Brooks England is a renowned bike saddle manufacturer that started in Smethwick, but is now owned by Selle Royal. They’ve been crafting leather goods since 1866, and their bicycle saddles debuted in the 1880s.
The company’s founder, John Boultbee Brooks, was a horse saddle maker who embarked on this venture after finding wooden bike seats unbearably uncomfortable.
Raleigh Bicycle Company acquired Brooks in 1962, but after Raleigh’s collapse in 1999, John Godfrey Macnaughtan and Adrien Williams stepped in and saved the company. In 2002, they passed the torch to Selle Royal.
Brooks’ leather saddles absorb and evaporate sweat, unlike most synthetic materials. To keep them in good condition, Brooks provides Proofide—a special dressing composed mainly of tallow and a touch of citronella oil, giving it a distinct scent.
Brooks England leather saddles are usually heavier than plastic or carbon fiber alternatives, but their traditional appearance and long-distance comfort make them a worthwhile choice for some riders.
The Brooks Cambium is my all-time favorite saddle — apart from that unobtainium titanium-railed Selle Italia Flite I had back in the day. But if there was one saddle I’d want underneath me for a long-distance tour — straight outta the box — it’d be the Cambium. And Brooks has just released a very exciting…
What better way of documenting Brooks’ new all-weather Cambium saddle than crowning a pair of Stelbel’s SB03 road bike with them — equally well-designed and another sublime combination of classic and ultra-modern.
Both Vans and Brooks have celebrated anniversaries this year: Vans have been Off The Wall since 1966 and Brooks have been The Best for Riding…
It’s been 150 years since John Boultbee founded Brooks England. It’s been a tumultuous one-and-a-half centuries, but to celebrate their production of the world’s most…
One hundred and fifty years is a long time for any brand to have endured, no matter what industry it’s in. Brooks England deserves extra…
Or so said Steven Patrick Morrissey at one stage. Brooks England have just added illumination to their growing range of accessories for the discerning cyclist.…
The latest addition to the Brooks range of lifestyle products is their Metropolitan collection of backpacks, holdalls and totes — all designed to integrate seamlessly…
The Spoken is honoured, humbled and very excited to selected as one of the initial testers of the new Brooks saddle: the eagerly awaited C13…
While I was in the UK for the 2015 Eroica Britannia, I had the incredible honour and pleasure of holding one of the first Brooks…
The Brooks England catalog has undergone a revolution over the last couple of years, adding new additions to their range of superb products that still…
Movember is drawing to a close and if, by now, you have a hairy upper lip, we salute you. Brooks England gives you something to…
One of the highlights of my trip to the UK in July this year was a visit to the Brooks factory in Smethwick. It was…
For those of you who are devoted fans of Brooks saddles, and even if you’re not, here’s an exciting opportunity. Brooks England is about to…
