mara777

I have an old road bike that I use to do recreational rides with my children. It has an old Avocet Gelflex saddle with a cloth cover. The cover is stretched out and falling off since the bike was stored in my garage rafters for more than a decade. This saddle is comfortable and I prefer not buying a replacement. but as is, it transfers black particles (from the inside cushioning) onto my inner thighs. I'd like to find a DIY solution to recover the saddle if possible.

Maelochs

Get a staple gun, some 3M headliner spray glue, and some leather or fabric of your choice. Pull off the old top and pull all the staples, staple half the new cover in place, spray in the glue, stretch it really tight, and staple the other half. That is literally how the pros do it.

I am halfway through doing it myself. I think it is easier for the pros.

tFUnK

I am also in the process of doing this with one of my saddles. Not planning to use staples though (the original didn't use any), so I need to do some more precise trimming before applying the adhesive. Also some of the padding came off with the original cover, and while I've managed to fill some pieces back in, it won't be perfect. Hoping it won't be noticeable, but might go double layer with the leather just to be safe.

rollagain

I'd throw the whole thing out. You're likely to find that the foam has degraded.

Chuck Naill

Yes, get a used one from members here or purchase a new one.

chaadster

Wow…for as cheap as new saddles can be had, it’s hard to see how trying to rehab a 40 year old saddle, which the owner hasn’t ridden in a decade, could possibly be worth the time and effort. It’s very easy to imagine it being a total failure and waste of time.

TiHabanero

Don't allow the fear of a less than desirable outcome deter you from giving it a go. I have a Turbo saddle I have worn through the suede covering and will be attempting a recover this winter. The foam is slightly worn in the spots where the suede has worn through, but that will not stop me from digging in and doing the job. I will be leaving the original cover on and simply covering over it with new suede. Who cares if it is less than perfect, it is the experience and what I can learn from it that counts.

chaadster

Doing it for the sake of doing it is vastly different from doing it because you “prefer not to replace” it.

spelger

i replaced my saddle last year and noticed that the vinyl was stapled on. it was then that i thought about reupholstering it myself. didn't think this was a thing. now i'll probably do it since the saddle is otherwise good. can't do any harm, will probably just learn how not to do it next time if there ever is a next time. i say do it and learn something.

rollagain

Well, mara, if you want to try recovering it, there's a specific tool you will need--assuming it's stapled together:

https://www.sailrite.com/Staple-Lifter

Get this original brand name; you can thank me later. You will definitely need an electric staple gun that will accept various widths of staples, since I think the ones used on bike saddles are narrower than standard. Good luck finding an exact replacement for the original foam.

Desert Ryder

I'm looking into buying a few lycra seat covers for some of my well worn/torn saddles.
Available on amazon and ebay as well as other sellers.
Some examples I've looked at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FK97YPT...ding=UTF8&th=1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/38511299184...Bk9SR_Ccy8LBYg

https://absurdudeez.com/seatcovers.html

viperocco

i agree. I used an old pair of jeans to rehab an old gel seat.

Ramshackle

I've got an SMP stratos saddle where the padding has disintegrated. I took off the worn leather cover but I can't find padding to rebuild it. Any ideas would be appreciated. By the way, the reason I want to rebuild the saddle is that I don't want to spend $250 or so on a new saddle.

staehpj1

I wouldn't put too much into the project, but... I have a couple 40 year old saddles that are still comfy so it isn't necessarily beyond hope if the OP is really attached to it.

viperocco

check local upholstery shop for material.

chaadster

Fair enough, but this was not described as a case of nostalgic attachment and I wasn’t saying it was hopeless, but it did strike me as a really odd thing to want to undertake just because they find it comfy. Rec rides with the kids does not seem particularly demanding of a saddle.

Well let’s see; maybe the OP is the next Busyman.

chaadster

Maybe try reaching out to Carson Leh in Austin, TX, who does custom saddle recovering. He may be able to point you to a padding source.

Maelochs

The Magic of Google:
https://www.instructables.com/How-to...-bicycle-seat/

SkinGriz

Sometimes I think doing something like this seems interesting. And I’ll save a little money.

Then I realize how little dollars per hour I’ll make repairing it.

And how far behind I am in other projects.

And how I know I’ll be interrupted repeatedly by the wife and kids when I’m halfway into it….

Koyote

Many years ago, my local cobbler re-covered an old saddle for me with a nice piece of smooth leather from his scraps pile. I have no recollection, but can't imagine that I paid him more than $20 or so, and the saddle lasted many more years.

SkinGriz

That’s the best bet.
Have had cobblers rebuild work boots and I think it’s a good idea to get in the good graces of a good cobbler.

RCMoeur 

I recover saddles by the dozens for my own use and for bicycle nonprofits. Even recovered several Avocets to bring them back to like-new condition. Yes, once you've removed the old cover you need to look at the pad and see what shape it's in, but discoloration doesn't always mean degradation. Saddles with actual gel inserts can a problem - if the gel is leaking, it's a lost cause.

For a full step-by-step example of my saddle-recovering method, see: https://www.bikeforums.net/22919667-post6396.html

Thanks for digging these up. I may skip the "ORGYPETS" brand from China, but the Absurdeez look to be right in the sweet spot of price and style. I currently obtain my covers in bulk from either Aardvark Cycling Accessories in Utah or my sister, who said "I can make those too!" and has been doing a great job.

Covers can vary in size, so be careful when ordering. A cover sized for a narrow road saddle won't fit a beach cruiser all that well, and vice versa. Aardvark sells two sizes ('road' & 'MTB'), and my sister makes covers in sizes from kiddie bike to really big cruiser size.

One thing I make sure I do on every saddle is to firmly secure the cover, either by placing it in a saddle's existing lip or edge or by using thin wire (passed through small holes in the cover made with an awl) tying the bottom together. The elastic on most aftermarket covers is just not enough to keep rubbing or "vacuum butt" from eventually working the cover off and having it fall to the ground, lost forever. Here's a diagram I include when I forward covers to others: