Chris: Thanks for the nice fix. I have two questions. First, what do you mean when, in drilling the holes, you say you finished with a 1/4" bit, "being careful not to ream the hole..." What do you mean by not reaming the hole?
Second, in the last paragraph you say that you "...didn't want the full weight pulling across the rawhide." Could you expand that thought a bit please. It looks like your lacing only crosses the saddle toward the nose, then laces through the sides of the saddle toward the rear. Why is this? I just purchased a SA and have only a hundred miles on it. Out of the box it was more comfortable than my broken-in B17. If the SA proves to be as good after 1000 miles I will get one for my other bike. Then, what to do with the B17? On Jan 18, 11:02 am, Chris Halasz <chal...@gmail.com> wrote: > Bill, > > Thanks! > > Your experience sounds the same as mine and others with the SA > saddles. I was doing the same thing you describe, scooting up on the > saddle to mitigate the girth, which is contrary to the design benefit > of the saddle. > > I haven't experienced the modified Brooks, but am considering it for > another B-17. I do notice the added length of the SA does allow a less > static position than on a Brooks. > > By restoring and strengthening the skirt, the lacing also added just > the right amount of support to the saddle, so I found that same > (improved) sweet spot toward the back of the seat as you'd position on > a B-17. However, as folks with positive experience describe, the > difference is not just in the immediate, but in the post-ride comfort > as well. > > I've updated my description on Flickr, but note that I used 6mm (.22") > rawhide (don't think my wife will miss that piece from her Baggins > bag ...), piloted the holes with an 1/8" bit, then 3/16" tapered, then > 1/4", being careful not to ream the holes with the latter. Had to > taper the rawhide ends to lace through the holes; you want a nice snug > fit. The leather drilled easily, of course. > > There's just a loop knot at the last section of each side towards the > back; didn't want the full weight pulling across the rawhide. Besides, > the length worked out just right for that. > > Again, very pleased; it feels great. > > Cheers, > > Chris > Tucson, AZ > > On Jan 17, 11:47 pm, "Bill M." <bmenn...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > Your lacing job looks great! The laced SA looks like a wider, cut out > > version of a Swift (Swifts look great IMO). Congrats on having the > > nerve to take a drill to such a pricey saddle. > > > I have had my SA Titanico Watershed for a couple of weeks now, and I > > find myself thinking about exactly the same modification because of > > the way the skirts tend to rub my thighs. I don't think it's a matter > > of the SA losing its figure as much as it never having had the same > > skirt profile as a Brooks. My various Brookses have a much more > > defined 'crease' around the perimeter, and the skirts are much more > > vertical than those of the SA so they stay out of the way a little > > better. > > > I wrote to SA to ask about the pressure points I had on my inner > > thighs from the skirts. Here is their response: > > > [quote]Regarding saddle pressure points on both sides, try lower the > > seat post 1 cm > > at a time. Ride long enough to feel the effects. We have also found a > > few > > instances where folks had over tightened tension which created a > > similar > > issue. The entire saddle surface area, particularly the front 2/3 of > > overall > > length were methodically designed over a period of years to provide > > flexible > > soft tissue support and an invisible contact, meaning the slot and > > saddle > > sides edges did not want to make themselves known. > > > Regards, > > Tom Milton > > MCM Selle An-Atomica, Inc. > > 707.372.6540 [/quote] > > > I interpret that as "It's supposed to be like that". > > > I rode 20 + miles on the SA today to play with position. My instinct > > on a Brooks has always been to sit as far back on the saddle as > > possible to minimize perineal pressure. It seems I have to sit much > > further forward on the SA to keep the skirts from rubbing my inner > > thighs. Moving it back a good 2 cm (long rails on these puppies!) and > > scooting forward a bit got me sitting on a narrower part of the > > saddle; dropping the seatpost a few mm and tilting the nose back down > > a tad to compensate help make things more comfortable. I'm about 1/2 > > way back on the tension screw after 110 miles or so. > > > The softer leather (mine is a standard, not a Clydesdale) and cutout > > nose of the SA do help relieve a lot of pressure. I don't feel the > > edges of the slot at all. The SA is very nice on the sit bones. > > Getting back on a Brooks after the SA, I feel a LOT of pressure in the > > area where the SA is cut out. I may wind up having one or more of my > > Brooks saddles modified by SA - they will do the cutout and laminate > > the leather to prevent stretching out for about $50. > > > I wonder how a cut out Velo Orange Model 6 saddle would feel? > > >http://www.velo-orange.com/vosaddlemodel6.html > > > Bill > > > On Jan 17, 7:08 pm, Chris Halasz <chal...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > If you haven't tried one, or if you have, and like many, found the > > > saddle splayed a bit in the center, I had experienced the same. Note > > > how it had lost its 'figure', as compared with a Brooks B-17CS: > > > >http://flickr.com/photos/sea-fisherman/3205439336/ > > > > I stitched it up (it is, BTW, the WC model): > > > >http://flickr.com/photos/sea-fisherman/3205439196/ > > > >http://flickr.com/photos/sea-fisherman/3204591917/ > > > > And now it is FINE! > > > >http://flickr.com/photos/sea-fisherman/3204591881/ > > > > By far, the most comfortable saddle I've experienced. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Chris > > > Tucson, AZ- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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