My "Cyclo" saddle stay has "Sid Patterson" stamped into the tube clamp--Who is Sid? Nelson Miller
The rod between the nose of the saddle and the top tube was indeed a stay to keep the saddle from moving. It was probably completely unnecessary because under extreme pedalling force, the load on the front of the saddle will be reduced rather than increased. Saddle clamps of the era were quite solid but did have the disadvantage of having distinct adjustment notches, so a rider might not get an angle he was really happy with. One way of overcoming it would be to delete the notches to achieve infinite adjustment and then use a stay to keep things in place. I don't know if any riders did that and I don't otherwise believe that there is much point in a stay unless using a very far forward saddle position. However, they were a bit of a fashion in the fifties. I am sure it will be argued that, with his great strength, Harris needed the extra support and I don't doubt that at some time in his career he had a saddle move. He was a great one for strength and rigidity and reliability, even at the expense of weight, so it probably had some psychological, if not practical, benefit.
Hugh Thornton
In a message dated 06/01/01 18:12:59 GMT Standard Time, RALEIGH531@aol.com writes:
<< Ref: The special issue of Cycling Weekly with the Raleigh history in it. On pages 37 and 77 appears Reg Harris on a Raleigh track bike. The saddle appears to have a rod extending to the top tube. Was this a brace? Were the seatposts at that time prone to slipping? Or was this something else? Thanks.
Pete Geurds
Douglassville, Pa >>