Just about every bike you can possibly own, has a seat cover that'd run anywhere from 50 to 150 bucks to replace. For many riders with older bikes, that's far too much to be spending on such a unit, but you should have a good saddle cover on your bike.

Here's a way to keep the seat you have looking fresh for very low cost.

The stuff we used was designed for use in the repair of bar stools and seats. We hear tell that one man made a very good living just traveling around fixing seats in bars with this product and charged a great deal for his service.

The product we used is called Instant Vinyl and we bought it for a few bucks at a local home supplies store. There were at least a half-dozen similar products on the shelf next to this one, and all of them cost less than $5.

Using this repair kit is very simple, but there are a few steps you must follow.

If the section you are going to repair is very large, make sure you cut the extra piece large enough to completely cover the hole. It's not going to be seen, so make it big.

The first thing you should do is make the tear or hole look as good as it possibly can, by trimming it or re-shaping it until it has a clean look. Some rips can be made to look fairly good with some cutting. For the rip we repaired in the back of the saddle, we cut it until the entire rear section had a nice square hole, instead of a long rip. But the hole we fixed on the side of the seat we left as it was; simply because it wasn't going to look much better even if we trimmed it.

One thing you will need that doesn't come in the kit: a piece of seat material. If you happen to have an old seat that's not good for anything, use it. If not, go down to the local upholstery shop and buy a small piece of vinyl that matches. But the easiest way to get a usable piece is to look under the saddle and you'll find that most saddles have a few extra inches that can be removed easily.

After cleaning the entire area, stuff the new section under the seat cover until it's completely inside.

After you have the rip trimmed to the desired size and shape, cut a piece slightly larger out of the spare vinyl. You can also use most any non-matching vinyl for this, because it won't be seen. This piece is to be glued to the inside of the seat cover.

If the area is very large, cut another piece that will fit into the section you want to fill in. Try to make this piece as close to the shape and size of the hole that you possibly can. The better it fits, the better it's going to look. For the section we repaired in the back of the seat, we cut a piece and fit it to the missing section. Same for the hole in the side of the seat. We took our time and both pieces fit well.

Slide the piece around until it fits the new section properly. Make all moves before adding any glue. Once the piece is in place, apply the glue under the flap of the seat cover. Try not to be messy, but cover the entire area.

Before you do any gluing, take the time to clean all of the surfaces with soap and water. Don't use contact cleaner or plug spray, as that stuff can and will take the color right off the vinyl. Make sure all surfaces are dry before trying to apply the glue and once you do apply it, let it dry thoroughly before screwing with it.

Once you have the piece for the repair, place it on the inside of the seat cover so it completely covers the hole. Apply a thin layer of glue on the inside of the cover and work it under all of the edges. Make sure that the glue reaches all sections of the repair.

For this type of rip, we were able to pull most of the section closed. Place strips of masking tape on the seat and work the tear over until the ends meet. Tape over the entire rip, so all sections are under the same pressure. Allow at least an hour for it to dry before taking off the tape.

If the section you are repairing is of the kind that can be pulled together, then place a piece of masking tape cross-ways to the tear and pull it shut. Make sure you don't wrinkle the seat cover, but pull it evenly. Place enough tape over the sections so that the seat won't pull back open before the glue has a chance to dry completely. Let this stand for at least a half hour before trying to remove the tape.

The section we repaired on the side of our seat was a bit easier than the one on top. For it, we cut the piece to be placed on the inside then cut another to place inside the detent that appears once the section is glued down. It then had only a small seam circling the place where the hole used to be.

The tear in the side of our seat was not like the normal rip. We cut our section extra large.

When working with this cement, try not to get it all over the seat cover, as it tends to melt the surface and making it look good again is a real hassle. Work fast, yet don't be sloppy. We repaired a total of three large holes in our seat and used only a small amount of the fluid.

One thing we learned is that the more you work with it, the better you can get at working with it. Each repair we did got better as we went along. For quick and simple repairs of those expensive seats, this has to be the best method going.

CAPTIONS
LEAD PHOTO ? NO CAPTION NEEDED
1. If the section you are going to repair is very large, make sure you cut the extra piece large enough to completely cover the hole. It's not going to be seen, so make it big.
2. After cleaning the entire area, stuff the new section under the seat cover until it's completely inside.
3. Slide the piece around until it fits the new section properly. Make all moves before adding any glue. Once the piece is in place, apply the glue under the flap of the seat cover. Try not to be messy, but cover the entire area.
4. For this type of rip, we were able to pull most of the section closed. Place strips of masking tape on the seat and work the tear over until the ends meet. Tape over the entire rip, so all sections are under the same pressure. Allow at least an hour for it to dry before taking off the tape.
5. The tear in the side of our seat was not like the normal rip. We cut our section extra large.