Brooks England Swift Bicycle Saddle

Product Information

Larger shocks and bumps are absorbed better on the Brooks as the natural springiness of the leather stretched across the Ti frame is an excellent cushion, compared to the more rigid, hard-shells of plastic / carbon saddles.

There is some justification for that — most of the systems lack the modulation and performance of their hydraulic counterparts. One day I shall recoup this small weight gain from some other component, but I could not give up the Swift now. There have been subtle changes in the saddle: the colour has changed a bit, with the heat and friction; and the shape has changed as it moulds to my derrière. Either a strenght or a weakness: heavily-padded and esp gel-padded shorts are a waste of money on these saddles once they are softening, and I tend to look for older shorts or Naline team shorts, which use minimal padding. The market for disc brake pads for gravel bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes is saturated; there are hundreds of different brands producing disc brake pads claiming to last longer and perform better than the competition.

In fact, despite the claims that it takes hundreds of miles to 'bed in a Brooks' I found that straight from the intricate box, the Brooks was very comfortable. It is the saddle to use if you want to have those sudden bursts of acceleration and be able to slide on it.

Have had a swift on my mountain bike for over three years and after a brief break-in period it is fantastic. My riding weights on these started at a skinny 130lbs in the 70s, up to ca 190; but for this Swift, prob 185 down to 170 or so. I bought this saddle to put on a retro build I put together but then enjoyed the ride of the saddle so much I bought another one for my carbon rig. Subsequently, Brooks England saddles have caught my eye adorning so many great bikes; from the Rapha film steeds, to B17s on famous round-the-world bikes. The body of the tool also features two clip-in tyre levers that are made from strong plastic composite, and do a good job of levering stubborn tubeless tyres from wheel rims, as well as having a nice rounded profile to protect the tube.This is only my first evening in the Algarve, but I have already added it to my list of ' Gravel Riding Meccas '. There is a weight penalty even with the Ti frame, but in perspective this is less than a couple of deep swigs of drink.