Real or Fake Brooks Saddle

[Chuy]

Bought this saddle today for $3 at a swap meet. Has a Brooks nameplate and undercarriage is stamped Viscount 2290.
I’ve never seen this type of saddle that’s stamped as a Brooks. Is it a fake?
Looks like it says Brocks, but the tin has some discoloration on it. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chuy]

Can’t seem to be able to post a picture with the new iPhone update. Guess I’ll try later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[user 135]

Brooks had some plastic saddles back in the late 70's -early 80's that were used on a variety of bikes.

 

[Chuy]

I had to post up thru my desktop, Tapatalk wasnt letting me post pictures with my new iPhone..
So it looks like it could be a real Brooks, just on the lower end.
Here are the pictures.

 

[kingfish254]

That has a bit of an 80s vibe to it.

 

[Dizzle Problems]

It’s a real Brooks. There was a period where they were making a few different plastic body saddles.

 

[us56456712]

I make my own BROOKS fakes. I use inexpensive Chinese leather saddles. They tend to fall apart so I dip them in melted paraffin, which makes them rock hard and impervious to water so they last forever, but can crack because they are so hard and stiff. They never need tightening but feel like you are sitting on a brick, which negates the reason for buying leather. Heck, it's a fake after all. The BROOKS metal badge comes from India and are used by motorcyclists who want to put BROOKS on their luggage. They are cheap for a whole bunch of them but of not very good quality. Got them a few years ago on eBay. No one looks that close and they tend to get dirty anyway. Ha.

 

[Chuy]

It’s a real Brooks. There was a period where they were making a few different plastic body saddles.

Thanks for the info!

That has a bit of an 80s vibe to it.

Yeah it does, I'm gonna stick it on my '84 Mongoose ATB, I was on the hunt for a new Brooks saddle for it too but i'll see how this one works out after a few hundreds miles on it.

 

[Wildcat]

I don't think it's a real Brooks. I've seen the plastic ones and they all use the same name as the leather ones. The name Brooks on them has the two O's overlapping and they are round. The one you have has squared off O's, I think the round overlapping O's are part of their trademark.

 

[kingfish254]

I don't think it's a real Brooks. I've seen the plastic ones and they all use the same name as the leather ones. The name Brooks on them has the two O's overlapping and they are round. The one you have has squared off O's, I think the round overlapping O's are part of their trademark.

But if you look at his saddle the O's overlap.

 

[Wildcat]

But if you look at his saddle the O's overlap.

They aren't round though, they are squared O's. I think that's to keep from getting sued.

 

[kingfish254]

Here is a good page on the Brooks badge. The one you have is from the 80s when Sturmey Archer bought Brooks and modified the logo to match their logo lettering of the time.

http://www.kurtkaminer.com/brooksbadges.html

Here is one with the same badge lettering as you have.

 

[kingfish254]

You can see how the "r" and the "s" is the same as the old 80s Sturmey Archer logo , the other letters on you seat look to be the same font as the SA logo too.

 

[Wildcat]

Yep, that's a Brooks seat, I stand corrected.

 

[rrtbike]

Yeah it does, I'm gonna stick it on my '84 Mongoose ATB, I was on the hunt for a new Brooks saddle for it too but i'll see how this one works out after a few hundreds miles on it.

It does not look very comfortable....200 miles?

 

[kingfish254]

Yep, that's a Brooks seat, I stand corrected.

It's fun playing bike detective. I know you enjoy this stuff too. I had never noticed the looped Os of Brooks until you pointed it out.

 

[Chuy]

It does not look very comfortable....200 miles?

What I meant was 20-30 miles at a time. I’m just looking for a good mountain bike seat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chuy]

Yep, that's a Brooks seat, I stand corrected.

It's fun playing bike detective. I know you enjoy this stuff too. I had never noticed the looped Os of Brooks until you pointed it out.

If I would’ve noticed those O’s i would’ve called it a fake too. Thanks for the help fellas.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Fink]

What examples (pictures) are there for fake brooks saddle seats - other than swapping a riveted label, or alternate undercarriage?

 

[Wildcat]

Not considered fakes, but there are other leather saddles that look like Brooks but aren't the high quality they have. I have one of those on my bike, it rides well, but not as good as a Brooks would. My weight now bottoms out the springs sometimes. But you can get them for 20-30 bucks new on amazon. Mine is a freebie from kingfish from several years ago.

The only other leather seat I've found to be as comfortable as a Brooks was an Ideale saddle I had back in California in the 80's, but I don't see them anymore.