Fast forward to today. Swapping saddles is expected to be a relatively easy operation. Put the bike in the stand. Removed the saddlebag, Carradice Bagman, and spare tire. Measured from stem to back of saddle, and top of saddle to bottom bracket, so I could reproduce the placement. Removed the existing saddle.
Rough-installed the new saddle, getting the height and setback as close as possible - the Rivet is taller and a bit shorter than the Selle Italia Diva. Took the bike off the stand to get the tilt set.
And that is where the "fun" started. I'd get a tilt setting, crank down the bolt, and ride up the driveway. No matter how tightly I cranked the bolt, the seat would tip back. After a few go-arounds with this, I removed the saddle, and dissassembled the seatpost, a Nitto Dynamic 626. After poking at it a bit, it seemed that the tilt adjustment was frozen. There was a piece that looked like it should slide, but it wasn't moving. A little Tri-flow, a big screwdriver and a rubber mallet were called into service, and I gently knocked it loose. Lots of wiping, regreasing, and reassembly, and I again had a functioning seatpost.
A few more tweaks of the tilt and tightness (and trips up and down the driveway), and I called it good. Time to reinstall the rear luggage.
Got the Bagman and Barley back on, and happened to look at the bottom of the Barley bag. The straps didn't look right, because they were hanging on by a couple of threads (!!!)
Located the Speedy Stitcher Awl (I've repaired bike luggage before!), and removed the bag. Emptied the bag (wait, no spare brake cable! Fetch one from the parts stash!). Vacuumed it out.
Repaired the straps.
And FINALLY, after all that, reinstalled the bag and spare tire.
Longish ride soon to test it out.
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