Brooks

I got this tape because I thought it would look and feel good on my drop bar adventure bike. It does. Has the look of classic leather but a bit softer. Really like it on the bike. Good grip but not sticky. What may make it five stars though is how forgiving it was to my new wrapping skills. I wouldn�t call it complicated but if you haven�t done bar tape before it can be tricky. This tape tolerated numerous redos and stretching without issue. I have had it on for a month now and it seems that it will hold up well. Like it a lot.

If you are reading this, you probably already know that buying a Brooks saddle is a commitment. They require breaking in, care, and patience . I have a Brooks saddle that was original on a Raleigh Competition I owned forty years ago. I now have it on my road bike, and although my butt has changed somewhat over forty years, it is still very comfortable . I bought this B17 Special saddle for my gravel bike, and even though it is nowhere near broken in yet, it is actually pretty comfortable. I now have Brooks saddles on all my bikes, and I think that in the long run they are worth the effort and the expense.

I've had the Brooks Swift saddle since 2015. My initial impression wasn't good at all. A lot of cyclists would rave about it so I paid dearly for a new one. However, when I first started using it, it was extremely hard and even with a short ride, I would tell myself, I will just throw it out as it was terrible (at least at the time). Then fast forward several years later, I took it out and started to admire its beauty again and thinking maybe I was all wrong about it. Then one day, I saw a Youtube video of someone treating it with Obenauf's leather conditioner. I said what the heck, what I have I got to lose. So I followed suit. Then after treating it couple of times, then started using it during my routine rides. At first, other than leather feeling somewhat supple, it felt similar as before. So I loosened it a bit and kept it on my road bike. Then, after several hundred miles, I noticed I did not feel anything about the saddle, like it was invisible. Then as I started to enjoy more, the curves around my contour started taking place. Comfort now is just insane and out of this world. It is still beautiful and elegant, but the comfort is just indescribable. I don't use any other saddle now, not even B17 Special which I thought it was very comfortable. The Swift takes it up a couple of notches over the B17 Special.

I have been biking for over 40 years. Of course, during that time, I've had countless number of saddles, tried pretty much all of them. One of the best one I remember is the O2 Gel Saddle, it was very comfortable for those long rides. But it did not last. Either the top give ways or the rail and underneath.

Then here came the Brooks. I have several. B17, Special, Imperial, and Swift. Each one has its unique personality. But they all share one thing. Comfort and durability. But be warned, it takes relentless break in first couple of months. And you need to train the saddle. Yep, you need to train it to make it your own. Like training a horse and bonding with him/her. Once the bonding forms, get ready for shear bliss.