Click to expand...

Try "Scotchguard" .....................the type you spray onto leather and suede shoes/boots.

ive been watching the upholsterers at work and they use a heat gun to smooth out the wrinkels, it warms up the glue a little. mabey nikwax for waterproofing or a bit of dubbing, though ive never tryed it

If you use the repositionable contact adhesive it's easier (EvoStik in a purple tube from B&Q).

As for waterproofing I use a tiny smear of dubbin.

My first try

maybe I should build a fixie :idea:

the perfect saddle for it

nose and back very tricky to finish neatly - not too happy about this first try :? tricky to manage the "too much" of leather in the back or in the nose below the saddle seat

glue speed of drying and "fixing" very important

laeather suppleness of paramount importance to allow for curvature correction

I glued directly on the previous seat - I think its the best solution as it allows to use it as a good base for the glue

here maybe not the best choice as the "gel parts" show a bit below the surface :?

if someone has another ostrich leather piece, I am very interested

looking also for grainy or perforated leather chunks

That ostrich looks great. I'm after a couple of chunks of that as well but haven't been looking that hard.

My first reupholstery attempt will be two years old come March. I rather like the lumps from old glue, they add character. The leather I used is a little raw for this application so no rain rides allowed. I did another that's been on rain rides and it's wrecked.

SDG Belair March 2009:


Reupholstered SDG Bel-Air saddle. by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

And again today:


Reupholstered SDG Belair almost two years later by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

I really want to try this. I'd like a red Flite....hmmm