Need a brown leather saddle -- has anyone reupholstered their own saddle before?

[slowpoke]

To get this out of the way first:
- don't love the Selle Italia Flite
- definitely no Brooks Cambium
- Brooks Swallow didn't work either

Looking to potentially DIY a saddle reupholster for a Fizik Arione. Seems like Leh makes a kit. Has anyone attempted this before?

[farmerjosh]

I've never re-covered a saddle but it doesn't sound too daunting...

Ever tried anything from rivet? I've had a couple and liked them.

[Xrslug]

If you’re not set on recovering, there’s this option (link is to cheapest price I could find but available from a bunch of places):
https://www.statebicycle.com/product...29411132670039

I have this on one of my bikes — not many miles yet, but so far I like it.

Also Berthoud, of course, if you’re looking for something more traditional. Various widths, colors, rail material, etc:
https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/67-saddles

For recovering, I know that people have motorcycle saddles recovered by upholstery shops. I’m guessing a bike saddle would be simple and quick for someone who can reupholster a chair.

[tellyho]

I've done it twice. Totally possible, mildly finicky, unlikely to look exactly how you want it. As is often the case the first time you do anything. You'll need to decide how much appearance counts in this project.

[tv_vt]

I've done it using the kit from Carson Leh. He's made a good video showing how to do it. I also did an Arione. I did it in white leather. And I'll say that darker colors are better to start with. They'll hide the wrinkles and creases better than white does.

There's also this thread on Velocipede Salon about Saddle Recovering: https://www.velocipedesalon.com/foru...ing-46918.html

[bigman]

charge spoon may suit your needs,they come in brown.

[Jad]

I recovered my WTB Silverado using a leather remnant. The old cover had worn through and just needed replacing, but I love the saddle/Ti rails. I followed a couple different sets of directions (Leh's and from a blog) and took my time; it came out nicely. I recommend giving it a shot if you're into the project. I'll probably do some more.

Old cover/new cover

[YesNdeed]

Originally Posted by Xrslug

If you’re not set on recovering, there’s this option (link is to cheapest price I could find but available from a bunch of places):
https://www.statebicycle.com/product...29411132670039

I have this on one of my bikes — not many miles yet, but so far I like it.

Also Berthoud, of course, if you’re looking for something more traditional. Various widths, colors, rail material, etc:
https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/67-saddles

For recovering, I know that people have motorcycle saddles recovered by upholstery shops. I’m guessing a bike saddle would be simple and quick for someone who can reupholster a chair.

I was also going to mention the Novus Heritage. I've got one on my gravel setup, works great for me. It's a particular aesthetic, but I had to have brown and all other brown saddles didn't appeal or just don't work, so I'm happy with it.

[GregL]

I've been successful recovering several Selle Italia Turbomatic II saddles. The T-Matic II is a great shape for me, but they haven't been made in 20+years. I use 4-way stretch marine vinyl as a covering material for its durability and weather-proof characteristics. A visit to a local upholstery shop provided me with enough vinyl to cover a dozen saddles from their scrap bin. They were happy to give the stuff away, but I gratefully gave them a $20 for their beer fund. 3M spray adhesive (Rubber and Vinyl 80 Spray Adhesive IIRC) and Barge Cement are my preferred bonding agents. I recommend reading the resources noted up-thread and reviewing YouTube videos. Take your time and be ready to make a few mistakes along the way as your skills improve. With a little practice, the results can look quite good.

Greg

[slowpoke]

Thanks everyone for their experiences!

I'm holding off from traditional leather saddles like Berthoud, Rivet, Selle Anatomica because this will be on a lockup bike and those saddles always feel like theft magnets.

It would also be fun to try to repurpose something that was otherwise designated for the parts bin or landfill.