Composites, microfibers, synthetics. They amaze in their qualities; light, strong, durable – unyieldingly stiff or unimaginably suple, depending on our whim. When modern components arrive on my doorstep, upon lifting the unremarkable cardboard box I often wonder whether there is anything at all inside or if perhaps the person on the other end of the postal system had allowed their mind to wander beyond the task at hand and neglected to place the product in the box before sealing it and handing it off to a worker whose uniform invokes the wrath of dogs the world over.
This was not the case when my vintage 80’s-era Selle San Marco Rolls was delivered from deep within the bowels of eBay. The box had a heft to it that hinted at something substantial within its confines. Freed from its cardboard prison, the saddle lay heavy in my hand, its heft signaling an inherent quality about it that only heavy products seem to convey. But the saddle showed its age; the leather was dry and worn, the brass trim and emblems tarnished black.
This saddle isn’t made of synthetics, it was no lost cause. This saddle is made of organic materials that require care and maintenance in order to maintain their beauty. And, when let fall into disrepair, they can often be restored to their original glory. Out came my polishes and waxes, and within a few minutes the leather covering the saddle which had only moments before been worn and gray was now gleaming with a deep, black finish. The brass, touched up with polish and the tarnish wiped instantly from its surface. Within a quarter hour, the saddle was once again a beacon of a bygone era.
These old leather saddles took a few hundred kilometers to ride in; not as long as their all-leather predecessors, but much longer than our carbon-shell, microfiber modern saddles. With time, the rubbing of chamois-clad tooshie polished the leather into a gleaming beauty which whispered of the long journey over which it had carried its rider as they forged their path together along La Vie Velominatus.
Heavy and big as they were, these saddles had character; one would somehow be more comfortable than another which was supposed to be identical. Each would develop its own unique finish as the characteristics of the leather cover and the shape of it’s rider’s backside would reveal its unique beauty over time. The saddles owned by the Pros in the 80’s and 90’s became impossibly shiny; I remember being enraptured by the sight of the gleaming saddle swaying back and forth as Gert-Jan Theunisse moved en danseuse up the Galibier in the 1989 Tour enroute to a solo win atop l’Alpe d’Huez.
If today’s saddles are marvels of lightweight and comfort, these old saddles were a looking glass into the history that rider and machine had forged together.
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So many packages currently arriving Chez Deakus please don't tempt towards ebay....this could end in disaster. Evokes a bygone era, lovely article!
The Rolls saddle, true piece of cycling history. Nearly every classic photo I see from the late 70's through the early '90's has one in it. Love mine on my older steel Merckx. Perfection in a saddle.
Had the very same saddles on my Colnago and Cougar TT bikes. Gone . . . sigh.
How does one properly care for/polish a leather saddle? I have one on my '84 Club Fuji that has lost some color around the apron. I'm hesitant to use any coloured paste wax/shoe cream for fear that it would rub off on my pants (the Fuji is my around town bike and I don't ride it in black lycra). I've previously treated it with Sno-seal for moisture protection, but that doesn't do anything for the colour.
@VeloVita
I would suggest using something like RM Williams saddle dressing. This would restore moisturise and nourish the leather. It is expensive but tin lasts ages. You would probably find much more cost effective treatments elsewhere but your best bet would be to look up horse saddlery sites or shops, those guys polish leather day in day out to bright new shine and then wear cream jodpurs on it so they probably know more than anyone about it..
http://www.rmwilliams.com.au/home.asp?pageid=30A4383191C26B9B&departmentproducttypegroupid=FE5F8BFED1A30D1B&productid=72AAD6CBC0E0CEA7&producttypeid=FF50AE8E76E3EBF9
I have a yellow Selle San Marco Rolls acquired when they were the business sometime around 1990 - on the floor of the Man Cave now having been used up until the Fizik took over last spring. They last a long time - there's still a few years left in it.
Very nice, Frank! That bike is looking classier and classier all the time! I asked the other week, but what tyres? Are those Veloflex Masters?
I have a sky blue & white checkboard Rolls. I've been told it came on Colnagos at a certain point? (Or one model of them?) I bet someone has more info. It is comfortable as but the leather has worn so that it almost just looks white. Oh well. This article has inspired me to retrieve it from my off-site storage facility (my parents house) and get it on one of my bikes. Heck, might just have to go on the #1 and put all that plastic and carbon in its place.
I'm a big fan of older saddles. Older Flites on my Look, De Bernardi, and Casati, a Regal on my Tommasini, and the Rolls is on an around town bike.
@Ron
You must post a photo of that.
@VeloVita
I found a new unused tub (75ml) of Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam: A special blend of natural waxes to restore, protect and condition all types of greasy and waxy leather. Suitable for all colours. Only a small amount is needed. I use it on Lorica and Microtex saddles.
Ahh, lovely, I used to ride a Rolls when I was a young man. I recently went back to a Regal from a carbon and titanium wonder as I just wanted that classic shape again and some padding.
When did all the padding move out of the saddles and into the shorts?