Brooks
House Contributor
For over a century and a half, the name Brooks has been a byword in quality craftsmanship and traditional manufacturing. Today, Brooks continues to deliver relevant, beautiful, and functional designs to modern cyclists with modern lifestyles, creating line after line of timeless masterpieces for the bike, handcrafted in England and Europe.
The story began in 1866 when company founder, John Boultbee Brooks, began making horse harnesses and other leather goods in Birmingham. The story goes that after the death of his horse, he took to the bicycle, and in 1882 he patented designs for a leather bicycle saddle whose subsequent production would help grow his small workshop into the world's largest manufacturer of leather saddles and bicycling accessories by the mid 20th century.
Perhaps less well known is that, since the 19th century, Brooks has developed a wide array of satchels, knapsacks, bicycle luggage and outerwear in addition to the well-known leather saddles and accessories. Today Brooks continues this tradition by offering a wide range of bags with a strong focus on function through the distinct use of fine materials and contemporary styling, upholding the company slogan, “The Best for Riding”.
Brooks also plays an important role in cycle advocacy and the advancement of cycling as a positive lifestyle choice, supporting scores of individuals and events dedicated to the bicycle as a mode of transportation and social rallying point, be it racing, touring adventure, urban commuting, art, or a myriad of other progressive cycling platforms, introducing and encouraging each new generation.