Re: [Classicrendezvous] S-A dead (was: Brooks Saddles are Back. . .)

(Example: Framebuilders:Cecil Behringer)

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 14:27:29 -0500
From: Jerry Moos <moos@penn.com>
To: Monkeyman <monkey37@bluemarble.net>
CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [Classicrendezvous] S-A dead (was: Brooks Saddles are Back. . .)
References: <l03130302b63b1549f25f@[128.111.201.65]>


I think most of us regret the passing of S-A, I just think everyone is relieved that Brooks didn't in the end go down with them, particularly as it looked very bleak for Brooks there for a while Another factor is that, although a sizeable percentage of the members use S-A hubs, nearly every one of us uses Brooks saddles. Also, Rohloff, Shimano and perhaps others still make high quality gear hubs, while Brooks seems to have been the last maker of high quality leather saddles left in the world. Whatever their past glories, one probably couldn't say that at the end S-A still made the finest gear hubs in the world. Brooks does make the finest saddles. So I think a moment of silence is indeed in order for S-A, but also a collective sigh of relief for Brooks. BTW, I exchange email with some guys in UK who are not on the list, and many of them are not convinced that Brooks is yet home and dry. One LBS guy in UK commented that we in the States seem to have more information on Brooks' status than he does.

Regards,

Jerry Moos, commuting in t

Monkeyman wrote:
> >>We're delighted to be able, once again, to offer the finest saddles in the
> >>world. Note that the B-17 Champion Special, the B-17 Titanium and the
> >>Swallow (black) were backordered, and are not expected until
> >>January. Most other models are in stock.
> >
> >
> >This is very promising. Note the backorders (things most in demand) are for
> >Brooks' most expensive items. The prospect of the company's top models
> >getting the highest markups should let Brooks fans breathe a little easier.
>
> Maybe I'm one of the few that cares, but nobody has posted about the fact
> that Sturmey Archer is DEAD, GONE, LIQUIDATED. . . Yes some of the tooling
> may be going to Asia but will they be making the same stuff? Don't get me
> wrong I like Brooks saddles and believe that they were saved in the 11th
> hour is great. Only I think the loss of S-A throws a huge shadow over the
> whole deal. S-A was one of the oldest cycling oriented companies in the
> world and this loss deserves a moment of silence. . .
>
> . . . If any company deserves the title classic, Sturmey-Archer does.
> Maybe I'm just an internal gear freak, maybe I'm nostalgic, or maybe
> everyone is in shock. I see this as one of the saddest things to happen to
> the bicycle industry in a long time. Anyway I just felt I needed to post
> about something that's being left out of all the happy "Brooks is back"
> discussion.
>
> wearing a black band,
> Brandon Ives
>
> Brandon and Mitzi's-- "Wurld uv Wunder"
> http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~capybara/
>
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Nobody can do everything,
> but if everybody did something
> everything would get done.
> -Gil Scott Heron-
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!