| Everybody raves about the quality, craftsmanship and | | | | "registered cutting, a sure preventive to all perineal |
| comfort of the products handcrafted by Brooks | | | | pressure." "Registered cutting" is basically a slot cut out |
| England Ltd. Whatever Brooks product you buy, you | | | | of the center of the saddle. Imperial line saddles also |
| can rest assured that it will be of superior quality. But | | | | feature holes for laces along the bottom edge of the |
| given the wide range of bicycle saddles they produce, | | | | saddle. I've never experienced any problems with |
| how do you judge which one is the best fit for your | | | | numbness when riding a Brooks saddle, but for anyone |
| riding style? | | | | especialy concerned with this problem, an Imperial line |
| One of the ways that Brooks makes this easier for | | | | saddle would be a good choice. The saddles in this line |
| the consumer is by breaking down the 55 different | | | | are available in black only. |
| saddles they produce into three different categories: | | | | The Classic line is a little difficult to define. Here's the |
| Road & MTB, Touring & Trekking, and City | | | | way it's described on the Brooks England Ltd. website: |
| & Heavy Duty. | | | | The Classic range includes many of our best selling |
| There are thirteen racing saddles in the Road and | | | | models for the modern cyclist, since all saddles have |
| MTB category--from the 360g B15 Swallow Titanium, | | | | single rails and are thus compatible with micro-adjust |
| to the 550g Team Pro Copper--all of which are | | | | seat posts. The B17 is the most popular saddle in the |
| relatively narrow and stiff. They are suitable for | | | | Brooks Classic range. It is certainly the oldest Brooks |
| agressive riders who rides a road bike with the saddle | | | | model and longest living saddle in cycling history. This |
| positioned higher than their drop handlebars, or an | | | | icon has been sold as far back as 1896 and for over a |
| aggressive mountain bike rider who spends much of | | | | century never went out of production. Most of these |
| the time off the saddle. The Swallow, available with | | | | models are available also in the Aged and Imperial lines. |
| either chrome or titanium metalwork, uses minimal | | | | The twenty-one saddles in the Special Line are |
| leather--it's kind of the G-string of bicycle saddles--but | | | | distinguished by their very attractive, large copper |
| it is the most elastic of the saddles in this category and | | | | rivets. The majority of them are either in the Road and |
| surprisingly comfortable. | | | | MTB category, or are limited editions, but the Touring |
| The Touring and Trekking category is composed of | | | | and Trekking category is represented by the B17 |
| fourteen saddles--from the 410g B17 Titanium, to the | | | | Special and Flyer Special. |
| 870g Flyer Special. All of them are variations on the | | | | The Unique line is just what it sounds like: a group of |
| B17--Brooks' flagship model, which has been in | | | | saddles each member of which is unique in its own |
| continuous production since 1896. The B17 is ideal for | | | | way. According to the Brooks website: |
| ideal for long distance sports touring, trekking and atb | | | | Each saddle in this range needs a different |
| use. The saddles in this category are wider--170mm | | | | workmanship or frame construction which is specific to |
| for men's saddles and 177mm for women's | | | | that particular model, making it Unique. Most of the |
| saddles--than those in the Road and MTB category, | | | | models have a double or triple rail construction, like the |
| and are suitable for riders who may stand up | | | | B66, our most popular model in the Brooks Unique |
| occasionally to gain speed or for greater control, but | | | | range, dating back as early as 1927. The Swallow has |
| remain seated most of the time. | | | | single rails, but a very peculiar construction of the |
| The City and Heavy Duty category has sixteen | | | | leather top. |
| saddles--from the 520g B68 Imperial, to the 1,805g | | | | One of the six saddles that make up the Aged line |
| B190. These saddles are designed for leisurely cycling. | | | | would be a good choice for someone who does not |
| They are suitable for riders who prefer cruising in an | | | | have either the time or the inclination to break in a |
| upright position, with the handlebars set higher than the | | | | saddle themselves. If you ride your bicycle every day, |
| saddle. All but four of them feature some kind of | | | | the breaking in process occurs quickly, naturally, and |
| suspension system to smooth out any bumps, and are | | | | relatively painlessly. If you ride your bicycle sporadically |
| wider (from 210 to 250mm) at the back for added | | | | and for short distances, it could take quite some time |
| support. The B72 is a good choice for someone who | | | | to break in a new saddle. The slogan of this line is |
| wants a wider saddle but not too much added weight. | | | | "Comfort From Day 1." According to Brooks: |
| It features a unique suspension system that was | | | | The Aged Saddles have skilfully blended oils and |
| patented by J.B. Brooks in the late 19th century and | | | | waxes, massaged into the hide. This vegetable tanned |
| weighs only 690g, which is lighter than the classically | | | | leather guarantees a softer saddle from the very first |
| sprung Flyer series in the Touring and Trekking | | | | ride. |
| category. The lightest of the Flyer series, the Flyer S, | | | | Another, not necessarily minor, consideration is the |
| tips the scales at 800g. | | | | color of your saddle. Brooks' three basic colors are |
| The three main categories comprise a total of 43 | | | | black, antique brown, and honey. Actually though, not all |
| saddles. Brooks also produces 12 limited edition saddles | | | | models are available in all three colors. As mentioned |
| in unique colors (white, blue, red, mustard, magenta) or | | | | above, the saddles in the Imperial line are only available |
| designs to commemorate a number of Brooks' | | | | in black, and the saddles in the Aged range only come |
| sponsored events. That brings the grand total to 55 | | | | in brown. Some saddles are only available in two of |
| different saddles. Besides being categorized by use, | | | | the three basic colors, and a few are also available in |
| Brooks breaks down its products by saddle line, of | | | | British racing green. |
| which there are five: Imperial, Classic, Special, Unique | | | | When you are using a traditional leather saddle, there |
| and Aged. | | | | can be issues with the dye bleeding and staining your |
| The Imperial line includes five saddles specially | | | | pants--particularly if the saddle is new and has just |
| designed to relieve pressure on the perineal. Pressure | | | | been treated with Proofide saddle dressing or has |
| on the perineal can slow or cut off bloodflow through | | | | gotten wet. For this reason, I prefer honey saddles, |
| the tiny arteries of the delicate area, causing | | | | because staining is less of an issue compared to the |
| numbness in the groin area, and even erectile | | | | darker colors; I ride my bike to work, so I don't want to |
| disfunction. Brooks' 1890 catalog featured saddles with | | | | worry about my slacks getting stained. |