Selle San Marco Rolls saddle rails too narrow!

ForumNewbie

I just tried to fit a new Selle San Marco Rolls saddle that I've bought but the rails are too narrow and don't fit to my seatpost.

I assumed all saddle rails were a standard width as I have several other saddles and all measure exactly 2 inches across from the outer edges of each rail. The same width on the San Marco rails is one eighth of an inch narrower.

Does anyone know if this is because it is a retro saddle, or is a different seatpost needed? I have not seen anything online that advises the saddle rails are narrower than standard.

marcusjb

There is supposed to be a standard yes. Selle are known for not quite adhering to the standard, some of the time.

If the saddle is steel railed, you should be able to encourage it into position. Encouragement is likely to involve swearing, possible loss of skin on knuckles etc., but should get the job done eventually.

ForumNewbie

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19775682#p19775682]marcusjb[/url] wrote:

There is supposed to be a standard yes. Selle are known for not quite adhering to the standard, some of the time.

If the saddle is steel railed, you should be able to encourage it into position. Encouragement is likely to involve swearing, possible loss of skin on knuckles etc., but should get the job done eventually.

It has steel rails, but they are the same width all the way down and the leather of the saddle narrows quickly and is hard against the rails so I wouldn't like to try to bend the rails into place, and possibly damage the saddle.

It is very annoying that it doesn't fit as it looks as if it would be a comfortable saddle, but I think I will have to send it back.

Bobbinogs

I had a similar problem when I tried to fit a Selle San Marco Regal to a lovely Spesh carbon seatpost. The saddle rails slotted into the gaps nicely but I couldn't adjust the bolt to tighten the thing, doh. Swapped the seatpost to an old Reynolds alloy and that was fine.

ForumNewbie

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19775825#p19775825]Bobbinogs[/url] wrote:

I had a similar problem when I tried to fit a Selle San Marco Regal to a lovely Spesh carbon seatpost. The saddle rails slotted into the gaps nicely but I couldn't adjust the bolt to tighten the thing, doh. Swapped the seatpost to an old Reynolds alloy and that was fine.

My bike is a Dawes Audax (Reynolds steel frame) with a steel seatpost, which you'd think is the right type of bike and seatpost for that type of saddle but the rails don't even slot into the gaps. I compared the width of the rails to 3 other saddles I've already used on that bike and other bikes. The other saddles are all the same standard size, but this one is definitely an eighth of an inch narrower which seems very strange.

It is meant to be a very comfortable and popular saddle for touring type bikes, so I'm really surprised and disappointed.

bbrap

If it is only 1/8 inch narrower and they are steel rails just wedge them out to the correct width. Job done. Should take all of 30 seconds.

ForumNewbie

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19776084#p19776084]bbrap[/url] wrote:

If it is only 1/8 inch narrower and they are steel rails just wedge them out to the correct width. Job done. Should take all of 30 seconds.

Thanks, but I've tried to pull them apart and there is very little give. Even if I could somehow force them into the grooves as I screwed the seatpost to the rails, it would be so tight that I would then be unable to move the seat back and forth along the rails, as I would need to do to find the correct saddle position for me.

handful

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19776103#p19776103]ForumNewbie[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19776084#p19776084]bbrap[/url] wrote:

If it is only 1/8 inch narrower and they are steel rails just wedge them out to the correct width. Job done. Should take all of 30 seconds.

Thanks, but I've tried to pull them apart and there is very little give. Even if I could somehow force them into the grooves as I screwed the seatpost to the rails, it would be so tight that I would then be unable to move the seat back and forth along the rails, as I would need to do to find the correct saddle position for me.

I had exactly the same issue with a Brooks saddle, was convinced it was too narrow. After reading up on this it was a common issue so I just went ahead and fitted it, forcing the rails apart and it's absolutely fine, can slide along to get the right fore/aft position with no issues. Yours may of course be worse but I felt exactly the same as you do when I did mine!

bbrap

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19776103#p19776103]ForumNewbie[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19776084#p19776084]bbrap[/url] wrote:

If it is only 1/8 inch narrower and they are steel rails just wedge them out to the correct width. Job done. Should take all of 30 seconds.

Thanks, but I've tried to pull them apart and there is very little give. Even if I could somehow force them into the grooves as I screwed the seatpost to the rails, it would be so tight that I would then be unable to move the seat back and forth along the rails, as I would need to do to find the correct saddle position for me.

You will not just be able to "pull them apart". Use a wedge of some sort to spring them apart (a couple of wedges are easy to make from an offcut of wood), you need to force them further apart than the final dimensions you need as they will spring back a bit when you remove the wedges. If you overdo it just put them in a vice and press them back to where you need.

JackPozzi

If you've got a friendly car bodyshop nearby, I found one of these did the job nicely

ForumNewbie

Thanks for the responses and advice guys. It does seem to me a bit strange that a saddle that has been around for years and used by pros in the past doesn't fit easily, when all my other cheaper saddles fit perfectly. However in view of your advice I may give it a try.

JackPozzi - I could give that gadget a try if you can you tell me what it is