Kevin,
VERY cool seat (...sorry, pun intended)....
I thought that I would pass along this bit of information for your own use as well as that of anyone else who might be a Cool Gear fan or who might possibly be considering purchase of your saddle.
Cool Gear (...i.e. a registered trademark of the Jacobs Corporation) introduced their original "The Seat" to market in 1974. Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of this saddle at the time was its use of Cushion-Flo pad inserts which were integrated into a simulated leather grain cover which was then bonded onto a duPont Adiprene urethane prepolymer shell (...a general manner of construction that would eventually be adopted by numerous imitators). Jackie Simes used this first version of The Seat when he broke the indoor world roller record on February 18th, 1975 at the New York City International Cycle Show by riding 681 virtual miles over a 24 hour time period (...and that included "non-cycling" periods where he had to sleep and/or nap - he ate while spinning away in the saddle). Shortly thereafter, Cool Gear proliferated their line up by adding a track and/or time trial model designated the SL (...while I have never seen any definitive rendition of just what the letters "SL" stood for in this particular instance, I have always assumed that it meant Superleggera, or in conversational English - Super Light) which featured delicate thin walled alloy frame rails and a flat covering without any of the otherwise distinctive Dolly Partonesque Cushion-Flo pad inserts. The other and older version of The Seat hence forth became known as their Road model.
After almost two full years on the market, Cool Gear issued a revised The Seat 1976 early in that year. This improved model did away with the breathing holes that had previously run down the center-line of the Road saddle and reconfigured the Cushion-Flo inserts on that same model where they come in contact with the pelvic area as well as to now supplement those with slow memory foam padded inserts. Furthermore, frame rails on the SL were changed over to hollow stainless steel tubing in common with the Road model and their strength was significantly improved where the two rails meet at the nose of the saddle. The adjustment mechanism was modified to better accommodate more fore and aft positioning on the seat post, the molded shell itself was also updated to incorporate a central stiffening bridge, and the rear slot was revised so that the saddle cannot be separated from the frame rails unless one completely removes the Allen head tension adjusting screw.
For model year 1977, Cool Gear unveiled their new The Seat 1977 edition in three distinct models - the Road, the SL, and a new Ladies specific version having a wider fantail. All of these new models benefited from an improved injection molding process which provided for more consistency and uniformity in flex as well as a refined shell profile which reduced overall weight despite having fuller side skirting. Other updates included a square metal stabilizing insert for the Allen wrench tension adjustment mechanism, and perhaps most notably, the frame rails themselves were now crafted from titanium bar stock rather than the aluminum or stainless steel tubing as had been used on previous editions.
While Cool Gear appeared to be doing quite well for themselves by 1977, a warehouse fire at their Colorado facility literally wiped out their entire inventory of product late that year (...I am pretty sure it was late 1977, although if someone were to chime in with authority stating that it happened in early 1978, this would be plausible too and I would gladly accept their input). Given an entire year without any product sales and, to their credit (...no pun intended), unwavering financial support for the Cool Gear / Exxon racing team throughout the 1978 season, the company was basically bankrupt by 1979 and never recovered (...although they did attempt to resume offering elements of their clothing line, The Seat was never brought back).
Given the specifics detailed in that series of photographs you have posted to WoolJersey, yours would appear to be a first edition 1975 version of The Seat, and more specifically, their somewhat rarer still SL model.
Robert Broderick (...rider of a The Seat 1977 Ti on his 1977 Exxon Graftek) ..the "Frozen Flatlands" of South Dakota Sioux Falls, USA
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Kruger Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 9:58 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]WTB & FOR SALE = ALE WATERBOTTLE CAGE WANTED & COOL GEAR SEAT FORSALE
Wanted to buy,,,,,interested in purchasing an early 1980s ALE WATERBOTTLE C AGE (prefer black color but will consider others) as illustrated in the f ollowing Wool Jersey address photos:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
For sale, a COOL GEAR "The Seat" saddle. As-is repaired condition. Su per fragile hollow alloy tubed undercarriage cracked, and was repaired with solid steel rod inserts epoxied in place. Still would not recommend rid ing this saddle unless you are a featherweight with a death wish. Perfec t display saddle to mount on your 1970s Exxon Graftek frame or bike. Inc ludes original cover that has some wear (I used this cover on other saddles when transporting bikes "upside down" on an old JCI roof rack). Price i s $25.00 plus actual Priority Mail shipping and optional insurance. Phot os of the saddle may be viewed at the following Wool Jersey address:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
Regards,
Kevin Kruger - Grantville, PA