---worst sales pitch evr! Lobdell Emery early postwar Schwinn and Monark restored saddle

[bobcycles]

I'd like to take just a moment to raise a mighty middle finger to the Lobdell Emery Company...
may they RIP.
By far the sheeshiest bicycle saddles ever made by mankind in this country.
Oh yeah the horizontally sprung prewar seat is $ and went on sick bikes...but how
problematic was That? Pans splitting apart, perforated edge deteriorating on and on.
If it was a brilliant idea? We'd see them today in other forms by other manufacturers. Nope.
Cool factor yes. Design factor ...Nope.

So here we have a Postwar Lobdell deep pan saddle... ALMOST tossed this to the trash because
everything sucks on Lobdells products from integrated chassis rails being the opposing "grip" sides to
the clamp? Nope! faint useless stamping that couldn't grip a fly.
To the crappiest of ALL crappy pan studs that literally just 'rip' out of the pans, or come loose in some manner and
dislodge. To the all time Thinnest gauge material used to stamp out the flimsy pans. Lobdell? You Suck @ss!

So here we have this mens 26" postwar saddle. I had the studs welded and reinforced with extra brazing
so they wouldn't do what they typicall ALWAYS do, spin out or break out.
Rechromed the unique to Lobdell Longer profile springs, not cheap these days with insane plating costs
along with everything else. 25 Smackers a spring, ouch!
leather top with the logo embossed and an under pan decal.
There is what looked like a Good quality clamp (more modern 70s or 80s) that fit nicely and with
fresh "teeth" for gripping the chassis rails. The original clamp, like the rest of what Lobdell produced, garbage
and in to the trash it went.

A saddle that showed up on early Postwar Schwinn DX's and Straight bars...never the Cantilever frame
and early Pedestal Light Monark Super Deluxes etc. Maybe some others...who knows... and who cares, it's
LobHell after all.

200 shipped

 

[Pedal Pusher Charlie]

Anti-marketing marketing brilliance, Bob!

 

[bobcycles]

Anti-marketing marketing brilliance, Bob!

Hey yeah but nice save on an old saddle you gotta admit

 

[razinhellcustomz]

BEAUTIFUL seat Bob. Nice job. Mark.

 

[NBHAA]

I'd like to take just a moment to raise a mighty middle finger to the Lobdell Emery Company...
may they RIP.
By far the sheeshiest bicycle saddles ever made by mankind in this country.
Oh yeah the horizontally sprung prewar seat is $ and went on sick bikes...but how
problematic was That? Pans splitting apart, perforated edge deteriorating on and on.
If it was a brilliant idea? We'd see them today in other forms by other manufacturers. Nope.
Cool factor yes. Design factor ...Nope.

So here we have a Postwar Lobdell deep pan saddle... ALMOST tossed this to the trash because
everything sucks on Lobdells products from integrated chassis rails being the opposing "grip" sides to
the clamp? Nope! faint useless stamping that couldn't grip a fly.
To the crappiest of ALL crappy pan studs that literally just 'rip' out of the pans, or come loose in some manner and
dislodge. To the all time Thinnest gauge material used to stamp out the flimsy pans. Lobdell? You Suck @ss!

So here we have this mens 26" postwar saddle. I had the studs welded and reinforced with extra brazing
so they wouldn't do what they typicall ALWAYS do, spin out or break out.
Rechromed the unique to Lobdell Longer profile springs, not cheap these days with insane plating costs
along with everything else. 25 Smackers a spring, ouch!
leather top with the logo embossed and an under pan decal.
There is what looked like a Good quality clamp (more modern 70s or 80s) that fit nicely and with
fresh "teeth" for gripping the chassis rails. The original clamp, like the rest of what Lobdell produced, garbage
and in to the trash it went.

A saddle that showed up on early Postwar Schwinn DX's and Straight bars...never the Cantilever frame
and early Pedestal Light Monark Super Deluxes etc. Maybe some others...who knows... and who cares, it's
LobHell after all.

200 shipped

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Hello...

That's a pretty harsh condemnation of Lobdell saddles. Ever heard of FAULHABER? Ever take a glance at one of them? Ever wonder why so few were sold after the war? Even wonder why the OEM bicycle companies that were convinced to adopt Faulhabers as factory equipment quit doing so almost immediately? Ever wonder why collectors today mostly don't even know what Faulhabers are (or were)?

Most of the Lobdell saddles that can be faulted at all today are done so in retrospect. And often unfairly because the history and backstory of the saddles around today is largely unknown. Worse, this is usually because today's collectors lump ALL similar-looking Lobdells together– never realizing that immediately after (and to a certain extent, during) World War II, Lobdell for a short period was in a unique position. Lobdell was requested (by the feds) to turn out trainloads of saddles for Victory models and general replacement saddles immediately and following the end of hostilities. To meet wartime and immediate postwar desperate need for saddles.

THESE saddles in question were produced on a crash basis... and stripped of reinforcement and robust chassis thickness that the engineers normally would have included. All to save on steel and labor in an effort to make oodles of saddles... as quick and as cheaply as possible. The quickie-made Lobdells look to most just like the non-schlock versions. Worse, part from one type tend to be mixed with parts from the other type. So today, the Lobdell baby can sadly get tossed out with the bathwater.

Criticisms today or not... Lobdell made some of the American bicycle industry's finest, most innovative and beautiful saddles.

Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America
NBHAA.com

 

[slick]

Since these seats are so terrible, shouldn't the price be FREE.99?

 

[bobcycles]

Hello...

That's a pretty harsh condemnation of Lobdell saddles. Ever heard of FAULHABER? Ever take a glance at one of them? Ever wonder why so few were sold after the war? Even wonder why the OEM bicycle companies that were convinced to adopt Faulhabers as factory equipment quit doing so almost immediately? Ever wonder why collectors today mostly don't even know what Faulhabers are (or were)?

Most of the Lobdell saddles that can be faulted at all today are done so in retrospect. And often unfairly because the history and backstory of the saddles around today is largely unknown. Worse, this is usually because today's collectors lump ALL similar-looking Lobdells together– never realizing that immediately after (and to a certain extent, during) World War II, Lobdell for a short period was in a unique position. Lobdell was requested (by the feds) to turn out trainloads of saddles for Victory models and general replacement saddles immediately and following the end of hostilities. To meet wartime and immediate postwar desperate need for saddles.

THESE saddles in question were produced on a crash basis... and stripped of reinforcement and robust chassis thickness that the engineers normally would have included. All to save on steel and labor in an effort to make oodles of saddles... as quick and as cheaply as possible. The quickie-made Lobdells look to most just like the non-schlock versions. Worse, part from one type tend to be mixed with parts from the other type. So today, the Lobdell baby can sadly get tossed out with the bathwater.

Criticisms today or not... Lobdell made some of the American bicycle industry's finest, most innovative and beautiful saddles.

Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America
NBHAA.com

appreciate the insight! As far as restoring these saddles, I've had a high % with issues, especially pan studs...
But YES agreed on the Faulhaber! thee worst! The later Persons Majestics were pretty bad also...
flimsiest chassis of all, especially 60s - 80s. Ouch!
Mesinger has always been a favorite of mine but I would say for longevity and strength....Troxel!

 

[bobcycles]

Since these seats are so terrible, shouldn't the price be FREE.99?

LOL they're cool for what they are! ....they're VINTAGE seats that are 'correct' for a variety of builds....

I've restored quite a few over the years...just not a fan of the quality and the issues
with the studs always spinning and/or ripping out, chassis clamps suck on these as well
with no opposing removable clamps...just a cheesy and faintly embossed clamp striations into the chassis rails.
baaaaad idea, and no other mfg blew it in this way.

Still Desirable seats naturally... we love this stuff...we want the 'right' stuff on the right bikes.

Just a comical vent and maybe suicidal sales pitch on my experience restoring these saddles and the
inherent quality issues I've noticed, compared with other manufacturers...

and YES...>Luv em enough to go thaaaat far (welding studs etc) to save a pan most people would have pitched to the curb.

Recycled/Restored...and hopefully ridden not hidden again.

Cheers mate!

 

[Hoagie57]

Bob
Did you help promote or demote the Ford Edsel back in your "younger" days.
You are a true salesman though thru and thru Bob.
You also restored some beautiful quality seats.
I hope you were just venting or having a rough day when you said what you said when you said it.
And the train keeps rolling on down the tracks. If it's broke ya gotta fix it right and you do!
Please keep up "your" good quality craftmanship Sir.