Gene Portuesi’s Cyclo-pedia — Saddles and Saddle Accessories (Page 46)

Gene Portuesi’s CYCLO-PEDIA, 6447 Michigan Ave., Detroit, Michigan 48210 Page 46

— Saddles & Saddle Accessories —

PLASTIC RAIN COVER FOR RACING SADDLE
A plastic rain cover with elastic band. Will fit any standard racing saddle. This can also be used
as a saddle cover to protect light colored clothing from being stained by the preservative oils in
the leather saddle. Wt. 1 oz. …………………………………… $ .60

IDEALE FRENCH RACING SADDLE
Top quality leather. Hand fitted copper rivets. No saddle bag loops. Black enamel two-wire frame.
Special micro-adjustment saddle clip. Size: 10 7/8″ x 6 1/2″ x 3 1/8″ (Wt. 1 lb. 8 oz.) ………. $ 13.50

UNICA — Made in Italy —
Used by the World’s leading Professional and Amateur cyclists. The top is moulded to the saddle
frame, giving a clean and finished appearance. Its modern curved back design, short curved
chamfered sides and rivetless construction prevents chafing. Rain, hot or cold temperatures cannot
affect its original shape. No breaking-in required. Top is perforated for coolness.

SEAT PILLER
Patented Unica Micro-adjusting dural piller. Length of post – 7″. O.D. – 26; 26.2; 26.4; 26.8; 27;
and 27.2 mm. Wt. 10 oz. ………………………….. $ 7.50

NYLON-PLASTIC UNICA SADDLE
Will fit Campagnolo #1004 piller, Ideale competition clip, Brooks clip or any standard clip.
Track saddle – Black only – Wt. 12 oz. …… $ 9.00
Road saddle – Black only – Wt. 11 oz. …… 9.00

LEATHER TOP NYLON BOTTOM UNICA – Road & Track Models
Same design and appearance as plastic model. Top is made of choice grain leather. Rivetless
construction. Black only. Wt. 11 oz. …… $ 13.50

UNICA SADDLE BAG CLIPS
Two neat appearing yoke clips that fasten on to the rear of the wire frame to hold tool or saddle
bags. Will work on any two wire frame racing saddle. Wt. 1 oz. …… $ .50

TAN SAD CHILD CARRIER
A fine quality child carrier for ages three to ten years. Spring mattress saddle with hand support
and sturdy back support and strap. Folding foot rests clamp on seat stays. Will fit on any rear
carrier. Wt. 4 lbs. 8 oz. ………………………….. $ 10.00

BROOKS PROOFIDE LEATHER DRESSING
An occasional application of this dressing will keep leather saddle tops supple and well preserved.
Also useful for all leather straps, shoes and items of leather body. Wt. 2 oz. …… $ .50

[One leaf, page 46, from Gene Portuesi’s Cyclo-pedia, the Detroit mail-order catalog that was for
American riders roughly what Ron Kitching’s Everything Cycling was for British ones: the way a
continental component reached a customer who had no local dealer stocking it. A second Cyclo-pedia
leaf is held here separately, page 39 of a later edition issued from Cadillac, Michigan.

The value of this page is not the Idéale entry, which is a single paragraph, but the company it
keeps. Four makers share one sheet: an Idéale racing saddle from France at $13.50, Unica from Italy
in nylon and in leather-topped nylon, a Tan Sad child carrier and Brooks Proofide from England. Every
item is priced and weighed, in dollars and in ounces, which is exactly what the French and English
catalogs of the same years refuse to do. Where the Tron & Berthet catalogs print Prix : and nothing
after it, this one prints $ .60 for a plastic rain cover.

The Unica copy is the most interesting writing on the page, because it is selling the end of the
leather saddle without saying so: moulded to the frame, rivetless so it cannot chafe, unaffected by
rain or heat or cold, and above all no breaking-in required. That last claim is the one Idéale would
answer within a few years with the hand-treated rodée main process credited to Daniel Rebour, which
the brochure and the Ron Kitching pages held here all lead with.

The page prints no year. The street address is 6447 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, with the ZIP code
48210, and American ZIP codes came in during 1963. The Ebykr archive files this scan to 1966.]