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Matt just fired over some photos of his 2009 NAHBS RetroTec Cycles RetroFat SS, retrofitted with the new Whisky 70w Fat Tubeless Rims to Industry Nine hubs… the consensus? I dig it, especially the color, the Cambium and those Surly Nate gumwall tires.
I think it looks like a ton of fun and if you’re going to Saddle Drive this year, you’ll probably see it mobbing around.
Check out a few more photos below!
I caught wind of this while I was in England and I’m way into the concept:
“Brooks England and Levi’s® Commuter™ are teaming up to create a Limited Edition saddle: the Cambium Denim, exclusively available this Summer at Levi’s® Commuter™ Workspaces in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and London, and from October at the Brooks online shop.
Levi’s® Commuter™ is partnering with Brooks England to produce a special bike saddle manufactured from recycled Levi’s® denim. The saddle will be a Limited Edition version of Brooks’ newest product, the Cambium C17, which uses vulcanized rubber pressing techniques to create a comfortable, waterproof, and long-lasting saddle whose features align with the performance benefits of the Levi’s® Commuter™ collection. Teams from Levi’s® Commuter™ and Brooks England are taking this opportunity to work together to create a product of unique beauty and utility.”
See more at Brooks, including availability and information on the Levi’s® Commuter™ Workspaces.
Kaufmann Mercantile, the New York based online store for carefully selected, long-lasting, and well-designed goods announces the launch of the Horse Cycles x KM City Cruiser. Each City Cruiser is made by hand in Horse Cycles’ Brooklyn shop, features a Brooks saddle, with matching grips and includes a copper head badge, where purchasers may have up to five letters engraved to personalize their rides.
“Working with Thomas of has been an interesting and rewarding process, and we are excited to be launching these simple, beautiful bikes with him” says KM Product Developer, Gavin Logan.
Designed specifically for KM, the City Cruiser is available exclusively at Kaufmann-Mercantile.com.
Well, we’ve seen the saddles being made through photos, now let’s look at Brooks’ portage line through this video…
Since 1866, Brooks England has been making bicycle saddles in the UK. While their original facilities were located in Birmingham, the current factory is nestled in the industrial town of Smethwick.
We’ve all probably owned a Brooks saddle at one point in our life and can attest to their longtime comfort and character that develops from heavy use. Before a saddle ever touches a seat post, they begin as just raw leather and steel. The process by which they make the transformation to a bicycle saddle is complex, yet streamlined in their bustling factory.
Dozens of employees make Brooks England tick and each has their special task. While they will transfer stations every few months, a unique marker on the saddles can tell you who was doing what, when. This catalog of information spans decades and is what makes Brooks so unique. If something goes wrong with a batch, Brooks can asses the situation and make their end product better.
For me, the most interesting part of the process was talking to the workers and watching them move through their tasks with efficiency… In an age when Great Britain has shipped much of its industry overseas, it’s great to see heritage and craftsmanship are still alive at Brooks.
See more in the Gallery, as I walk you through this process.
Themed rides are quite popular. You know, where you dress in vintage clothing, on a vintage bike and the whole time you ‘gram with a brand new iPhone as photographers shoot away on the best DSLRs available. These rides take you, en masse around a town as on-lookers wonder what brought all these people to their streets. You ride for a little while, drink for a long while and head home, remove your garments and pack them away for the next ride.
The L’Eroica is not a themed ride in that sense, although many of those traits apply here. You must ride a vintage bike older than 1987. Your attire should be of similar age, as well as your shoes, gloves and other accessories but don’t be mistaken, this is no casual jaunt around the park. This is no leisurely stroll, only sated by a cold beer at a pub. The L’Eroica Britannia is a ride for cyclists.
The L’Eroica Britannia was born from its mother event, L’Eroica in Italy, a race where vintage rules everything and aside from the random cell phone in the palm of a rider, everything is period correct. Brooks England brought various media sources out to ride on their team and I was lucky enough to score a position.
Here in the UK, the event is in its first year and with a crowd of over 2,000 riders in attendance, they need a place to call home base. Located in the town of Bakewell, UK, riders have set up camping tents in the pleasant valley along the river.
Rolling hills and picturesque landscapes await, but until then, there is music, drinks and food to be had.
We began our morning with a cold-start descent from our cottages at the top of the hill range, down to town for a sausage sandwich, pudding and some coffee – at least that’s what they called it… From there, we rode out to Chatsworth to tour an old estate, showcasing art that was “procured” from around the world before ending back at the festival for late-afternoon food and drinks…
Today the 2014 L’Eroica Britannia awaits.
When Brooks England launched the Cambium platform last year with the C17 flagship model, people were immediately drawn to its unique material palette, shape and ride quality. With the success of the C17, an interpretation of the classic B17 model, Brooks began developing the newest Cambium model, the C15.
Find out more below, including how to win one of these saddles from Brooks.
Next week, I board a plane and hop the pond over to the UK. It’ll be the first time there with a bike and while I’m not bringing anything from my personal stable, I’ll have something vintage to ride, donated graciously by Brooks England.
The mainstay for the trip is the L’Eroica Britannia, a new take on the classic Italian event, at home in The Peak District, UK. Over 1,600 riders will depart on three rides (33 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles) on pre-1987 steel bicycles.
You should check out this interview at the Brooks England Blog and more information at the L’Eroica Britannia website. Maybe I’ll see you there?
Now’s the main thing on my mind: what do I wear?
You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t…
The last Yonder Journal Brovet in Austin was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. I planned the ride, which, in context was one of the best 300 mile loops in Texas Hill Country. That context though, is slightly mottled, since, you know, I live in Texas and these guys are from California and Oregon – which has some of the best riding in the country. Maybe they’re soft-skinned liberals and I’m ok with Texas being stuck in the 17th century, or maybe riding for 40 hours in the pissing – just above freezing – rain just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Context aside, I planned a 300 mile route, the weather was nice – 80 degrees and humid – hey, it’s Texas – and everyone arrived in Austin.
Cursed. We’re all cursed. Or maybe I’m cursed? For whatever reason, mother nature took a shit on us, then smeared it on the route. 300 miles got cut in half, we had to bail so people could catch their flights. Ty got drunk – after he and Kelli got engaged. Moi got drunk. Kyle threw up in my yard. Hahn got drunk and raided dirty laundry.
The story goes deeper than this over at Yonder Journal! Head over to read about the Curse and (Dis)Enchanted Rock. See a few more selections below and follow Yonder on Instagram as they’re in the middle of another Brovet down South!
The Hunqapillar. A touring bike with massive clearances for mountain bike tires, tubing spec’d for off-road ripping (fully loaded) and a gorgeous green and cream paint job. Branded as a “Wooly Mammoth Bicycle”, this machine is meant to rip wakki 1-trakk and still make it to Poppi’s Pizza in time for a cold pint or a toke from the wizard’s pipe.
Photo by Kyle Kelley
Here’s my favorite use for the Brooks bar ends…
The ever popular and sportier version of the Brooks Flyer, the Brooks Conquest is back. Meant for a touring, mountain, klunker or fatbike, these saddles are a bit longer, like a racing saddle, but offer a little more compliance for distance. Check out more information at Brooks!
I like this idea a whole lot! One of the most original frame builders of all time will be at the Brooks B1866 shop in Seven Dials, London next week. The saddle manufacturer is opening their doors to Dario Pegoretti to fit potential customers for a bike and to celebrate his new collaboration Brooks Cambium Saddle. Sounds pretty rad right? I wish I could be there to see this!
Check out the press-release below with all the juicy details and more photos of this wild bike!
For whatever the reason, this saddle has generated more hype than any I can recall. Perhaps it’s because Brooks isn’t exactly associated typically with vegan saddles? Or maybe it’s the unique nature of the material application? Rubber, really?! I’ve heard a lot of positive and negative feedback but that didn’t stop me from picking up a Cambium C17 from my local shop to try out (I still hadn’t received mine from Brooks to review, so I figured what the hell)…
Check out more below!
The newest saddle from Brooks should be in stock now at your local bike shop. The C17 (mens) and C17s (womens) Cambium is vegan-friendly and one of the slickest designed saddles I’ve seen. Not pictured is the darker colored version, which can be seen here. Head over to your local Brooks dealer to pick one up and see more information at Brooks England.
The CMWC makes its way to Lausanne this year and Brooks England is showing their support the best way they know how: prizes and by releasing a commemorative saddle package. This year, they teamed up with PEdAL:ED to make the package even more special.
“Our CMWC Collector Sets have been limited to 300 pieces, and will be available by the time our winners are standing on the podium in Lausanne from selected Brooks Dealers of Excellence worldwide.”
Check out the the saddle here and the shoes here.
See more at Brooks.
Pick up one of the mens and ladies edition Brooks Cambium C17 online today. This issue is a limited-edition run, so swoop one of these vegan saddles up fast. See more information at the Brooks Blog.