> Odd UK places don't have them then. At least the ones
> that have websites and advertise in Cycling Plus. Maybe the
> recession is even worse in UK than US, but you would think
> there would be a market there for a saddle that is going for
> $145 to $150 in US.
>
> There have been some strange things going on with Brooks
> pricing lately, especially the Ti models. Just received
> yesterday an order from SJS Cycles with two Ti Swallows, a
> Ti B17 and a couple of D-shaped bags. After the VAT was
> deducted for an export order outside the EU, the Swallows
> were about $200 each and the B17 maybe $135. They came in
> plastic Brooks bags, no box, tin of Proofhide or wrench, but
> for $200 off retail I can deal with that. Meantime
> Wallingford here in US has been selling selected
> "overstock" Ti models on eBay for $199 Buy it Now.
> I bought a Ti Team Pro, which did have the box, but no
> Proofhide or wrench. Obviously Brooks and/or their dealers
> are trying to clear out unsold inventories of Ti saddles
> that may have simply become too expensive in the middle of a
> severe worldwide recession. Don't know if this signals
> a permanent return to sanity in Brooks Ti pricing or not. I
> do note that SJS is now sold out of most Ti models and
> colors. Perhaps the UK dealers were trying to liquidate
> slow-moving overpriced Ti models before they ordered any new
> stock, whether that be the Imperials or something else.
> I've noted that one UK shop I've dealt with in the
> past, Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative, has not sold the Ti
> models for a couple of years, perhaps because they felt they
> were just too expensive.
>
> As Tony Colegrave has pointed out, probably the biggest
> advantage of the Ti saddles is that they are much more
> comfortable due to a modulus of elasticity much different
> from steel. But the lower weight is impressive when one
> holds one in one's hand, and if one is looking to build
> a superlight bike with a leather saddle, the Ti Brooks
> probably achieve a similar weight to the alloy railed
> Ideales, which had a very harsh ride due to an essentially
> I-beam alloy chasis. I bought a few Ti Swifts years ago
> when they first came out at what was then a reasonable
> premuim to the steel models. I have a British Racing Green
> Swift on the gold and green Caygill that is my current
> commuter, and I like it very much. About the only downside
> to the Swift is the lack of bag loops. If Brooks is now
> prepared to routinely sell the Ti models at the kind of
> prices recently available on a spot basis in US and UK, then
> perhaps these saddle will contunue to sell even in a
> recession.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
> --- On Sun, 1/4/09, Marty Eison <meison01@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > From: Marty Eison <meison01@gmail.com>
> > Subject: [CR]Re:Brooks B17 Imperial for US Market??
> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> > Date: Sunday, January 4, 2009, 4:48 PM
> > Jerry,
> >
> > I was part of the 2nd batch of testers for the Brooks
> > Imperial. The first
> > group were I believe in the Netherlands, and not that
> many
> > (maybe 20
> > testers). At the time Brooks was running the product
> tests
> > at Bike Forums
> > Andrea of Brooks never mentioned where he was going to
> > market the Imperial.
> > I do know that more than a few of the B.F. testers
> were
> > from either the U.K.
> > or Europe.
> >
> > Marty Eison
> > Frisco, Texas
> >
> >
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