Can this saddle be repaired?
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Apex, Wake County, North Carolina
Posts: 4
Bikes: 1985 Nashbar touring bike. Rusty but roadworthy.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Can this saddle be repaired?
I bobbled a dismount and fell, hard. The saddle was damaged and I hope to repair it because it is old, broken-in, and comfortable.
A seatbag, securely attached to the trailing edge of the saddle, hit the ground. The saddle itself did not hit the ground and is without blemish.
The saddle and its strong wire mount became separated. There is no damage to the wire mount and no damage to the plastic skeleton of the saddle. Those two pieces just snap together and (in principle) could be reconnected but I'm unable to do that.
How are these saddles assembled in the factory? Is the plastic stretched? Is it heated enough to soften it? Some other technique?
I have good photos but this site doesn't allow newbies to post images.
Please advise.
Daniel B. Martin
A seatbag, securely attached to the trailing edge of the saddle, hit the ground. The saddle itself did not hit the ground and is without blemish.
The saddle and its strong wire mount became separated. There is no damage to the wire mount and no damage to the plastic skeleton of the saddle. Those two pieces just snap together and (in principle) could be reconnected but I'm unable to do that.
How are these saddles assembled in the factory? Is the plastic stretched? Is it heated enough to soften it? Some other technique?
I have good photos but this site doesn't allow newbies to post images.
Please advise.
Daniel B. Martin
Last edited by danielbmartin; 09-01-20 at 08:22 AM. Reason: Elaborate the damage report.
#2
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,985
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6193 Post(s)
Liked 4,808 Times
in
3,316 Posts
You will have to upload the pic's to a hosting site. If that site uses a Share With, then use the URL that it might generate to post.
Oh...
Welcome to BF! thick skin sometimes useful. We aren't as bad as we bark.
#3
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924
Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times
in
635 Posts
Maybe if you have help, the two of you could stretch or deform the plastic and rail enough to get it back in place.
#4
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Apex, Wake County, North Carolina
Posts: 4
Bikes: 1985 Nashbar touring bike. Rusty but roadworthy.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I created an imgur.com account and posted the images there. As an imgur newbie I may have done this clumsily.
A thick skin will help a rider who falls off his bicycle!
imgurDOTcomSLASHQoLfILW
imgurDOTcomSLASHqZ3k162
imgurDOTcomSLASHWLqUu0q
imgurDOTcomSLASH73nIoAq
imgurDOTcomSLASHimFAO3y
imgurDOTcomSLASHJFLESxo
Daniel B. Martin
Welcome to BF! thick skin sometimes useful. We aren't as bad as we bark.
imgurDOTcomSLASHQoLfILW
imgurDOTcomSLASHqZ3k162
imgurDOTcomSLASHWLqUu0q
imgurDOTcomSLASH73nIoAq
imgurDOTcomSLASHimFAO3y
imgurDOTcomSLASHJFLESxo
Daniel B. Martin
#5
Banned
Bottom line what is your time worth / vs just buying a new (or'take off' *) saddle?
*bike shop term for the saddle the new bike came with, but bike buyer chose something else..
*bike shop term for the saddle the new bike came with, but bike buyer chose something else..
#6
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Apex, Wake County, North Carolina
Posts: 4
Bikes: 1985 Nashbar touring bike. Rusty but roadworthy.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Again, cost is not the issue. I've been working on bikes (not professionally) for a long time and have accumulated plenty of parts. There are six used-but-good saddles in my collection of "treasures" so a serviceable replacement saddle costs me nothing. Nevertheless I really like this one and hope to resurrect it.
.
#8
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Apex, Wake County, North Carolina
Posts: 4
Bikes: 1985 Nashbar touring bike. Rusty but roadworthy.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#10
aka: Dr. Cannondale
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,732
Mentioned: 234 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2155 Post(s)
Liked 3,403 Times
in
1,204 Posts
I have experienced this same problem. The seat base is too rigid to allow you to stretch it a little to get the rail back in place.
I used a hair dryer set on high to heat the base up in the middle and rear end, and with a friend holding it steady was able to deflect the base just enough to pop it back in place.
Afterwards, pressed it in the opposite direction until the base cooled off.
Pretty sure, however, that the rails came out of the base again later on...
I used a hair dryer set on high to heat the base up in the middle and rear end, and with a friend holding it steady was able to deflect the base just enough to pop it back in place.
Afterwards, pressed it in the opposite direction until the base cooled off.
Pretty sure, however, that the rails came out of the base again later on...
__________________
Hard at work in the Secret Underground Laboratory...
Hard at work in the Secret Underground Laboratory...
#11
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,985
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6193 Post(s)
Liked 4,808 Times
in
3,316 Posts
You really like that saddle? It might be time to learn to make new friends.
Epoxy the crap out of it if you are desperate. However I'd always worry it will come off when I least expect it and I become a Popsicle. <grin>
These are the pics the OP posted in the links given.
Epoxy the crap out of it if you are desperate. However I'd always worry it will come off when I least expect it and I become a Popsicle. <grin>
These are the pics the OP posted in the links given.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Bloomington, IN
Posts: 2,949
Bikes: Paramount, Faggin, Ochsner, Ciocc, Basso
Mentioned: 117 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1303 Post(s)
Liked 1,910 Times
in
1,140 Posts
Bend the rails until you can get them to fit into the plastic, and then bend the rails back straight again. That is a bit labor intense but will work. Smiles, MH
#13
Banned
Bend the rails until you can get them to fit into the plastic, and then bend the rails back straight again
Those don't "break In" they break down & you get used to them... your body toughens up ..
...
#14
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times
in
339 Posts
The rail looks distorted. You need to straighten it before you put the saddle back together. When you put it back together, you need to flex the rail. You aren't going to stretch the plastic, but you may be able to bend it enough to pop the end of the rail into its socket. That said, I don't think this is going to end well.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
www.rhmsaddles.com.
#15
Senior Member
An examination of those images indicates to me that the saddle part was flexed during manufacturing, probably with a fixture, to permit easy insertion of the formed metal frame, then the fixture releases the distortion to grab that frame.
It seems unlikely that a safe rework is possible to replace the frame into the saddle.
It seems unlikely that a safe rework is possible to replace the frame into the saddle.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 2,397
Mentioned: 93 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1104 Post(s)
Liked 1,825 Times
in
878 Posts
I'm a thrifty SOB, however, I'd just replace that saddle. Aside from being a load of work and that saddles are available on CL or the local shop in a bin for next to nothing; I don't want to sit on anything that's already failed once,