Brooks England

Brooks England is a British maker of cycling equipment, known for its leather saddles and bags. The company belongs to the Italian Selle Royal group.

History

The firm was founded in Birmingham in 1866 by John Boultbee Brooks, initially as a leather goods business. In 1878 he lost his horse, borrowed a bicycle and found it so uncomfortable that he set out to design a better saddle.

The B17 saddle, introduced in the 1890s, remains a core model, and bags have been made since the 1880s. Materials range from vegetable-tanned leather to natural rubber and organic cotton, and the Cambium line has offered leather-free saddles since 2013.