Hello Gang,
I was recently told by a rep at Brooks the Brooks presoft of old was simply a selection of the softest saddles on hand as tested by hand (?) after assembly. Those were separated and stamped Presoft. GO figure. I think they are not available.
On the Rode Main, I've had a few and I don't remember anything particularly special but it was years ago and memory is as old.
In 1983 I ordered a new Rene Herse with a Brooks Pro and when it arrived 9 months later or so to my surprise the saddle was well oiled and presoftened, really. Very soft from the git go! This was not ordered so I suppose it was a standard modification for their customers. I till have the saddle but I feel fairly certain it was treated on the frame and not removed. Personally I see no reason why someone would remove a saddle from the frame to treat it as the saddle frame could supply or release tension on the leather which could help with conditioning. A washing machine would seem likely to scare a saddle me thinks but rumors are that.
The large rivet rumor I used to hear was the rivets were actual pennies! Sadly the large rivets I have on hand would make poor Penny's and vise versa thug it could be possible. Later I heard these were myths but some myths are true.
Best wishes,
Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Company
519 W. North St.
Raleigh, NC 27603
USA
Toll Free Ph: 800-321-5511 Local Ph: 919-828-8999
E-mail: cyclestore@aol.com
In a message dated 1/13/05 7:17:35 PM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
<< Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 18:35:48 -0500
From: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>
To: tsan7759142@comcast.net, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR]Brooks saddles with stampings on the top
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Quoth Tom Sanders:
>Chuck mentioned that there was a Brooks Pro Team saddle in a photo that had
>"Selle Rodee Main" stamped on the top of it. In my experience such
>stampings are pretty unusual.
That means "Saddle Broken in (by) Hand"
There used to be a bit of a cottage industry of=20
removing the leather from saddles (both Brooks=20
and Id=E9ale) and treating the leather with some=20
secreat witches brew (possibly involving a=20
washing machine, from what I've heard) then=20
re-attaching the leather with the big=20
hand-hammered rivets.
That's actually the origin of the big rivet deal.
The legendary Daniel Rebour was the most notable=20
of those who did this, his are stamped: "Rod=E9e a=20
Main selon Daniel Rebour" or something similar.=20
These are VERY desirable.
Sheldon "Rod=E9e A Cul" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| ...what is hailed as a new style or a new school |
| in literature often consists of doing as a novelty |
| what a Victorian did long ago as a joke. |
| -- G.K. Chesterton |
+-------------------------------------------------------+ >>