It is the dirt beneath our fingernails that proves our skill. It is our belief in a small number of concrete principles that guides us.
How leather saddles are made
How the legend began
It all began in 1865. John Boultbee Brooks moved to Birmingham and set up in business making leather goods.
The firm of J.B. Brooks & Co. ticked along, without making any really startling progress, and no thought of bicycles whatever, until 1878, when a minor tragedy gave rise to the most momentous of changes in perspective.
Brooks had been commuting to work on horseback all this time, but sadly one morning when he went to its stable, he discovered that his faithful horse had died. So, he borrowed a friend’s bicycle and made his way into the City of Birmingham. Given that pneumatic tyres were yet to be invented, and the saddle of this borrowed machine was carved from solid wood, it will not surprise anyone to learn that Brooks’ first journeys by bicycle were extremely uncomfortable. So much so, in fact, that he was inspired to create something better. The first Brooks leather cycling saddle was born very soon afterward.
The B17 saddle, intended for the touring and trekking cyclist, has been our best selling model for over a century.
First introduced in the 1890s, the B17 has survived virtually unchanged, and has firmly established itself as the longest-lived bicycle product in the world.
It should not be forgotten that in the earliest days of the sport of professional cycling, Brooks was an enduring favourite among the world’s fastest bike racers.Being “on the rivet” means being close to the limits of one’s capability, pushing the body as hard as one can, in the attempt to keep pace, or to escape from one’s pursuers.“On the rivet” has remained in the parlance, long since the hand-hammered metal rivet itself made its exit from the sport.
Product ranges
How Cambium saddles are made
Cambium range
The Brooks England Cambium saddle utilises a natural rubber top as the perch on which riders may sit for mile after mile of comfort.
It is the closest thing there is to a pure Brooks road bike saddle, but the Cambium range is in fact vastly more versatile than that. Suitable for men and women, mountain biking and gravel, as well as making for fine racing saddles.
Discover Cambium Saddles