Equipment: Gyes GS-O6H Leather Saddle

Since my beloved Pearl Independence snapped a nose bolt a few weeks ago I’ve been fretting about saddles. That saddle was incredibly comfortable and a comfy saddle is the bedrock of any audaxing set-up. Although I replaced the bolt (and subsequently rode another 500km) the saddle is beyond redemption. It was stretched (the bolt was wound out way too far, which is odd because I don’t like fiddling with saddle tension) the nose was cracked, the leather was dry, the protective underlayer was delaminating and the whole top was twisted, because I’m clearly a lopsided ape with a dominant bollock leg.

Rivet don’t have a UK dealer any more (used to be Carradice, but no longer) so I couldn’t simply buy a replacement. Nor do they ship to the UK.

That left me with two choices. Either attempt to repair my old Rivet Pearl or *gulp* find another saddle. Second hand Rivets aren’t easy to find, but a speculative post on the YACF Wanted board resulted in a reply from user LittleWheelsandBig (one of the most experienced audaxers out there) who had an old Pearl I could cannibalise for parts. He also told me that Rivet saddles (and those sold by Spa) were made by a Taiwanese company called Gyse.

Gyse are part of the huge Taiwanese bike manufacturing industry. Companies out there make kit, bikes and clothing for loads of well known brands. They have a huge range of saddles and it was hard to identify which one would be best. It wasn’t simply a case of choosing a like for like replacement. Companies like Rivet don’t just look at a catalogue and have an off-the-peg saddle stamped with their brand, they’ll work with the supplier to create a saddle with the features they want. The Independence has a plastic block, rather than a metal shackle, as well as a cut-out and saddle loops. It also has a tension plate on the underside, where the leather is joined and riveted to prevent splay. The Gyse GSP range has the block, but no cut-out or tension plate and only one saddle in that range has loops.

I settled for a GS-06H, which had all the features I wanted, apart from the plastic block. I’ve learned that titanium saddles aren’t strong enough for me, so I chose one with a cro-mo nose assembly. It’s almost certainly the same as the Spa Aire Open, which I’ve just found is on offer for £65, reduced from £90. Hey ho, you live and learn.

I said that Gyse don’t sell direct, but you can buy them on AliExpress at very reasonable prices (the GS-06H cost me just under £70, inc shipping). I was wary of AliExpress – they always seem to offer prices that are too good to be true, along with stuff that just looks dubious. But the saddle arrived and is clearly the real thing.

It’s very well made (as are the Rivet and Spa saddles) and looks lovely. Thanks to the cut-out it’s comfy straight out of the box and I fully expect it to be on Achilles for many, many years and miles to come.

There is one small fly in the saddle cream though…

I’ve managed to repair my old Rivet Pearl. Using a bolt from the saddle LWaB sent me, along with some ferociously expensive Gilles Berthoud washers & bolts it’s now back in usable shape. I couldn’t reassemble the nose, because it was simply too tight, so I drilled out the rivets at the back of the saddle, fitted the nose and then re-rivetted the back. Copper rivets would have looked nice and were (relatively) cheap, but I couldn’t get the buggers to set. The Berthoud washer and bolt system is much simpler, especially for a hamfisted gibbon like me.

The Pearl was the saddle I used on LEL 2013. So the dilemma I have is this, stick with the Gyes (comfy & new) or switch to the Pearl (repaired & slightly wider)? Instinct says to stick with what is working for me now, eg the Gyes, but the Pearl will certainly find a home on one of my bikes. Or I’ll just have to buy a new bike for it.