They've got the brown ones at CRC for £45 / £70 for the cromo / ti versions, but I'm just not used to spending that sort of money on Bel Airs! Has anyone seen them cheaper anywhere else, or am I either just going to have to put up with the black one (that there's nothing wrong with) or put up the money? Thanks in advance.

AFAIK, the cheap ones are all black. Happy to be proved wrong though.

On thing, the after having both (And being a sad git and weighing both…) I know the Ti one is a whole 7g lighter then the cro-mo one. So if you're buying one, all you really get is a nice colour. 😀

Got my black one with black rails for £19.95 at Merlin Cycles about 2 months back. Don't know if they had brown but all their Bel Airs were cheaper than elsewhere

>Got my black one with black rails for £19.95 at Merlin Cycles about 2 months back<

Good deal but there are two types of Bel Air (Ti rails aside)I think Merlin do the dearer one in chromo for £37

Thanks for these suggestions – I think you're right – the cheap ones tend to be in black and Merlin's where I've got most of mine from (and they don't appear to have brown ones). Still looking… 🙁

Brown and White are fairly new out so would be
surprised to see them for much less than rrp!
winstanleys were about the cheapest place i could
find, cheaper one's (merlin etc) are usually oe
and as above black.

Generally speaking the cheap Bel Airs are OE.
As brown, or any other colour for that matter, isn't specced as an OE product you're very very very unlikely to find anything other than black at those prices.

The OE spec saddles are NOT the same as the after market ones.

Cheers!

Thanks Richie – I forgot that you were the 'horses mouth' for SDG! I'll just pike out for a new brown one, I think – and you're absolutely right; there's a noticable difference between OE and after market. Thanks for your help.

richie in what way are they different ?

One is oe and the other isn't oe 😉

I have a few originals and one merlin one,differences that are obvious are
the rails oe have cn/ti rather than just ti? these seem much shinier, cover material is also different and the foam feels firmer in the oe, its still very comfy though!

>richie in what way are they different ? <

Richie doesnt get any sales revenue from the OE ones? 🙂

Creak city rails – nice saddle though!

Well, I've had 5-6 Bel Airs now. Some aftermarket, some OE. Not one has been the same as another. Not one. The reason they are all different is because they just change the design every now and then, for the sake of it. It's got bugger all to to with it being OE or not.

And what does it matter anyway, when an OE cro-mo is only 7g heavier than a aftermakret Ti?

Just avoid the Ti rip off, and you'll be fine…. 😉

PS – My newest OE Bel Air, which I bought last week from Merlin, has rather natty black rails on it. 🙂

just wondered if it was only the OE versions that were creaktastic ?

some would say Ti responds differently to impact than cro-mo ,its not just a weight thing

some would say that is….

Yes. Some would. 😉

Well, I've had 5-6 Bel Airs now. Some aftermarket, some OE. Not one has been the same as another. Not one. The reason they are all different is because they just change the design every now and then, for the sake of it. It's got bugger all to to with it being OE or not.

Have you been sniffing glue? 🙂 One design change in six years.

The OE saddles use cheaper materials and construction in every way, rails, cover material, padding, plastic base, stitching, etc, etc. This all builds a good saddle but not a patch on the higher specced aftermarket versions.

The frustration for us guys is when someone buys an OE saddle without realising it and is then disappointed by the quality of it and tells friends/associates/forums about their 'bad' experience.

Cheers

Richie

The frustration for us guys is when someone buys an OE saddle without realising it and is then disappointed by the quality of it and tells friends/associates/forums about their 'bad' experience.

All mine are fine thanks. I'll continue spending £20 if it's OK with you?

And no, I'm not imagining it. I've got 3 black RL cro-mo ones on 3 bikes right now. All slightly different. I can do pics if you like?

Why would a company supply sub-standard saddles for the OE market anyway, because that's what you're saying…?

Why would a company supply sub-standard saddles for the OE market anyway, because that's what you're saying…?

Errrr no

This all builds a good saddle but not a patch on the higher specced aftermarket versions.

R

Errr yes. Now you really are sniffing glue!

The OE saddles use cheaper materials and construction in every way, rails, cover material, padding, plastic base, stitching, etc, etc. This all builds a good saddle but not a patch on the higher specced aftermarket versions.
The frustration for us guys is when someone buys an OE saddle without realising it and is then disappointed by the quality of it and tells friends/associates/forums about their 'bad' experience.

you've just said, right there, that OE saddles are poorer quality. There's no way round it. That's what you said. I on the other hand think they are just fine and won't be spending more on an aftermarket one.
Way to go! Would you like me to reload the gun so you can shoot yourself in the other foot?

Peter,
if you are happy with your OE saddle thats great. What I'm saying is that, for us, its disappointing when someone purchases an OE version without knowing it, is expecting the awesome quality of an aftermarket one and doesn't get it.

Surely you can see the logic of what I'm saying? I came on to this thread to try and help, not get into an argument about a saddle that you LIKE!

They are poorer quality than the aftermarket versions, fact. That doesn't make them a bad saddle, also fact. The after market version is even better quality fact again.

R

I heard from the horses mouth that there wasn't any difference between them ! 😯