Brooks

Brooks are an iconic bicycle brand, and few saddles are more instantly recognisable than a Brooks, however, it's hard to grasp just how steeped in history the company is. John Boultbee Brooks, the originator of the now famous saddles, decided to buy a bicycle after his horse had a stroke. Finding the wooden saddle much too hard, Brooks used his fathers tannery to design a new, leather saddle to better suit the needs of Britain's emerging cyclists. Thus, in 1882, Brooks filed his first patent for a sprung, leather bicycle saddle. As well as saddles, Brooks designed bags, toe-straps, leather hat cases and even a handlebar mounted cigar tray. Many of these classic designs are still in production now, after more than 100 years, and the Brooks brand still hand-makes all of their saddles in their factory in Birmingham. Whilst the quality of Brooks' leather have kept them a household name for such a long time, they are no curmudgeons when it comes to innovation, their modern bags and panniers being made in synthetic, lightweight fabrics that match John Boultbee Brooks' aim to make practical cycling accessories for the contemporary cyclist.