Swift report on New Swallow (long)

Ivar Hesselager said:

Ther's thirteenhundredandfiftytwo You-know-what in Nashville, but there
are only 999 Brooks Swallow Riders onn bicycles - that is if you only
count the numbered Special Edition saddles, with a number stamped
underneath, and stitched at the sides making it look unmistakingly
handcrafted a accompanied by a certificate with at genuine signature by
the managing director of Brooks and the leather craftsman himself.
I bought one last week. I had to. They made that saddle for me, or at
least for people like me. I have been a devoted Brooks rider for at least
25 years.

I can sit on a Brooks Swift all day with no pain. I feel good riding my
Team Pro on my everyday communter bike. I like the myth of genuine
preindustrial craftmanship building on the same priciples as in 1866.

And as I am growing old, bald and bearded, I've become a collector of
examples of old things that are better, than what they make nowadays.

There are things which are good enough as they are: That don't have to be
improved. The bicycle tires needs improvement, I'm still looking for
better solutions. But the Brooks Swift is good enough for me.

The Swallow probably wasn't made til improve the bicycle saddle. It was
made to support the nolstalgia connected to the Brooks Saddles by copying
an extraordinary looking racing saddle from 1936.

When my former Swift was stolen together with my bike two years ago. the
new Swift I got soon after, didn't need any braking in. My sitbones
immediately felt at home on a new Swift.

I certainly don't need a better saddle. Anyway I had to get the new
Swallow Special Edition, and I got the parcel from Germany three days ago.

Today I went out on my summer racer first time this year. There is still
snow on the ground, but the asphalt was dry. And ofcause I had to try the
new handcrafted Swallow. I didn't expect it to be better than the Swift.
How could it be. I was worried it would be far inferior.

But the Swallow made a good first impression. When I am sitting in the
right position, it supports me the right places; firmly yet yielding, as
a Brooks saddle should.

But the shiny polished surface was slippery, and I was sliding around.
That will be a bit better, as soon as the surface gets more coarse, and
much better, when my sitbones have formed dents in the leather. But on
the premier ride I had a feeling that the comfortable area on the sadle,
is shorter on the Swallow than on the Swift.
On the Swift I can change between comfortable positions. Slide a little
back or forward and still have good support. On the very long rides you
appriciate changing position, to shift the stress on lower back and
shoulders.

But on the new Swallow it feels like there is only ONE good position.
I just hope it's goint to be really good.

Measuring the saddles with a ruler confirms that impression. The area
which can support my sitbones is 2 cm shorter on the Swallow than on the
Swift.

But I don't regret buying it. It looks aggresive and ambitious like an
Alpha Romeo and I'm sure I will appreciate that before and after the races
I participate in.

And it wasn't actually very expensive. A London mailorder shop sell the
Swallow Special Edition for 200 pounds = 293 Euro. Thats what I call
expensive. Harris Cyclery sell the standard version, not the Special
Editiont, for 326 dollars = 273 Euro. Thats not cheap either.

My favorite and normally cheap German mailorder shop charges 179 Euro for
a handstitched Swallow Special Edition. Now we are down 121 Euro.

I got mine (no. 951) in an auktion on German Ebay for 144 Euro - which
appears to be the current Ebay market price. I saw another just like it
sold for 144,5 and a third for 153 Euro in auktions last week.

There is at least one auktion ending every week on German Ebay - which I
think is quite often, considering there are only supposed to be 999 of
them worldwide.

There are also Brooks Swallows stardard edition for sale on Ebay - without
the stitches, and remarkably, they seem not to be cheaper than the special
edition. They are cheaper in British shops, but not on the free German
market. On the contrary, they seem to sell for above 150 Euro on German
Ebay - still more than a 100 Euro below the US price at Harris Cyclery.

I am happy I got hold of one of the 999 "original" Swallows.
But I am even happier that I have a Swift - which weighs exactly the same
and is much more comfortable.

Ivar of Denmark

Thanks for the pitch Ivar but anybody contemplating any expensive
saddle better have a return policy. I also bought a numbered Swallow,
for my Merckx, the second Brooks i tried(first was a Swift) and neither
were to my liking. In other words, after a longish trial period,
neither just didn't work for me, back to SSM Rolls.

I sold the Swallow for the $300 I paid for it and the Swift for the $ I
paid. There seems to be two camps on Brooks, love it or hate it, with
nobody in between. No more Brooks for me, in spite of how cool they may
look.

Quoting Qui si parla Campagnolo <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

There seems to be two camps on Brooks, love it or hate it, with
nobody in between.

Or both. I love the B-17 Narrow and I love the decision not to do it only
at twice the price in British Racing Green. It'd be nice if their Website
wasn't a stinking mass of Flash and had some actual data like dimensions
and weights...
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field!
Today is Leicesterday, February.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Thanks for the pitch Ivar but anybody contemplating any expensive
saddle better have a return policy. I also bought a numbered Swallow,
for my Merckx, the second Brooks i tried(first was a Swift) and neither
were to my liking. In other words, after a longish trial period,
neither just didn't work for me, back to SSM Rolls.

I sold the Swallow for the $300 I paid for it and the Swift for the $ I
paid. There seems to be two camps on Brooks, love it or hate it, with
nobody in between. No more Brooks for me, in spite of how cool they may
look.

I have a Swift lying around in the garage because after 5 years it was
still breaking me in.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

I also bought a numbered Swallow,
for my Merckx, the second Brooks i tried(first was a Swift) and neither
were to my liking. In other words, after a longish trial period,
neither just didn't work for me, back to SSM Rolls.

Quoted message said:

No more Brooks for me, in spite of how cool they may
look.

If you like the Brooks look and the Rolls feel, just measure your Rolls
and find the corresponding Brooks with the same dimensions. I suspect
Brooks B17Narrow would be close enough.

If none are close, but you like the look enough, one of the nice things
about a Brooks is that you can reshape to whatever you like, pretty
well. Only, if you do it just by riding, it will take a while, and a
lot of Proofide. Use instead any of the many "accelerated break-in"
techniques. Lon Haldeman's seems to make sense and be effective (soak
overnight in motor oil, etc.)..