Today, the tradition-steeped leather bike saddle maker made its appreciation for art clear — and added a collector’s item to its stable, all in one fell swoop.
Brooks announced a limited edition collaboration with outdoor artist Jeremy Collins, which releases now. The etched leather saddle displays a design the climber/artist threw down at the 2022 Bicycle Adventure Meeting in Mantova, Italy.
The company said the image, which centers around a coiled snake and an array of flowering stems, came from Collins’ “epic” bikepacking adventure through the Dolomites last June.
Peep the detail: Collins’ representation of the snake’s skin displays both pattern and texture, and the surrounding pips cohere into a pattern that emphasizes the shape of its curving body. The inscription at the top, “SUBITO,” translates roughly from Italian to “right away” or “now.”
Brooks saddle adherents will find the key pillars of the brand’s construction techniques on this B17 model. Hand-hammered copper rivets and skived side panels set off Collins’ work. And it rides on titanium rails. Brooks made every saddle in its lineup at its Smethwick, England, factory from its 1866 founding until 2002, when Italy’s Selle Royale bought the company.
The B17 Special Jeremy Collins costs $320 (€290) MSRP through the Brooks England website.
