Ideal saddle advice.
#1
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Ideal saddle advice.
I picked up this saddle on a recent motobecane purchase and wondered what should I do to prolong it's life. The saddle actually feels about right stiffness wise. Just wondered what treatment or cleaner is safe on it.
The only writing I can make out is the ideal on the rivets.
The only writing I can make out is the ideal on the rivets.
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#2
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Looks like an Ideale 80 Type Record. At some point they came with black rails like yours. I’ve got two of these and I just use my Brooks proofide on them. That saddle appears to have plenty of life left, I’d clean it up with a damp rag, proofide it once and ride it. Mine are extremely hard, I think that’s just how they are. The saddle doesn’t break in well but I’m determined to be the guy that finally does it. That’s right, I’ve been making an attempt at “breaking in” a couple of 50 year old saddles. The saving grace of this model is its width or it would be a true ass hatchet. If you give up on it, it does have some value on eBay. Good luck!
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#3
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Looks like an Ideale 80 Type Record. At some point they came with black rails like yours. I’ve got two of these and I just use my Brooks proofide on them. That saddle appears to have plenty of life left, I’d clean it up with a damp rag, proofide it once and ride it. Mine are extremely hard, I think that’s just how they are. The saddle doesn’t break in well but I’m determined to be the guy that finally does it. That’s right, I’ve been making an attempt at “breaking in” a couple of 50 year old saddles. The saving grace of this model is its width or it would be a true ass hatchet. If you give up on it, it does have some value on eBay. Good luck!
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The first 80 that crossed my path was like that. "WTF? Someone else can have it." The second one was fine and is a keeper.
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Glad to hear the second one worked out well. That means I’m on the right track. They can be broken in with enough riding, right? I think most people probably give up on them but that leather has got to soften sometime.
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that one looks pretty crispy, I think I'd soak in some neats foot oil on the backside and let it soak in for a few days.
/markp
/markp
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Looks like an Ideale 80 Type Record. At some point they came with black rails like yours. I’ve got two of these and I just use my Brooks proofide on them. That saddle appears to have plenty of life left, I’d clean it up with a damp rag, proofide it once and ride it. Mine are extremely hard, I think that’s just how they are. The saddle doesn’t break in well but I’m determined to be the guy that finally does it. That’s right, I’ve been making an attempt at “breaking in” a couple of 50 year old saddles. The saving grace of this model is its width or it would be a true ass hatchet. If you give up on it, it does have some value on eBay. Good luck!
On my two I'm using Proofide. It doesn't have a big effect, it certainly does not make the 30 year old (or whatever) leather look like new, but I don't think that's realistic. I reached out to Katia at Ideale regarding leather replacement for my Ideale 92. While they currently don't have the leather-forming tool for a 92, she told me the 80s are similar in design to the 90s, but the 90 had higher-quality leather, and they say their current means of preparing leather for the current Ideale 90 saddles closely follows the original process. I did not ask her exactly how to manage a damaged 80 or if they are willing to use a 90 saddle skin on an 80 frame.
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The Ideal saddle is the one that fits you best..............sorry just had to
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I don't think saddle narrowness has much to do with forming into an ass hatchet. Back in the day saddles like B17s or similar shapes with leather-cardboard skins misformed into that shape pretty regularly, but we kids knew nothing about getting leather wet or using a leather dressing, et cetera, and neither did some of our parents, beyond common decorative leather, baseball gloves, or horse saddles, or "take it to the shoemaker."
Last edited by Road Fan; 06-11-23 at 02:31 PM.
#12
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I gently cleaned it and applied a generous amount of proofide. I also closely compared it's stiffness to a modern broke in b17. The ideal is significantly stiffer. This may be a city seat only. It came on a 531 grand jubilee, pretty cool bike except the fork isn't 531. Still it rode me around Columbus and Pittsburgh last week.
This pic doesn't include the ideal, it's just the bike it came on.
This pic doesn't include the ideal, it's just the bike it came on.
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for a saddle that dried out proofide is not going to do it. The Zymol is a great suggestion. there is a Lexol leather conditioner that works well too.
use it on the underside of the saddle.
/markp
use it on the underside of the saddle.
/markp
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#14
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Originally Posted by 52telecaster;[url=tel:22920326
22920326[/url]]I gently cleaned it and applied a generous amount of proofide. I also closely compared it's stiffness to a modern broke in b17. The ideal is significantly stiffer. This may be a city seat only. It came on a 531 grand jubilee, pretty cool bike except the fork isn't 531. Still it rode me around Columbus and Pittsburgh last week.
This pic doesn't include the ideal, it's just the bike it came on.
This pic doesn't include the ideal, it's just the bike it came on.
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#16
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I agree it's an Idéale model 80, but I'm not convinced it's Type Record (which has "made in France" at the top, and TYPE RECORD at the bottom of the stamp). The only letter i can see in the photo is a D approximtely where the P of "type" would be, if it's a Type Record, or where the D would be if it's a Speciale Competition, (which has "made in France" at the bottom).
They have the same frame, but different leather. Speciale Competition means treated leather, type record means untreated leather.
Speciale Competition leather holds up much better than type record leather, but once it turns to stone, i don't think it can be turned back into a softer material.
Good luck!
They have the same frame, but different leather. Speciale Competition means treated leather, type record means untreated leather.
Speciale Competition leather holds up much better than type record leather, but once it turns to stone, i don't think it can be turned back into a softer material.
Good luck!
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I agree it's an Idéale model 80, but I'm not convinced it's Type Record (which has "made in France" at the top, and TYPE RECORD at the bottom of the stamp). The only letter i can see in the photo is a D approximtely where the P of "type" would be, if it's a Type Record, or where the D would be if it's a Speciale Competition, (which has "made in France" at the bottom).
They have the same frame, but different leather. Speciale Competition means treated leather, type record means untreated leather.
Speciale Competition leather holds up much better than type record leather, but once it turns to stone, i don't think it can be turned back into a softer material.
Good luck!
They have the same frame, but different leather. Speciale Competition means treated leather, type record means untreated leather.
Speciale Competition leather holds up much better than type record leather, but once it turns to stone, i don't think it can be turned back into a softer material.
Good luck!
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I have had good results reviving a couple of dry saddles (one an Ideale, the other a Wrights) by putting them in a ziploc bag and pouring in enough Lexol (you want the white creamy liquid type) to more or less immerse them and letting them marinate for a few days. Wipe off the excess and you're good to go. You can pour whatever Lexol remains in the bag back into the bottle for reuse, even though it may look kind of dark.
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#22
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Just use a light dressing of Proofide. Use sparingly.
Too much of any product will make the leather soft and it will easily deform.
Other leather products are made for different purposes and are generally unsuitable.
Too much of any product will make the leather soft and it will easily deform.
Other leather products are made for different purposes and are generally unsuitable.