Unfortunately we can buy our high quality hides only in Belgium since many decades and the Euro is going up against the Pound Sterling!
Andrea

We just started a program called "Dealers of Excellence" which is aimed at that. We will rate dealers from 0 to 6 rivets. Those with at least 4 rivets will have pictures of their shops on our website and a direct link to their website. We hope dealers will submit pictures of their shops, as we cannot visit all of them!
Andrea

Well, I'd love to be able to nominate my LBS for that.

Thanks, I didn't know. Sure we need to address this need, as Linux is becoming more popular.
Andrea

Linux and Lynx are two different things.

Linux is an operating system, Lynx is a browser, just one that does not show pictures or Flash.
When you remove the flash opening page, his issue will be partly addressed, it's what prevents him from navigating the rest of the site.

NOOOOOOOOO!!! i hate logos on everything.

+1. Logos = Yuck

Hello, I recently bought a chopped Brooks Professional on craigslist and was wondering if anyone could help me identify it. Underneath is "063" or "0G3". This professional has the medium copper rivets. The nose of the tensioner is also copper. The back nameplate says "BROOKS" with "England" below it and the nameplate itself, is copper color. Also I believe the rails are chrome. Other than that I don't know much about it. I'm wondering why the rivets are the medium size and why the nameplate is copper. Is anyone out there familiar with this distinct professional model.

OG3 means it was made in July (G) 2003 (03).
Andrea
marketing manager
BROOKS ENGLAND LTD.

I could put one on my "Team USA red-white-and-blue" Schwinn mountain bike and move its Team Pro to one of the Capos.

I'm sure this will be anathema to many of you, so I'll preface it by saying I've had leather saddles on pretty much all my bikes since the 70's, have worn out three of them, including a '79 Brooks Pro and a '83 Fujita Pro, which I recently replaced with a B-17 because it got too broken in!

But...
I, for one, would be interested in a version of the B-17 in synthetic leather; something a little less precious, a little more weatherproof, and... well, something that doesn't break in! My B-17 was comfy from the day I got it, which was also true of the others... but as they softened up, they changed and became less comfortable.

I also wish Brooks (or anyone) would make replacement covers for the non-leather saddles that came on old English bikes. I have three old white saddles from ca. 1970 Raleighs, with indestructable steel frames and springs, and covers too worn and cracked to use. The covers are clearly removable and replaceable; but how does one get a replacement?

Rudi

Thanks Andrea for the info. Do you know why this team pro has the medium size copper rivets rather than the larger rivets. Also the copper name plate?

Not really. Can you read the production lot stamped on the underside of the leather? It is a sequence of number, letter, number (ex. 9D8)
Andrea

Sorry Andrea,
this is the same as the above question. The stamp is "0G3". My main questions is just why this has the medium rivets. Do some professionals come with the medium rivets randomly or is there a specific reason for this...Thanks!

In 2003 we had just bought the company and it was a big mess. It took us a couple of years to reorganize the works in Birmingham. Knowing the workers and the managers there I'd probably guess they had run out of large rivets and used the medium. It probably is a "mistake", but certainly your saddle is worth collecting as a "one of a kind"!

Only Team Professionals were fitted with large rivets (17mm.). Professional 'S' and Team Professional 'S' were fitted with medium rivets (13mm.), and Standard Professionals were fitted with small (12.5mm.). I'd suggest that these 'one of a kind' are nothing of the sort - probably Standards, and with small, not medium, rivets?

Tony should know. He has been repairing Brooks saddles in the U.K. for a couple of decades.

Andrea,
What about People and their saddles? So many of us have Brooks Saddles from all the years gone by. It would be interesting to see what their saddles look like now and how they've lasted over time. Kind of like a time capsule of Brooks Saddles. Just a thought.

Hi Tony,
Thanks for the insight but this model is not a Professional S. I have a team professional with the large copper rivets and both saddles are the same length and width meaning that the saddle with the medium rivets is not a woman's model. So any other thoughts on its origin? Thanks!

>>> Mhendricks - What about People and their saddles?

I'm planning to organize the current "People and Their Stories" by theme. Sure we can make one or more categories about used, collection and butchered saddles...

Does this only apply to the new saddles? I have a 1980 professional select with the large rivets. At least I think that is what it is called.

lovely avatar, andrea...and your birfday is 2 weeks after mine!

and only 3 days after mine.

I guess what I meant by "People and their Saddles" is "What places have these saddles taken you to?" or "How many miles or How many bikes has this saddle been on?" Like for me, that Brooks Pro that I showed has lasted longer than the 5 bikes it was on, has traveled to 5 countries, at has seen 10's of thousand of miles" Something like that.

Actually the current section "People and Their Stories" already features this type of content and more, but everything is rather mixed. There are stories and pictures about trips, but also stories about the longevity of BROOKS Saddles: two years ago an old Englishman wrote us he has used his B17 for 68 years, now probably 70, if he is still alive!