Russ, and CR,
Take heart. We still have a few NOS 1970's Ideale 90's in stock at CyclArt. Tey are still in the bags and coastd with that wax goo that Daniel Rebour brewed up.
Further, CyclArt has been rebuilding leather saddle for several years now. Here are a few pictures posted on our site and many more to come. Check these links:
http://www.cyclart.com/
http://www.cyclart.com/
http://www.cyclart.com/
http://cyclart.com/
Our stock of contemporary Brooks saddles has evaporated. We hear they are back in production, but according to BC, of Bicycle Renaissance, the initial shipments are of much lower quality. Let's hope they can get it back on track.
We have no plans to make replica saddles as Russ is dreaming about, however, we can rebuild old ones to new or better than new. We are currently working on several early type, stichted side Brooks B-17 Swallows. These are the ones that Brooks says they would have to charge $500 for if they made them today! Ours will be less than that! Such a saddle is the crown for a great restorations.
Always looking for good saddle carcasses. If you send them to us we'll rebuild, or at least give them a proper burial.
JFC~ CyclArtist Vista, CA http://www.cyclart.com http://www.cyclart.com
From: "Russ Fitzgerald" <rfitzger@emeraldis.com <mailto:rfitzger@emeraldis.com> > To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org <mailto:classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> > Subject: Re: [CR]Ti Ideale 90 sold.... Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 10:01:45 -0500
>In a message dated 3/1/01 3:13:07 PM, beyerc@mailserver.volvo.com <mailto:beyerc@mailserver.volvo.com> writes: > ><< Wasn't there an alloy-railed Ideale 59 that went for ove $700 a few months >ago? Maybe we should pool our resources and go into business >counterfieting Ideale saddles...........
Okay - not for counterfeiting purposes, but I really wish someone would acquire the rights to the Ideale name and their models and start making really nice reissues of them. The Ideale 90 is still the finest saddle I've ever been aboard, for instance. Some of the other models could be done on a limited basis. I keep wishing Brooks would decide to take this course of action and offer a custom shop set up, or at least a "reissue of the month" pattern. Not a lot of them would be built at any one time, but every so often, as supplies of, say, the "Reissue Rebour Mod. 90" started drying up, they could run another run. Say, every three years or so ... Hopelessly dreaming, Russ Fitzgerald Greenwood SC rfitzger@emeraldis.com <mailto:rfitzger@emeraldis.com>