Need your Brooks repaired ?

[Ahneida Ride]

Need your Brooks Saddle repaired ?????


http://www.bilenky.com/brooks_.html

http://bilenkycycles.blogspot.com/2010/05/bilenky-cycle-works-announced-as.html

http://www.bilenky.com/Brooks__files/brooks%20uk%20024.jpg

We at Bilenky Cycle Works are proud to announce that we have been named by Brooks Saddles as their Official Brooks North American Repair Shop.

On a recent trip to the UK, Simon had the chance to work closely with the Brooks team in preparation for the official announcement of this union. In his time spent there, Simon studied the finer points of riveting and leather work and upon his return to the states we are making this the official announcement.

Brooks, of course, has been making their world famous saddles and bags since they filed their first saddle patent in 1882. Since 1882 Brooks has continued to create fine products far above and beyond the industry standard. To say that we are thrilled at this joint venture is a great understatement.

If you have any questions regarding the services that we will be providing as the Official Brooks North American Repair Shop you can email us at Bilenkymedia@gmail.com or artistry@bilenky.com

[LJohnny]

I wish they would do the leather as well... I have a swallow Ti saddle that needs the leather replaced. It seems to me that they should have gone with a thicker leather for this model, since it is prone to sagging.

[Ahneida Ride]

I wish they would do the leather as well... I have a swallow Ti saddle that needs the leather replaced. It seems to me that they should have gone with a thicker leather for this model, since it is prone to sagging.

I have a Ti B17 and I agree .... the leather could have been thicker.

[dougf]

^^ ditto.
I've gone through two swallows in short order. Past the break in period, I only had a few months before the sagging leather got unmanageable. My lady works at a commuter shop that sells a lot of Brooks products, and told me later that she never recommend the Swallow, because of how thin the leather is.

[dd74]

Excellent, AR. Thank you for the information.

[ajax]

I wish they would do the leather as well... I have a swallow Ti saddle that needs the leather replaced. It seems to me that they should have gone with a thicker leather for this model, since it is prone to sagging.

+1

Been through this experience with a Swallow. Brooks' US rep denied my warranty claim--said the sagging was because I got caught out in the rain with it. What kind of avid cyclist doesn't get caught out in the rain?

Fortunately, Amazon stepped up, and without hesitation, offered to cover for Brooks' failure and issued me a full refund.

Amazon now has a dedicated customer. Brooks??--not so much.

[jvp]

I had the same swallow issue, noticed it sagging some and developing light wrinkles in the leather. When I went to adjust the bolt it was finger loose! Eventually I sent it back to brooks, re-covering price was reasonable ($98 including return). Shipping was not cheap though - ~$45. Not sure if my re-covered swallow's leather is thicker than the original...I should of measured it before I sent it off. I measure 5mm for the re-covered one.
Edit: as an unscientific datapoint, I measure 2 old (70s) brooks pros @ 6mm thick, and 2 newer (200X) brooks swifts@ 5mm.

[jvp]

Now I think brooks may have said screw it, and they just sent me a new saddle instead of re-covering my old one? I went to put it back on the bike, and the saddle rails are too narrow for the campy SR seatpost...is it safe to spread the ti rails to fit?

[zzy]

Not to be rude, but you people send a Brooks back because it is sagging?!? Why do you think that nut is under the nose of the saddle and a little wrench in the box? I've owned a Team Pro, a B17, and a B67 on various bikes over the last decade (but not a Swallow). Leather naturally stretches, especially when wet. If you keep it proofided it will actually adsorb very little water as the tallow moisturizes the leather to minimize absorption, while the beeswax acts as a seal. The leather on ALL Brooks will stretch over time as the frame acts like a hammock. You tighten the nut (slowly and day-by-day) to counteract this to obtain the right tension to give you the support you need. My Team Pro is on my touring bike, which I ride in the wet all the time and have done so for many years (these things were made in England of all places!). Accordingly, I have kept it well-proofided and tensioned the leather many times in small increments. And because of that you couldn't pay me to ride another saddle on a 3 day 300 mile tour. It's the only saddle I've used that I can do consecutive long distance days without the need for bikeshorts.

[LJohnny]

This doesn't apply to most swallow saddles with thin leather as tensioning will not really make a difference. The combination of the slim profile (trimmed sides) and thin leather will make the sagging, at least in my case, really pronounced. Pretty much negating comfort, thus rendering the saddle unusable.
I never rode it in the rain or submitted it to anything extreme. Maintenance was as recommended by brooks with their proofide.

I should add that not all swallows are prone to this issue. And I suspect that thicker leather may be the solution to these Ti swallow issues. I have the swallow select(designed with extra sturdy thick leather) and it remains as new with no tensioning needed in two years of commuting. I also have the "Olympic" special edition in white and blue. These have thick leather. Perhaps brooks has realized the fault with combining thin leather with the swallow design.

Regardless of all this, I still want to get the Ti swallow repaired. :)
Not to be rude, but you people send a Brooks back because it is sagging?!? Why do you think that nut is under the nose of the saddle and a little wrench in the box? I've owned a Team Pro, a B17, and a B67 on various bikes over the last decade (but not a Swallow). Leather naturally stretches, especially when wet. If you keep it proofided it will actually adsorb very little water as the tallow moisturizes the leather to minimize absorption, while the beeswax acts as a seal. The leather on ALL Brooks will stretch over time as the frame acts like a hammock. You tighten the nut (slowly and day-by-day) to counteract this to obtain the right tension to give you the support you need. My Team Pro is on my touring bike, which I ride in the wet all the time and have done so for many years (these things were made in England of all places!). Accordingly, I have kept it well-proofided and tensioned the leather many times in small increments. And because of that you couldn't pay me to ride another saddle on a 3 day 300 mile tour. It's the only saddle I've used that I can do consecutive long distance days without the need for bikeshorts.

[Ahneida Ride]

Now I think brooks may have said screw it, and they just sent me a new saddle instead of re-covering my old one? I went to put it back on the bike, and the saddle rails are too narrow for the campy SR seatpost...is it safe to spread the ti rails to fit?


The rails on by Brooks Pro were too narrow to fit on a Nitto Jag post.
I think Brooks has a QC issue.

Be super-careful how you spread them.

[jvp]

I jammed a piece of oak between the rails to spread them slightly, then mounted the saddle, then removed the oak. Worked well enough. I will be monitoring saddle tension daily!