Carlton Continental info

A bit more info from Tony regarding this saddle (well, the saddle covers lot he's using).
Just perfect for a ride like L'Eroica, I think :)

---
In case it's of any interest, I'd advise that these 'reject' saddle tops have a very slight association with a pioneer of British Street Art.

They were found in the underfloor storage of premises in Littleborough, which were originally a branch of the original Rochdale Co-Operative Society, by Wally Kershaw (a celebrated Rochdale street artist, long before the advent of Banksy and suchlike) when he took the place over as a studio quite a few years ago.

After the Co-Op vacated the premises, and before Wally acquired them, they were apparently occupied by a leather merchant and/or leatherworker. Apart from all the reject saddle tops there was a large quantity of other leather scrap (factory machine belting, etc.) and a number of rolls (prob. between 12/15 inches wide, and about 8 foot long) of really thick leather - seemed about 1/2 inch thick, could only have come from dinosaurs? Much of this latter, Wally told me, had been used by one of his friends for 'very impressive' floorcovering.

How this fellow had come by the Brooks stuff I've no idea, nor what he did with any of it, if anything - I'm pretty sure that he'd not been involved with the bike saddle business in any way, and it's possible that he'd acquired other, more 'useful', leather scrap from the factory and had been obliged to 'clear everything'.

These days, of course, Brooks turn much of their saddle scrap into mudflaps, handle grips, trouser bands, etc.
---

You really never know how much you can know from anything.
 
Re:

I went for a ride in London (Epping forest all the way back to Twickenham) and I have to say it was not as bad as I had thought.

Surely, though, L'Eroica on this bike will be a very heroic attempt!!!
 
Back
Top