Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
Gazelles
Posts: 45
Joined: 10 Sep 2022, 6:51am

Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by Gazelles »

Hi, here in Germany spare parts for Brooks saddles are less and less available. Bike shops say that they can't order them any more and only sell what they have available. Since the rails only last 1-2 years for some riders this can make a Brooks saddle a fairly expensive purchase.
Does someone know more about the spares policy of Brooks? They have been bought by Selle Royale / Italy in 2020 and this might be the reason for this change.
User avatar
interestedcp
Posts: 380
Joined: 5 Jan 2012, 3:34pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by interestedcp »

Brooks no longer sells spare parts for their unsprung leather saddles, except some nickel rivets that basically are permanently out of stock.

Spare parts that potentially are still available from Brooks can be found here:
https://www.brooksengland.com/take-care ... ducts.html

They of course did this unannounced, but 2020 seems to be the point where they changed their spare parts policy, and since Brooks England became part of Selle Royal Group in September 2020, it seems likely that this is the cause of their policy change.

To my knowledge, the only way to repair a broken saddle rail is to send it Brooks England. Their repair pricing is somewhat opaque, but since you have to pay shipping costs both ways, it is likely that new saddle is cheaper than having it repaired if you are from the EU.

Instead of spare parts, Brooks now offer 10 years of warranty on their leather saddles, but only if you register your saddle within 3 months of purchase using their online form.

I have no idea whether a broken rail is covered by this extended warranty policy, and it is unclear if the claimant have to pay shipping costs both ways and whether there are additional "handling fees" etc.
--
Regards
Gazelles
Posts: 45
Joined: 10 Sep 2022, 6:51am

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by Gazelles »

That is really a pity as many cyclists here are willing to pay the money for a Brooks saddle, but they expect to get a lot of use out of it. I myself have never broken a rail but my wife has. My impression is that the breaking is influenced by the load but also by quality control. The original rails in her saddle broke fairly early, I kept it going by different shady welding tricks and then found out that rails were available as spare parts. From then on no breaks for much longer than the original rails lasted.
NickJP
Posts: 798
Joined: 24 Sep 2018, 7:11pm
Location: Canberra, OZ

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by NickJP »

These days I buy Berthoud rather than Brooks saddles. The quality seems better and they offer a full range of spare parts, not that I have yet needed any (I have four Berthoud saddles on various bikes): https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/128-spare- ... ccessories.

There is an interesting video on Youtube showing the manufacturing of the Berthoud saddles:
scottg
Posts: 1218
Joined: 10 Jan 2008, 8:44pm
Location: Highland Heights Kentucky,, USA

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by scottg »

Another vote for Berthoud, the Aspin is a B-17 crossed with a Pro.

I still have several Brooks, but they're all pre-deluge.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
pwa
Posts: 17370
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by pwa »

It is sad to be saying this about one of the oldest British cycling products, but I gave up on Brooks and went over to Berthoud. Berthoud saddles are what Brooks saddles should have evolved into, with the customer having the ability to change parts themselves using a single Torcx tool that can be picked up cheaply at any hardware store. They aren't cheap (understatement) but they are the best.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by Carlton green »

In reading the described situation one can but think ‘British disease’, that malady were short term greed (for the highest return on investment) is placed ahead of a businesses long term health. The Germans, in contrast, appear to view the long term as important.

I’ve some old Brooks saddles, they have lasted decades and should ‘see me out’ - hopefully that will be several more decades. Breakages of saddles will very likely be down to poor QA and lowered standards, the make it and flog it regardless business model only works for so long.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by tatanab »

NickJP wrote: 7 Jun 2023, 11:27pm These days I buy Berthoud rather than Brooks saddles. The quality seems better and they offer a full range of spare parts, not that I have yet needed any (I have four Berthoud saddles on various bikes)
Beat you - I have 5 Aspin :D , bought the first of them in 2012. I have bought spares, not because I needed them but because I like to tinker. Some parts are available from suppliers in this country, but I dealt with them directly in France. Service was exemplary e.g I misunderstood the description of the part I wanted, so ordered a wrong (small) part. When I reordered the correct part, explaining circumstances, they sent it free.
alexnharvey
Posts: 1923
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:39am

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by alexnharvey »

Carlton green wrote: 8 Jun 2023, 6:24am In reading the described situation one can but think ‘British disease’, that malady were short term greed (for the highest return on investment) is placed ahead of a businesses long term health. The Germans, in contrast, appear to view the long term as important.

I’ve some old Brooks saddles, they have lasted decades and should ‘see me out’ - hopefully that will be several more decades. Breakages of saddles will very likely be down to poor QA and lowered standards, the make it and flog it regardless business model only works for so long.
Strange to blame the "British disease" for Italian decisions.
maximus meridius
Posts: 791
Joined: 14 Feb 2023, 10:55pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by maximus meridius »

Some posters saying that Selle Royal bought Brooks in 2020. I'm not sure that is correct:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_En ... ite_note-4
https://bikebiz.com/selle-royal-buys-brooks/amp/
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/late ... xit-487164

What may be driving recent business decisions at the Italian owner of Brooks is:
https://medium.com/@erre_c/learning-fro ... 4518d5835e

I don't know if such a thing as "The British Disease" in manufacturing business really exists. After all, Rolls Royce (aero engines) is a UK company. It's very easy to criticise other business owners' decisions. I've never run a small company catering to a niche market, but I don't suppose it's easy. Look at the sale of Carradice - would any of you have done any differently to David and Janet Chadwick?

It's long been thought that in manufacturing privately held companies have some advantages. They can pursue technical innovation and concentrate on quality without worrying about the demands of shareholders. Examples would be Miele and Swarovski, both companies whose products I own. But mention them to the infamous "man in the street" and the first thing they will say, if they know about them is - "oooo, pricey". And let's face it, this very forum is populated by many, most I would say, who will baulk at what they perceive as the high price of some product or other.

But on the other end of the scale, consider https://www.ernestwright.co.uk/ whose products I also own. I bought a pair of scissors from them when they were the last high quality scissor makers in the UK. They were privately owned, and managed, by somebody whose surname was indeed Wright. A couple of years later I emailed them to buy some more, but they didn't make the ones I wanted anymore. In fact they had rationalised their product line, since the takeover by foreign investors. Because the previous owner had taken his own life:

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffiel ... ess-270632
he reported he was stressed related to him running his own scissor factory in Sheffield.
So it's very very easy to criticise other people running businesses. If more people tried doing it they might have a more balanced view of "the British disease".
maximus meridius
Posts: 791
Joined: 14 Feb 2023, 10:55pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by maximus meridius »

Gazelles wrote: 7 Jun 2023, 10:48pm I myself have never broken a rail but my wife has. My impression is that the breaking is influenced by the load ...
Does your wife read this forum?
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by PH »

Carlton green wrote: 8 Jun 2023, 6:24am In reading the described situation one can but think ‘British disease’,
The British disease seems to be moaning about a British disease.
Brooks were failing because the product range hadn't kept up with changing customer requirements. They were still producing as if it were a mass market product, when the customer base had become niche. If new owners hadn't stepped in and changed the ethos, I doubt it would have survived.
We don't have to get nationalistic about this, such company failings happen elsewhere in the World, some change and survive, others disappear.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by Carlton green »

alexnharvey wrote: 8 Jun 2023, 7:35am
Carlton green wrote: 8 Jun 2023, 6:24am In reading the described situation one can but think ‘British disease’, that malady were short term greed (for the highest return on investment) is placed ahead of a businesses long term health. The Germans, in contrast, appear to view the long term as important.

I’ve some old Brooks saddles, they have lasted decades and should ‘see me out’ - hopefully that will be several more decades. Breakages of saddles will very likely be down to poor QA and lowered standards, the make it and flog it regardless business model only works for so long.
Strange to blame the "British disease" for Italian decisions.
Fair comment, short term thinking isn’t limited to the British be we do seem to excel in it. In contrast some of our continental cousins really look to the long term; they research, plan and invest for the long term whilst we typically only look for the next short term gain. That’s just my experience in the workplace, good companies that I once worked for either went bust or were taken over by foreign companies with better financial planning and management.

Whatever, no need to divert the thread further.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Gazelles
Posts: 45
Joined: 10 Sep 2022, 6:51am

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by Gazelles »

Thank you for your very interesting comments!
I think it can be unfair to automatically blame the management of companies that don't develop well. Saving a traditional company where no investments were made for a long time can prove impossible without decisions that don't suit all customers. But I don't have the impression that for Brooks there is no other way open as the name has it's value even outside the UK.

The dutch company "Lepper" apparently has had difficulties too. Their traditional products like the "Primus" seem to have vanished, but some saddle models are still sold under this name, but mostly specialties, no so much main stream. I have a "Tourer" from them which is ok, but I like the design of my Brooks saddles better. The sheet metal part at the back of the tourer is a bit close to the seat area.

The Berthoud saddle looks good and I like the screws instead of rivets. But it really is an investment of cause.

Carradice was sold too? How are they doing nowadays? I use some of their bags and like them!
User avatar
gaz
Posts: 14649
Joined: 9 Mar 2007, 12:09pm
Location: Kent

Re: Brooks saddles - no more spare parts?

Post by gaz »

interestedcp wrote: 7 Jun 2023, 6:37pm To my knowledge, the only way to repair a broken saddle rail is to send it Brooks England.
viewtopic.php?p=1512225&#p1512225
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
Post Reply