Hi Chuck,
All of the Ottusi saddles I imported in the early 1960s were not made from Brooks. They did not have any Brooks marking on the leather or cantle plate. Also non of them had holes in the top leather. And all of them had a shortened/lowered rails at the rear. The leather sides of the saddle can be tucked inside the rails by 1 - 1 1/2 cm. I have a low rails Brooks pro and the sides just reach the rails. So draw your own conclusions.
The Bettini saddle has a slotted nose bolt but no holes in the adjusting nut. I think Bettini may have made some "tuned"saddles for Masi on request in the late 1960s, maybe early 1970s. However Bettini (from Milan) did use Brooks leather and frame. But he, too, shortened/lowered the rails.
Yes, I am satisfied with the saddles I've "tuned." But I still have a ways to go. It always seemed odd and out of place to me to see a Brooks Pro saddle on a classic bike. Because these machines would have had some kind of reshaped saddle on them. It was very common for team mechanics to do this kind of work for riders. Though they probably just reshaped the cantle plate and not cut the rails. This is my 51st year of riding high-end racing machines, and never a clincher tire in the bunch.
Regards, Michael Allison New York, NY
Michael Allison wrote:
>
> (cut) The rails were also cut shorter by about 3-4 cm
> where they joined the cantle plate. This effectively lowered the
> leather top relative to the rails.(cut)
Michael,
Could you confirm that "the rails were also cut shorter by about 3-4 cm where they joined the cantle plate."
I believe your Ottusi saddle frame is actually the lower profile B.17 saddle frame. Does your saddle frame have the typical Brooks Patent arc-welded joining of the rail to the cantle plate? Rail bulges out to donut shape just before it enters the hole in the cantle plate.
Did your Ottusi copies that you made turn out to your satisfaction?
Anyone else have Ottusi info to share?
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, Southern California
http://www.velo-retro.com (timelines, reprints and t-shirts)