Sunday 31 December 2023

Selle Italia SLR: Speedvagen Polka Dots

 It's always a pleasure and a design and technical challenge to realise all of the detail of Hai's vision for his saddles. This time for his Speedvagen with a full on over the top paint scheme we did a saddle 'with the lot'.

S-Works Power Flower

 For Paul's late model Speedvagen we borrowed the Vanilla flower logo and applied a concentric perforated pattern to the saddle along with a tiny embossed Speedvagen unicorn shield logo. Photos by Feride Peel and Mason Hender. Most excellent attention to detail by Dan at Superb Velo Service.

Form Throne Starry Night

Constellations and nebulas were the starting point for this dark navy blue and gold set.  The fork on Pamela's Mosaic is painted like a realistic photo of an actual nebula. All this through Above Category Cycling.

Two Piece Saddle Bag: Serk

A while back I did some leatherwork for a Serk titanium custom build that was exhibited at the 2023 hand made bicycle show. A little later on we added this matching two piece saddle bag to the ensemble.

Selle San Marco Aspide: Firefly Natural

Aspide in natural vegetable tanned kangaroo with gentle pale green perforations for Victor's very lovely Firefly. This is the second time around after the first set was damaged in an accident. Honey tones and patina should develop quickly on these.

Specialized Ruby: Helen's Baum

For Helen's Baum I recovered here Specialized Ruby saddle in black leather with perforated detail in blue and orange. This older model of gel saddle has a feature called Adaptive Edge. The Busyman technique for dealing with that is to glue right over it as the space is too small to tuck the leather back in securely. I think this is also going to become the standard method for finishing Power saddles.

SMP Avant: Prova Dark Green

For Prova Cycles a SMP Avant saddle and matching bar tape in black leather with dark green perforations. The saddle is one of SMP's chunkier models and required more panels and seams than the more slimline models to allow the leather to mould nicely to the form.

SLR Superflow Boost: Dark Chocolate

 For Zach's subtle fade Open road bike. The saddle, frame bag and bar tape are in a dark chocolate kangaroo leather with subtle fade perforations from light olive green to cool grey. Zach went to a lot of trouble to make a template for the bag shape including a narrower piece to indicate how much the tubes recess into the bag cavity compared to the external shape of the main side panels. Theoretically the bag should fit perfectly, my fingers are crossed.

Pro Stealth in Black and Burnt Orange

 A pair of Pro Stealth saddle in black kangaroo leather with perforated detail in Baum's Burnt Orange for a pair of Baum bicycles. Matching bar tapes in matte textured cow leather.

Pro Stealth Team: Baum Burnt Orange

Brandy kangaroo whip leather with Baum's Burnt Orange perforation details at the back of the seat. Pro Stealth Team saddle and matching bar tape. The whip leather will develop a rich patina with use.

Power Baum Brandy Fade

Faded perforation detail in Baum's coral and plum on brandy kangaroo leather for both saddle and bar tape.

Saturday 30 December 2023

Fizik Argo Whiskey Bastion

For PBX's classically styled sage green Bastion. Simple whiskey coloured kangaroo leather saddle and bar tape. 

Friday 29 December 2023

Zullo Fizik Argo

 For Richie's new steel Zullo bike. Fizik Argo Tempo 160 in black leather with bright yellow perforations and the Zullo logo raised through the centre back.

Saturday 23 December 2023

SMP Yellow Tree

Selle SMP VT20C in black kangaroo leather with a subtle rendition of Baum Cycles' new geometric tree logo as negative space amongst the yellow perforated pattern. Some more complex pattern making to fit the unique form of this short SMP saddle.

Friday 22 December 2023

SMP: Baum & Signature

 SMP Dynamic in black leather with silver grey grid perforations and Baum Cycles new tree logo for Signature Cycles.


SMP Bison

Tim's SMP Dynamic with some fresh EVA foam padding and a lovely and durable shrunken bison leather cover in chocolate. Thanks Tim!

Fizik Aliante VS Carved V & VI

This is custom carved Aliante VS saddle number 5 and 6 for Ross. All done in 2023. This last two are in chocolate shrunken bison and whiskey kangaroo whip. Thanks Ross, it has been my pleasure to work on your saddles.


Wednesday 20 December 2023

Mosaic Prologos

Prologo Scratch M5 Nack: Two saddles for Salifu's two new Mosaic bikes. First in light olive green with the Mosaic name perforated key-line and radiating concentric perforated row all in bitter orange. Second in black leather with the Mosaic tree logo sized up and raised across the whole saddle.


Prologo Dimension: Prova Burgundy

 Prologo Dimension Nack saddle in black kangaroo leather with burgundy perforations and bar tape to match with the same perforated pattern for Prova Cycles.



Tuesday 19 December 2023

SLR Superflow Classics

A couple of Selle Italia SLR Superflow saddles I completed earlier this year with marching bar tapes. Both are black on black. The first one takes reference from the classic superflow look while the second one derives its seam lines and detailing from an older SLR Flow. The detailing is adapted to suit the shape of the Superflow and the front end carbon fibre trim has been padded out and covered over. It's subtle but it was a lot of work.

Wednesday 13 December 2023

SLR Boosts: Sachs and Vanilla

 For a couple of Stanley's bikes I recovered these Selle Italia SLR Boost saddles and made matching saddle bags as well as some bar tape for his Sachs bike and a frame pump strap for the Vanilla classic. Both have subtle raised logos and perforations to compliment the frame colours.

Tuesday 12 December 2023

Lady Diva Floral Prova

 For Alison's Prova I recovered this Selle Italia Lady Dive Gel Flow in black leather with a perforated grid of flowers which pick up the accent colour on her Rene Herse tyres.

Lady Diva Whisky Whip Champagne Fans

 A fresh new saddle and bar tape with a different design for Lee's Baum. The old saddle is coming back for some Busyman TLC.

Rainbow Paws

 A fresh saddle for Ronald's Bastion gravel bike: Flite Boost Superflow with rainbow spectrum wild cat tracks wandering around.


Monday 11 December 2023

Velo Gel Comfort

 Sculpted in whiskey colour kangaroo leather. Rosalie brought the tired old Velo Gel Comfort saddle all the way from Berkeley California for some Busyman TLC. After visiting friends in Sydney they headed down to Melbourne and picked up the finished saddle and bar tape grips. It was a pleasure doing the work and chatting with Rosalie about art, design and creative stuff.

Floral Two-Piece Saddle Bag

 A two-piece saddle bag in burnished tan kangaroo leather for Scott's Speedvagen. Earlier this year I did the saddle and bar tape for the same bike.

Brooks C13 Cambium Red

I covered Martin's Brooks C13 Cambium in red kangaroo whip leather. The matching bar tape has very space out single black perforations which take reference from the black rivets on the saddle.

Tuesday 28 November 2023

Rainbow of one piece card wallets

A few months ago I made these one-piece card wallets as gifts to the family and friends we visited on our recent trip to Türkiye. Simone at Simétrie has been making a bunch more in different colours which she will be selling at the Big Design Market in Melbourne this weekend. You can also buy the Busyman X Simétrie One-Piece collection from the Simétrie online store.

Friday 15 September 2023

Busyman Studio Art Collection

We have a small and growing collection of artworks by my dad, our friends and former students. Here are a few pieces, some of which we've had for quite a while and some newly acquired and recently hung. Featured Artists: Inci Bacaci, Zoe Brand, Meg Kolac, Malcolm Peel and Anke Kindle. Malcolm Peel's paintings framed by Sascha at Delord Studios and Meg Kolac's painting framed by Chris at Kastner Furniture. The final image is an incidental work created by me as a byproduct of Busyman leatherwork.

Thursday 14 September 2023

Fizik Argo: Halftone Tickets

What a pleasure it is working with Black Magic Paint in Portland, Oregon. This striking paint design adapted beautifully to the perforated leather application. I named it Halftone Patchwork Tickets. Recently exhibited at Made frame builders show.

Repente Latus

Lulu's super lightweight Repente Latus saddle with perforated details in Baum Cycles' Champagne and Ruby Red.