tcs

"Some folks don't believe that the Taiwanese can make stuff as well as the British did, but there's no factual basis for that belief, and in many cases this attitude may be traced to racism." - Sheldon Brown

Road Fan

I've had good and bad results with Brooks, Rivet, Ideale, and Selle AnAtomica. I would go back to all, maybe not Rivet. The best in recent times have been Brooks, Ideale, and S-A.

I bought one Gyes about 10 years ago, a return/re-sell from Velo Orange, Model 6. I got rid of it because the leather, as thick as it may be, did not suspend me. I was either pushing back against the cantle, or sagging into the saddle. I tried adding screw tension, and with just a fraction of a turn it turned into a a@@ hatchet. It may have a been a fluke of bad leather, but I don't see why I should chance it. Any case, I've not stumbled across them anywhere but V-O. S-A would be my go-to.

Oslerblue

Thanks for that recommendation ... will give Nikwax a try.

tcs

I ~think~ Gyes made at various times private label saddles for Cardiff, Dia Compe, Fenix, Fyxation, Lekker, Origin8, Papillionaire, Shinola, Sobdeall, Spa, Torelli, Velo Orange and Zimbale. Last I heard Gyes manufactured Rivet saddles to Rivet's proprietary designs. Those BLB saddles look like private label Gyes, too.

SurferRosa

Definitely. I had a Cardiff that was exactly like my Gyes. The imprint on the skirt was the only difference.

And yes, they are really hard. Maybe terribly difficult to break-in. But I kind of like 'em that way.

jamesdak 

I must too, LOL! To be honest about my situation and saddles. I hardly ever take the same bike out twice in a row. I really do ride all those bikes I have. So I never get used to one saddle. What I have found is that the most comfortable to me are the Brooks Swallow and Gyes equivalent, the Fizik Kurve saddles and the flat style fabric Scoops. I can tolerate some other's like the various flat Flite models but I tend to stick to the ones that work for me. A lot of other saddles are just butt hatchets to me. But (pun intended, LOL!) on those days when my bottom is just sore or whatever I usually grab either a Brook or Gyes equipped bike to give myself the ultimate comfort. For me they both seem to ride the same, couldn't say one is harder than the other. Oh and I hate, I say hate the old Turbo saddles. Ugh pure torture past the first 5 miles or so.

don_87ST

x2.
Just be aware that some of the cheaper leather saddles splay out quite a bit after some moderate use, while the more expensive saddles tend to retain their shape. It seems that you get what you pay for. I agree that if you are patient, you may find a deal on a lightly used leather saddle from a good brand (Brooks, Rivet, Selle Anatomica). Good luck.

Sonofamechanic 

It appears there are a lot of used suspended-leather saddles on secondhand-sites that are “splayed out” as you put it. Is this primarily from not adjusting the tension tighter as the seat stretches? Riding when the seat is wet? Can the splay be corrected with tightening and water-soak re-shaping?

Trevtassie

Splaying from both getting wet and lack of tension allowing a hammock to form.
Solution: Lace it across the bottom.
Lacing adds another variable to seat shape and can be useful for tuning a saddle for fit..

As for breaking in a Gyes, let it get a bit damp while riding then hit it with Nikwax water based wax while still damp. Reapply every now and again, after a while you'll notice it on soaks in at pressure points like sit bones, eventually even they'll become waterproof. That'll keep it's shape because dry leather doesn't stretch. They don't tend to stretch much anyway because of the reinforcing, but still need a bit of initial re-tensioning.

clubman 

The splaying can also be caused by over-tensioning and time. Very difficult to save these saddles if you want them close to their original shape.

The Golden Boy 

This thread pushed me in the opposite direction and I just bought a Berthoud.

Germany_chris

Then you’ll get another like I did 😉

Calsun

I paid more than $20 for a Brooks saddle in 1971 and paid another $15 to have a friend remove the rivits and soften the leather and then re-revit it to the saddle frame. With inflation that would be equavalent to spending $245 today for this saddle. I still have the saddle and the custom frame bike and the I paid $150 to have the frame made and another $450 for Campy components and wheels and Phil Woods bottom bracket or a total of more than $600 which would be equivalent to spending $4,100 today.

I put a premium on a good saddle that I will be sitting on for thousands of hours. What are grossly overpriced are the saddles with all plastic construction that sell for $120 or more.

Krov9

This is OP again. I ended up getting a slightly used Brooks saddle in the end. Compared to the cheap plastic and foam saddles I'm used to, it seems pretty bulky and large, but time will tell how it feels in use.

I don't deny that in leather items, price pretty much goes hand in hand with quality. This goes for shoes, briefcases, belts, leather jackets etc. so quite naturally the same basic principles apply to bicycle saddles too.

For example, I recently uncovered an old pair of BBS brand leather handlebar grips I bought several years ago and had in storage for along time. The thin leather wrapped around the foam underneath was all wrinkly and appeared to have grown black mold spots that I couldn't get out I think the leather is bonded, and when trying to clean it, I actually sanded away the plastic coating and exposed the leather-based material underneath. I think the foam under the leather has been slightly damp when I put them into a box, and so the leather has molded from inside out

browngw 

A couple of years ago I bought a B17 Aged. The leather is a little softer to start and it comes with lacing to help retain its shape. I have it on my 1965 Dilecta LeBlanc where it doesn't get excessive use, but is comfortable for a longer ride. It also just looks great.

Krov9

Really nice! I would have thought that coming pre-laced would be a negative sign for a saddle, but I guess not

tcs

FWIW my ebay-USA Gyes TI-17A seller was Crow Cycle.

tcs

Having read Consumer Reports for the last half-century, I've seen innumerable items that were expensive for no measurable reason, and other goods that punched well above their weight class.

noglider 

These are exceptions that prove the rule. They are not a guarantee that you can always get something good for less than the going rate.

Korina

May I ask why you dislike the Rivet?

dweenk 

I have two VO sprung saddles and one B-17ish saddle that I assume were Gyes built. I have one of the sprung saddles on a three speed that I ride regularly. Maybe it's because it is sprung, but it is quite comfortable; the second sprung saddle is waiting for another build. I bought both during a VO sale for $40 each, so I am happy.
The third saddle reminds me of a Fujita "Belt" and that thing is hard. It was most likely Gyes built as well and I got it for $8 new without a box at a swap.

hihik

Here’s my Father’s Day gift - a buffalo hide sprung saddle by CDHPOWER. Haven’t tried it out yet and never had a Brooks to compare it to but I’ll give it a shot at quarter of the price. Let me know if I can help with any questions about it.

ThermionicScott 

So I took a look at the Gyes website. Generally it's obvious which Brooks models they're trying to replicate, but I'm curious about a couple: does the GS-19 map to the Pro, and the GS-24 to the B17 Narrow, or is it the other way around? Sometimes it's hard to gauge the roundness of the tops from online pictures.

Thanks!

Phil_gretz

These can be purchased on AliExpress right now, made identically to Gyes. Search under "retro vintage saddle", and you'll find them. In the 50 euro range shipped.

bikemig 

Interesting how little love here for selle anatomica saddles. I like the "classic" model (without a cutout) a lot and use it on two bikes: a 70s Fuji Finest and a 1982 Peugeot PXN 10. The Fuji has seen a lot of miles. I found that saddle comfortable from the start. I just mounted one on the Peugeot and took it out on a 25 mile ride yesterday. It's a neat saddle. I like Brooks pros as well but the SA saddle has nice long rails and is available with a cast aluminum frame (steel rails) if you want to save some weight (80 grams).