What's going on with Brooks saddle prices?

[fossyant]

'Orrible looking saddles.....£199 for the Swallow one.....FFS.....

 

[Crackle]

'Orrible looking saddles.....£199 for the Swallow one.....FFS.....

Take him out and flog him. Sir! I question your wifes provenance

 

[Maz]

How long before Brooks either goes bust or moves production out to the Far East?

 

[wafflycat]

Goes both ways though--a new Brooks Professional fits me perfectly right out of the box. Methinks the problem is with the individual erse, nae the coo skin.

I love Brooks threads, although this one hasn't gotten nearly vicious enough, I must be in the Cafe..

Indeed - yours fitted you from day one. A common point put across about Brooks though is that you have to be prepared break them in. I've heard it time & time again and I think that's stupid - a saddle should fit from day one.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

How long before Brooks either goes bust or moves production out to the Far East?

Brompton are the same, it seems they put their prices up over £200.00 almost overnight(ish).
But they can still hardly cope with demand.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

When the sales rep came in with the price increases (they supply more than Brooks) he advised that the increases were mainly due the Euro; my reply was "but Brooks are for Birmingham!!!"

They do however use leather from Belgium! Also worth noting that Brooks are no longer UK owned. This may have an effect because like many European manufacturers if they increase their price that will be in Euros, taking the currency fluctuation into account makes it even worse of course when both happen at the same time.

Now I could be wrong, but if the Brooks price increases were set by the owners as apposed to the UK management team then it could well be in Euros then converted to Sterling, so the same applies even though Brooks are manufactured in Birmingham. This may seem a bit odd, you would have thought it would be the other way around, but on the odd occasion I need advice or test prototype saddles then I communicate with Italy not Birmingham, so it is plausible.

Whatever way you look at the increases, Brooks, like the majority of items, have gone up or are about to go up significantly.

Paul_Smith

 

[Aperitif]

How long before Brooks either goes bust or moves production out to the Far East?

Brooks and 'Ah so' were made for each other...

<ducks as paulb is bound to go into one...>

 

[DJ]

I need a new saddle for one of my bikes the stock saddle hurts likehell!
Want to see what all the fuss is about, so have got a second hand Brooks from ebay! Normal price £82.00 I got it for £25.00 + p/p . So will post on here to let you know if I think it's worht it! Just got to try one for my self.

 

[Headgardener]

They do however use leather from Belgium! Brooks are manufactured in Birmingham.

What's wrong with good old fashioned English cows then?

 

[Gromit]

I had a four month wait for my brooks, it was ordered in March and arrived in June before we went on our trip to France.

I'm still braking it in.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

What's wrong with good old fashioned English cows then?

That's what I said to them as well.

Paul_Smith

 

[Plax]

I love my Brooks Saddle. Was comfy from day one though. Like Chuffy I have a brooks saddle cover for when it rains. Cost about £3.50 from CRC.

 

[Maz]

That's what I said to them as well.

Paul_Smith

And what did they say?

 

[Mr Phoebus]

Brooks are manufactured in Birmingham.

Paul_Smith

Burn him!!!

They're manufactured in Smethwick. Smethwicks a suburb of Birmingham.
(but not part of Birmingham)
They were originally manufactured in Birmingham.