Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
Never underestimate the market share of vegans and vegetarians who will not purchase animal products. Especially the younger market who want to be fashionably Brooks but refuse to even own leather shoes. It would be foolish for Brooks to ignore this market. Funny how the "concerned" amongst us are more comfy with petroleum products under their feet and arses than the natural stuff.
I'm not sure why you have such a bee in your bonnet about Brooks. No one is saying that you have to ride on one. You tried them and have moved on...so move on. As to the "younger" market, my local co-op is just chalk full of people with bikes that are part of the "younger" market, Brooks saddles are still a rarity. The vast majority of bicycles that come through the doors every Saturday and the ones that are hanging on hooks for the service department
don't have Brooks on them. Brooks just simply doesn't have that much of the market.
Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
Of course, the natural stuff is made of petroleum nowadays too. They feed petroleum to the corn, the corn to the cows, and the cows to us. Wait...are we petroleum creatures too???
No, they don't "feed petroleum to the corn". Fertilizers are made from ammonia and petroleum has low levels of nitrogen from which to make ammonia. The air has far more.
Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
This may say a lot about Brooks comfort but in such a tiny, specialized market share. Long distance cyclists alone would not keep a saddle manufacturer prosperous.
And Brooks is a tiny specialized saddle maker. They make 80,000 saddles a year. Their parent company, Selle Royal, makes 80,000 plastic saddles a day. It's not like the world is going to be overrun by Brooks saddles anytime in the near...or far...future.
Again, you don't like them then don't ride them.