One hundred and fifty years is a long time for any brand to have endured, no matter what industry it’s in. Brooks England deserves extra credit for continuing their tradition of quality in a market of rapidly evolving cycling consumables.
2016 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of Brooks England by John Boultbee in 1866. As part of the company’s celebrations, Brooks has teamed up with some of the best bike builders in the industry for a limited edition range of ‘Dashing Bicycles’.
The range of Brooks has extended with the times over the last few years to include a range of consumables such as lights and luggage, not to mention the updating of their saddle range to include the eminent Cambium model.
From the press release: In 2016, Brooks England celebrates its 150th anniversary by enlisting the cooperation of some of the best bike builders in cycling to work on an unprecedented project creating interpretations of a ‘Brooks Bicycle’ to be produced in limited numbers and sold worldwide.
Brooks have stipulated a single theme that will unite them all. The theme is ‘copper’. The simple rationale is that copper is a versatile and elegant material with which to work, and has long played an integral role in Brooks products.
The copper rivet on a Brooks England saddle, for instance, is as iconic as any other single element of its, or any design. It remains to be seen how each of the builders will interpret this theme, but Brooks is busy preparing special saddles and accessories to complement the special paint schemes, head badges, and other details on the finishing kit of each bike.
The program is called ‘Dashing Bikes’ and the list of collaborators is impressive. From the veritable Condor, itself a firm fixture in the history of British cycling, as well as that of Brooks’ own history, to Brompton, the brand synonymous with the words “folding bicycle”.
Stalwart collaborators include Pashley and Moulton as well as Canyon Bicycles who prepared a very special edition of their futuristic Commuter are also along for the ride.
But the program is by no means limited to builders from the UK. From Europe and elsewhere we will see editions from iconic greats like Dario Pegoretti, the great Italian exponent of steel frames, to belt drive innovators Schindelhauer, touring aficionados Tout Terrain.
One will also find special creations from Achielle of Belgium, Skeppshult of Sweden, Pelago of Finland, Toykobike of Japan, the highly-stylish Moustache e-bike from France, and a top-level gravel grinder from Salsa of USA.
To be able to enlist the support of such eminent builders and brands is a testament to the brand’s appeal throughout the cycling world and a fascinating insight into the way Brooks is perceived worldwide.
Each model will be featured in a rotating monthly display at the flagship B1866 store in Covent Garden throughout the remainder of 2016.
One of the first collaborations to be released are from Brompton Bicycle, featuring copper elements, a moss grey frame with beige details, a unique colourway and decals exclusive to the 150th anniversary.
The next is from Skeppshult of Sweden, dressed with tasteful Cambium components in brown. These and subsequent model releases will be on display at B1866 at 36 Earlham Street, London, through the year.
The Canyon Commuter Brooks 150 is outfitted with Brooks’ new Cambium C15 saddle, GP1 150 grips and Land’s End rear pannier. The Commuter Brooks 150 has a timeless look to last a lifetime.
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