TLit

I have this classic seat on my Le Mans Centurion that will not stay on. Can it be fixed and how?

Koyote

The duct tape is a bad sign.

TLit

I just applied it today. I tried glueing the metal prongs into the seat a while back which did not hold.

veganbikes

I would likely just get a new saddle, the bike was not a high end bike back in the day, the saddle looks pretty toasty and you can find modern vintage saddles. Here is a great source for them: https://www.somafab.com/parts/saddles
You can also get a saddle that may even work better for your rear end that is a newer design.

Duragrouch

That's a bad accident waiting to happen, the seat comes off and the rails jab you in the butt or worse. Seriously. Get a new saddle. If you want traditional leather and durable, get a Brooks or similar, I don't recall if you can still get an Ideal. Brooks also has synthetic material that is impervious to water.

delbiker1 

Easily fixed with a new saddle. Broken human body not so easily fixed. I have numerous spares, I will send you one for the cost of shipping, $12-15. It is an Oval, I believe that is Fuji's brand, and is very comfortable and in great shape. I have been using it, but I just acquired one of my favorite saddles, so the Oval is being replaced. It came on a barely used bike that I bought. PM me if interested.

TLit

When I read last night it probably cannot be fixed I ordered this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/173850659085

I'm pretty cautious, rode about 10 miles yesterday with it shifting underneath; 250#, 6'6". 68cm bike.

TLit

I got it apart; I'm not seeing any way to put the metal pronged unit in as the plastic frame doesn't seem to be adjustable.

FBinNY 

Why would you want to bother?

TLit

Because I'm frugal and don't throw out things that are not broken.

It looks like it worked its way out of the plastic frame; one opening to hold the "U" end and the other opening holds the two prongs; it's flexible so I'm thinking that it may be possible to get it back together.

FBinNY 

OK, that's a reason, so here's a hint.

It's like stringing a bow.

During manufacture, the frame is fixtured and flexed upward, which shortens the nose to back rail distance, allowing the top to be fitted. In use, your weight pushing down lengthens the rails, keeping the top secured.

So, your job is to improvise a way to flex (not bend) the rails up the same way so the nose can clear.

Note that if the rails are bend down where they are clamped, fitting it back together will be that much harder.

13ollocks

There's "frugal" and there "hoarder-adjacent" - sometimes something is simply dead and it's time to let it go....

TLit

I've known hoarders and that is not a problem I have. "Waste not want not" is a good saying from Franklin; if things are broken and beyond repair that's another issue. In many ways our society is a throw away society, things and people....I'll go with frugal for now. I'm reluctant to get sucked into the hyper civilized society with zero tolerance for things that are not perfect or up to spec.. Appreciate the inputs.

FBinNY 

I'm with you and wish you luck. However, before investing the effort, make sure there are no cracks near the two rear rail pockets.

13ollocks

I'm also a big fan of "repair/adapt vs replace", but only if the repair is functionally on par with the original. You're putting 250# on a part of questionable reliability - and I'm not thinking about the usual "seat post impalement" that people bandy about, I'm thinking about the more mundane possibility of the saddle giving way under your weight and you losing control. Even if you manage to bend the rails to get them to fit, if you don't get them straight, you'll likely end up with a lopsided saddle that brings its own ergonomic problems. Repairing stuff is worthwhile and fun, but it's important to pick your battles - if the best you can achieve is a bodge vs a proper repair (and I'm not saying you can't repair it, I'm just imagining myself in your situation), it's time to consider replacement.

zandoval 

Hey! I resemble that remark!

Of course I dont admit I am a cheap bastard with lots of time on my hands... Ha...

oldbobcat

Most bike shops have a box of swap-out saddles underneath the workbench. You could ask.

RCMoeur 

As someone who rehabilitates dozens upon dozens of saddles a year, I will say that any saddle where the rails won't stay securely attached to the pan (such as the one here) is truly and sincerely broken, and should be sent to a well-deserved retirement.

JohnDThompson 

Ok, but that saddle is pretty obviously broken. I also like to fix and reuse things whenever possible, but there is a point of diminishing returns, and that saddle looks well past it.

TLit

The question I'd have is that these bike seats are put together in the factory with the semi-flexible plastic molded and melded together with the metal frame. Once the metal frame comes apart from it, it can't be reassembled? What happened with mine is that it came apart a while ago and there is such a disparity between the span of the mounting prongs to the metal that there does not seem to be any way to reassemble it even if had been nearly new.

joesch

Agree but there is still an option to turn it into bike saddle art, calling our friend
pastorbobnlnh

13ollocks

Sometimes things are simply "not user-serviceable"

smd4

That saddle is broken. Ergo, you should throw it out.

Unless you don't mind riding crap, this generally isn't a hobby/sport for the frugally-minded.

grumpus

Have you been lifting the bike by the back of the saddle? That's the common way for this damage to occur, particularly if you do it with luggage on the bike. Lift by the seat-post, frame or pannier rack to avoid it happening again.
Another possible cause is that the rails have been bent, in which case you need to bend them back before refitting the top. It can be hard to check this, although any bend in the straight parallel part of the rails is a sure sign. Also the plastic may have deformed through age, not much you can do about that..
To get the top back on I used to use my biggest flat screwdriver as a lever, and clamp a rail in the bench vise if it reaches, otherwise put a vise-grip on the rail and hold that in the vice (in either case beware of tubular or alloy rails which can be crushed or chewed up). This leaves a hand free to wrestle the top. Having checked the sockets are clear, put the front in first, then lever the individual rails into place.
If you get it well seated and it comes apart again you might as well give up and get a new one.

grumpus

I have duct tape on the nose of the saddle on my utility bike - it's still a perfectly good saddle, albeit possibly 50 years old. I could strip the leather off and use it like that, or re-cover it, but until I do duct tape protects those little ragged edges where the leather has worn through.