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The rails on my SDG Bel Air 3 have come completely loose to the point that the saddle has about 4-5mm of free movement on the rails. It rattles like crazy on rough descents and it's driving me nuts.
I like sitting on it and could replace it for about £50 but a) I don't really want to spend £50 if I can fix it and b) I don't feel like I want to buy another just to have it happen again.
I know the situation is desperate because yesterday I went to my last resort for most things which is to shove a load of bathroom silicone sealant around the interfaces. I don't know if this will work because I'm not sure how much of it got into the joins versus just sitting around the entry point.
I guess I have two questions:
1. Have you successfully quietened a rattling saddle? How?
2. If I like sitting on the bel air 3, what other saddle will I also like sitting on? Something from SQLab maybe? Saddles I can't get on with are the Ergon SM Eduro and Specialized Phenom.
Maybe I just have to accept that £50 every 18 months is the cost of having a quiet and comfortable back end?
Ive got a similar saddle with a similar wobble and noise.
I considered putting something harder in like jb weld etc or epoxy resin. In the end sold it on ebay as spares or repairs for £6.50 as I couldnt risk it breaking on a long distance ride. It's someone's elses project now.
Warranty is only 12 months on the bell airs! Chances of it happening again are slim.
I loved the original bell air but didn't get on with the 2 or 3.
I'm my opinion if you find a saddle that works for you £50 is a small price to pay!
I emailed their support address and got a similar message about the 1 year warranty. They've passed it on to Silverfish to "see what they can offer you" so maybe I'll get lucky. Yeah I think you're right though, £50 is a small price to pay for a comfy and quiet rear end.
" it's driving me nuts" any more free movement and it will be 😀, I've had some success with metal putty pushed in with a small flat screwdriver.
Bin, not worth the risk of it failing.
Hopefully Silverfish might do you a deal on a new one, but if there is a 12 month warranty then don’t hold your breath.
I haven’t tried the bel air 3. I liked the 1 but hated the 2. If the 3 is more like the 1 than the Fabric Scoop Radius Gel Elite is where I’ve landed. Got it on all 4 bikes.
If I remember correctly people who used to get on with the Bel Air 1 also got on with the Charge Spoon or Madison Flux.
The Charge Spoon works well for me and I used to have a Bel Air 1
could you take the rails off and bend them in a vice to create more tension/torsion when re-mounted so tha they remain properly in contact with the saddle carcass?