At 11:12 PM -0400 9/22/09, P.C. Kohler wrote:
>Thanks, guys... very helpful indeed. So it really was 1965 which means I
>have to plunge back into the deep-end of the Ideale saddle eBay bidding wars
>with our Japanese colleagues. I don't even recall seeing an Ideale 48 before
>or is because I skip over the "Buy it Now" saddles for $1,285.00? Forget the
>threading issues, it's the deep pockets that defines a love affair le
>cyclisme francaise.
Most French riders preferred Brooks B-17 Champion or whatever the slightly narrower version of the B-17 was. You find them on most Herse and Singer bikes, and they probably would be fine on a Peugeot, too. So you don't _need_ to outbid the Japanese for these. In fact, does anybody have a good 1950s B-17 Champion for sale? I could use one for a project...
Apart from that, does it make sense to buy a "period-correct" but probably not original equipment saddle for the Peugeot? I'd just keep the Ideale 90, and when exhibiting it, list it under the things that were changed/updated when the bike was ridden "in period." That probably includes tires, and perhaps some other parts. It's part of the history of the bike, and just like patina, it adds, rather than detracts, from the appeal.
Now if you had a Turbo or a Flite on there, I could see wanting something more in keeping with the bike's age...
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com