Re: [CR]seat posts, plus Bittini, and saddle modifications

(Example: Racing:Jean Robic)

From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]seat posts, plus Bittini, and saddle modifications
References: <ba.2bb8660e.2aafa9c2@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 16:25:12 -0700

Hey guys,

Speaking of saddle height off the rails and modified saddles; did anyone notice the custom saddle/seatpost treatment in the drawings by Rebour pictured in the current Vintage Bicycle Quarterly? That got me wet; and then thinking about such a modification. First I will need to figure out the purpose of such an approach. Lightness and lowering the rail height maybe? It could easily be incorperated into the "hidden clamping seatpost" concept also mentioned and pictured in VBQ. I had already planned on that for the AreoTour, might as well make the saddle rails while I'm at it. If one was to become fanatic it's easy to see how limitless the possibilities are for making a "super custom" bicycle and shaving ounces off almost everywhere. Adjustable seat posts are for those who don't have a bike built from concept to final coat of paint taking every detail into consideration and fabricating as neccessary those pieces that make the bike perfect and unique to the owner alone. As a matter of fact, back in the early 70's I remember a custom built track frame that used the excess length of the seat tube of the frame as the bottom of the "seat post". Just a small clamping arrangement at the top was all there was to it. The bike was built by none other than Keith Lippy for some trackster here in San Diego!

Like I say, endless possibilities. And thanks again to Jan Heine for putting out those drawings that end up germanating into new applications for old ideas. I have to be careful what I read before bed. If I'm not careful I could dream about touring all night. I call those nightmares!

Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA At what speed does touring turn into "a brisk ride" or better? Or more correctly perhaps, what speed do I have to be going to qualify for race pace, as opposed to "touring", even if I'm not on a "racing" bike? Just curious.
>
> In a message dated 9/10/02 12:34:13 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> chuckschmidt@earthlink.net writes:
>
> << The Campagnolo 130mm micro-adjust Record seat post came out in 1956
> before the advent of plastic saddles. Leather saddles like the Brooks
> B.17 have very tall frames measuring 70mm from the rails to the top of
> the saddle in the middle. Plastic saddles (intro'd around 1960)
> typically measure 45mm or so from the rails to top of the saddle.
>
> If you add 130mm for the short seatpost to the 70mm for the leather
> saddle you get a total of 200mm. If you add 180mm for the long seatpost
> to the 45mm for the plastic saddle you get a total of 225mm, only 25mm
> (roughly one inch) taller.>>
>
> On my Frejus TDF, there is also the clip acting as seat post binder. It adds
> 20mm to the frame size. The 130 seat post, with a Brooks pro saddle (taller
> as you point out) along with the clip, means I can ride my frame size (62cm).
> Most of the pictures I've seen of the old days showed guys riding bikes with
> hardly any seat post showing, so 130s were long enough. Also a lot of bikes
> were offered in limited sizes. Being able to get a production frame in 1 cm
> increments seems to have been a 50s thing.
> Interestingly, there was an Italian named Bitinni who modified Brooks saddles
> to lower that height advantage. He thought it didn't look right, so he
> shortened the rear frame where it went into the cantle plate, and reworked
> the leather to soften it. According to the oldsters who told Matteo the
> story, the pros used to line up to get their saddles worked on. I've seen
> pictures of one.
> Stevan Thomas
> Alameda, CA