This is quite an interesting topic. In the case of the Ti-railed Ideale 90, there is a reasonable modern surrogate still in production in the form of the Brooks Swift. It isn't a direct comparison in that the Swift is a bit narrower but it is fairly similar. At present this is about $150 (Wallbike price).
Clearly, the difference is associated with the fact that Ideale no longer makes any saddles and probably made relatively few of the Ti 90's. The $250 premium is a fairly large one to pay solely on functionality so it is the period correctness that results in prices like these. I imagine that it won't be too long from now before the steel-railed Ideale 90's head up that way. Recent trends in Stronglight 49D prices make me think that is fairly likely. It seems that more of them have shown up recently as a result of the higher prices that they are fetching and I don't know whether or when the market will be saturated. I know that I could use one or more for a few projects but nor for $180 each.
Charlie Young
Honeybrook, PA
> Tom Dalton wrote:
> >
> > New Corollas in GT-S trim sell for over $21K. If we
> > use Corolla prices as a proxy for changes in the costs
> > of goods and services in general we have a %1400
> > increase in the cost of living between 1977 an 2001.
> > Applying this factor, it looks like the saddle should
> > run about $1500. Of course, there are all sorts of
> > problems with this approach. Foremost among these
> > problems is that there is simply no comparison between
> > '77 and '01 Corollas.
>
> > Another problem is that the Corolla is not even the
> > same class of car as it was in 1977. What was once an
> > econobox is now about the highest-performance front
> > wheel drive sports compact on the market.
>
> OKay, how about my BMW 2002, when I bought it new in 1969 it was around
> $3000 out the door when the Corolla was $1500 (the Corolla was
> considered a pretty sports oriented car for the time by the way). The
> 2002 evolved into the 320 and then... well you get the picture. Same
> components for a long time, same class of car (winner of many, many
> readers' polls as the best, etc.).
>
> My point is that my titanium railed Idéale 90 saddle cost a mint in the
> late 70s at $110 (my custom '77 Confente frame was $425 and complete
> Campagnolo Masis were around $800). So no, I don't think $400 is out of
> line for the ti 90 saddle today.
>
> Chuck Schmidt