For Sale: Stripping service

That got your attention, didn't it?

As some of you may know, I stripped my SLR saddle.

After spending a hour or so stripping the padding and all the glue, I wanted to do something a little different with it, so out came the 120 grit, scotch-bright and wet n dry.

I started by smoothing the edges with the 130 grit and the carbon itself, then moving on each stage from all the way to 2800 wet n dry, then machine polishing.

The outcome is fantastic if I say so myself, the sides are very smooth, the saddle is grippier than it looks and it's extremely light originally weighing in at 184g and it's down to 105g at the moment, making it lighter than a SLR Tekno which has a RRP of £299.

Beaten up SLR saddles can be purchased for roughly £20. When you strip a SLR the sides are quite sharp and they are hella ugly, plus do have sharp points from the moulding.

Here is what mine looked like before:

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q748/nqbikes123/44FF3228-DEE5-4130-8617-DE09A8D57C1A-2205-000003E2754ACC26_zps6392bdb4.jpg

and after..

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q748/nqbikes123/AECB31E4-B4AB-42DE-A075-CBA9A3BD062A-2205-000003E2AFFDA5A7_zpsdaa38324.jpg

To do this saddle took me just over 4 hours and was quite a bit of work, but I am confident I could do this with any saddle that has simple padding rather than special grooves for it, any SLR saddle or Flite saddle.

I am offering this service for £15. For this price I will spend as long as it takes to get the saddle to perfection, plus I'll put £1 per saddle in the LFGSS server pot. £2.60 of the £15 is sending it back to you.

Why am I offering this service? Well, I really do enjoy this forum and it would be good to give a little back I feel. The use of proper tools and equipment, you'd have to spend a fortune buying it all, so the price I have given is for my time more than anything. All the money I make off these will go to finishing my NJS build which I have moved mountains to try and afford that bike; I’m just stuck on a few last pieces and I don’t have a penny to my name.

It really does make a nice looking piece rather than a raw ugly looking saddle. After purchasing the saddle and me doing this, you could have a sweet looking carbon saddle for £35, which is good in my opinion.

What do you guys think?

I love it, since you ask... but you already know that. ;)

Interesting idea - will you do any saddle sourcing?

Looks an excellent finish to me, the weight is great, the price is cheap as chips considering the time spent, wins all round I believe, even dear old LFGSS gets a slice, which is a nice touch, plus it's recycling too!

You have my vote of confidence, for what it's worth.

That's a very futuristic-looking ball trough you've exposed there...

That's a very futuristic-looking ball trough you've exposed there...

With saddles it's all about the shape, not the padding. I find this 10x comfier than a Concor or Rolls saddle. The carbon also flexes to some extent.

Don't get me wrong, I like it. A gooch canyon...

With saddles it's all about the shape, not the padding.

+1

I ride a stripped flite daily, i find it quite comfy

James, please check your pms.

Interesting idea - will you do any saddle sourcing?

Like I say, they can be purchased for roughly £20 if you search a little. I can purchase them off eBay if someone requests.

Looks an excellent finish to me, the weight is great, the price is cheap as chips considering the time spent, wins all round I believe, even dear old LFGSS gets a slice, which is a nice touch, plus it's recycling too!

You have my vote of confidence, for what it's worth.

+1

I wonder how you'd go with a SLR Gel Flow

That looks like an expensive seat =D
Is this only possible with the SLR saddle or any other saddle?

how does the polished surface react when riding with jeans?

it gets shinier

I'm not 100% sure but deffo works with SLR saddles and Flites, anyone stripped any other saddle before? Ideally want a saddle that doesn't have notches and grooves for the padding.

Or the bollocks ! Yikes....

I've done an SLR Gel Flow before and under the Gel sacks / padding mix it's a similar shell to a standard SLR, but with a cut out obviously.

Thanks to those who are sending me your saddles!

If you do wish for me to purchase a saddle for you, simply PM me with a link to it on eBay (with an amount you'd like me to bid upto) or dibs it on here and I'll pay for it, so you receive the saddle already done and cut down postage cost and time.

If you would like your saddle drilling, this is something I can do. I could micro-drill the rails and counter-sink the carbon part of the saddle, could probably get a saddle down to 80g and still have it's strength and comfort, plus it would look pretty badass.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q748/nqbikes123/90E321DF-51AC-4C37-B3EC-040868840B1C-4683-000005759CF3C1EF_zps09261f64.jpg

Little update...

Saddle is roughly 1/2 weight already, that gel was quite heavy. Next up to get the glue off!

It looks much better already.

No pics but glue stripped off and the carbon now showing it's ugly face!

Quite a few notches, lumps and bumps on the saddle above, but will look sweet once done. Hoping to start on sanding tomorrow.

Word of advice to potential strippers: don't bother with Fi:zick WingFlex saddles. As 31Trum may also remember from his weight reducing assault on my mount, the 'flex' is achieved by tines which by time of arrival in Brighton claw their independant existence most insistently into your muscle memory.

Another one done!

is there a photo of the Romin finished?

Nope, just a standard SLR