Bicycle Seat Cover Project
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| My vintage cruiser bike has an unusual seat post both in diameter and in the amount of taper at the top where the saddle mounts. I have not been able to locate a new saddle mounting bracket that will fit on the very small top of the seat post, nor will my non-standard mounting bracket fit on a replacement saddle, so I can't just grab a replacement off the shelf. So, for both aesthetic and comfort reasons, I decided to make a seat cover. |
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The first step was to make a pattern. I took the saddle off of the bike, put it on a piece of paper, and traced around it with a sharpie. I then added 5/8" around the outside: 1/2" to accommodate the padding, and 1/4" seam allowance.
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These are the three main pieces for the cover: the top, and two pieces fitting underneath. I wanted a snug fit for the pieces going under the saddle, so I couldn't just use a rectangle (as is done in this project) for the lower portion. So, I drew a relaxed version of the curves of the saddle and mocked it up in canvas to make sure it fit about right.
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To complicate matters a bit, I opted to put a star onto my seat. First I cut the star out of the purple saddle top with an exact-o knife, and then glued a circle of gold vinyl to the back to hold it in place for top-stitching. The glue should also help keep water from seeping through to the foam rubber pad inside.
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Not having sewn vinyl before, I was very grateful for the tip I was given by the helpful folks at Stone Mountain & Daughter Fabrics in Berkeley. Vinyl won't slide under the presser foot, so place waxed paper over the top when you're sewing with the top side up.
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The waxed paper tears away when you're finished sewing, revealing the classic glitter vinyl that Schwinn Sting Ray banana seats were made with.
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The first step on the lower pieces is to create the loops for the drawstring which will hold the cover tight.
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I made a couple of straps for attaching tail lights or a license plate. I thought taping the vinyl together might be a nice short cut instead of using waxed paper, but it turns out that removing the tape is a much bigger hassle than holding the vinyl under the waxed paper. Stick with the waxed paper!
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Obviously pinning the pieces together would be difficult with vinyl, so I decided to wing it. By taking it slow with the machine, I was able to line up the curves as I went along, and the stickiness of the vinyl helped keep it in place. I would recommend starting at the nose end, since precision matters a little more there. I started out at the back, and my nose seam isn't quite centered.
I added the tail light straps while stitching the circumference - taking it extra slow over all those layers of fabric. After stitching the circumference, I stitched the bottom of the nose together. This section has to be pretty large for my bike, as it has to accommodate a big old spring. For most bikes, this could be a lot smaller.
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At this point I added a couple of straps to hold the foam pad in place. That's the last of the sewing.
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I used a cord and cinch from a name tag lanyard for the drawstring. I taped the cord to a big needle to thread it through the loops.
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I cut a piece of foam rubber out in the shape of the bike seat.
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The foam slips under the straps, and then it's time to turn it right-side out and put it on the bike.
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You can see the gap in the back where the separation between the two lower pieces allows the cover to fit around the saddle.
This is a great improvement to my ride: it is much comfier than the old hard saddle, and it goes fabulously with my bike. Time to cruise!
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