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'.
Sunday 31 December 2023
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
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
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
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
Fizik Aliante VS Carved V & VI
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
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.