In a message dated 6/21/01 1:29:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jmoos@urc.com writes:
> It's often been said that ADGA did more than any company to decrease the
> popularity of leather saddles. As I recall, even brand new ADGAs were the
> consistency of cardboard. Maybe you should buy him a GOOD leather saddle
> and see if he likes that even better.
>
ADGA saddles were cheaply made of thin low-quality leather, sure. The rivets were small and poorly affixed. The rails were ugly galvanized steel. These were features of the design and manufactoring.
That they were usually installed with the cheap seat clamp upside down, sometimes with the clamp slid down on the post so the post acted like a tent pole, and on top of that were hardly ever adjusted to proper tension or treated with a good leather treatment - well, that's not the fault of the saddle.
I fixed what could be fixed, in order to ascertain through personal experimentation what the saddle could be, at best, after 30 years of hideous abuse. It no longer feels like cardboard or concrete, but instead is supple and resilient, though it creaks a bit on its frame and has some cracks. I gave it to my 11 year old son to ride, since I see no need to put a Brooks Pro under him at this point in his cycling career and I want him to experience a WIDE range of vintage gear, not just Italian retro-snob stuff.
He loves it. He prefers it to the San Marco Rolls, the Vetta Trishock, a Specialized ProLong, 3 different Avocet Touring and Racing models, a couple of gel saddles he tried briefly, and the Specialized Body Comp with the "fart slot" he used to have to ride on the tandem. He helped me alter a spare 13mm box end into a saddle tension adjuster wrench with the Dremel tool grinder, and helps keep the saddle from getting droopy. He loves the smell of the Proofhide as he works it into the top, and likes the way this darkens the upper so it matches the rest of Black Alice a bit better. He proudly points out the dents towards the back that his butt-bones have worn into the saddle's profile.
I think it is amazing that he has gotten so much out of this experience, and am not worried about whether he might prefer a Brooks instead at some point. However, if someone wants to send him a different saddle to see how it compares with Mr. ADGA, I'll send you our mailing address ! :-)
Glenn Jordan - Durham, NC