[CR]Traditional French Saddles

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 23:01:40 +0100 (CET)
From: "Nick March" <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Traditional French Saddles

Hello All, Well, I see Idéale 59's are reaching astounding prices on ebay.com. That's a little surprising. Has anybody actually ridden one ? I have. As an expert on saddles (the expert in fact) told me, the very rigid rails, the alloy, make for a most uncomfortable ride. I had one, I gave it away a week back. You don't have to believe me, but it's the truth. Better a well broken in model 90, or a 40 something if you are into the longer models. Maybe these things are considered the essence of French cycling. Let me show how wrong that is. Leather saddles used to be the only saddles before the rubber "dunlop" type. You rode 'em every day, come sun, snow or rain. You greased 'em, but that wasn't enough. There was an old trick: cover your saddle with an old, greasy beret. Once it was so greasy you couldn't wear it, you unsew the lining of your beret, and stitched it over the saddle. The very essence of 1950's French cycling is in these rare finds, the epitomy of garlic and red wine laden breath. I could wax lyrical for ages. It happens I have a couple of these treasures. I'd willingly part with one or two to discerning collectors, but I fear that after having lived twenty years on a unshampood head, then sat upon for another twenty sweaty years, they may represent a biological hazard. Think French cycling is all René Herses and perfume ? Think again: http://membres.lycos.fr/partspeekers/hpbimg/beret.jpg Enjoy. Nick March, Agen, 47, France (ps: when I land a Herse, I shall fit this saddle to it)

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