Brooks England Swift Bicycle Saddle

Product Information

The large copper rivets at the nose and rear are also hammered by hand, commensurate with our usual high level of attention to detail. Unlike previous reviewers I considered my saddle broken-in in less than a month of mostly weekend rides. Earlier this week I landed a Brooks Swift in trade for a B17 I had on a bike that sees only occasional use.

The Island' is very easy to get to with a bike—use one of the three car ferry routes from Portsmouth, Lymington or Southampton; or come as a foot passenger and bring your bike for free on the Wightlink FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour train station.

One day I shall recoup this small weight gain from some other component, but I could not give up the Swift now. I also find that the B17 is much more comfortable with thinner shorts and a chamois adds more bulk than is needed.

When it comes to looks I was also considering the San Marco Royale, but the idea of riding on leather to me was not exactly that of having a plastic layer underneath. Another benefit with this saddle is that on long hills I don't get pushed backwards, with the need to re-adjust my position every few minutes. I was eager to see what the reduced weight, improved vibration absorption, and wider rim profile could add to my gravel riding set-up. It was so comfortable that I didn't even notice it on a 130 mile ride, it is beautiful, and it is built to last.To tension the leather top, turn the nose bolt nut clockwise, 90° at a time, checking after each turn until the desired tension is reached. Not only is it fantastic on my steel training bike, it is a real craftsman's art: the chamfered sides, bashed copped rivets, and the chrome rails, really look special and should last a long long time. The youngest racing saddle in Brooks range, the Swift represents a nice sweet spot between the B17 and the Swallow, narrower than the B17 but wider than the Swallow the Swift is designed to give rear end support equivalent to that of the B17, but also deliver the the less restricted freedom of movement of the Swallow. While I have only logged 50 miles or so on the Swift I can say that I love all three equally but different. Before getting into the details of types of bike chain lubrication, it is worth considering what exactly chain lubrication does.