#leather

Radar

A Look at the Ultra-Low Visibility Camo Leh Cycling Goods Bar Tape and Saddle Bag

With NAHBS approaching – this weekend! – one of my favorite features to photograph are the unique touches that make the bikes of the show, show bikes. While not everyone can afford a crazy titanium fatbike with bends for days, or a carbon road bike that weighs only 12 lbs, that doesn’t mean we can’t accessorize our bikes to look like a balleur show bike.

Leh Cycling Goods is a leathersmith, based in Texas, that makes custom saddles, bar tape, and other cycling accessories, but what makes Leh different from the others is his ready-made stock, including leather-clad saddles! I’ve been using two of Leh’s products on my Speedvagen OD OG-1 and they really bring this bike’s whole package up a few notches… Check out more below.

Radar

Let the Good Times Roll

With Tanner Goods and Cielo!

“Our friends across the river at Chris King and Cielo know how to craft three things extremely well: precision bike components, hand-built frames and tasty food. Every year they bring their love of all three together for the Gourmet Century, a 100-kilometer tour through the countryside with four stops along the route for riders to enjoy some of the best food Portland has to offer.

This year we took the Tanner Goods edition Cielo Sportif Classic out for the daylong tour with a few hundred other riders, both old friends and new riding buddies alike. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the bike yet, take a look at the video above, in our online shop or at our LA Flagship Store.”

Radar

Busyman Bicycles: Fizik Vesta Groupset with a Purple Crow

Mick Peel at Busyman really did an incredible job on this Fizik Vesta saddle and accessories. This bird is flying to Portland to make its way on a Cielo. Hopefully we’ll see photos of the complete bike!

Check out more at Busyman Bicycles.

Reportage By: John Watson

A Look Inside Brooks England

Since 1866, Brooks England has been making bicycle saddles in the UK. While their original facilities were located in Birmingham, the current factory is nestled in the industrial town of Smethwick.

We’ve all probably owned a Brooks saddle at one point in our life and can attest to their longtime comfort and character that develops from heavy use. Before a saddle ever touches a seat post, they begin as just raw leather and steel. The process by which they make the transformation to a bicycle saddle is complex, yet streamlined in their bustling factory.

Dozens of employees make Brooks England tick and each has their special task. While they will transfer stations every few months, a unique marker on the saddles can tell you who was doing what, when. This catalog of information spans decades and is what makes Brooks so unique. If something goes wrong with a batch, Brooks can asses the situation and make their end product better.

For me, the most interesting part of the process was talking to the workers and watching them move through their tasks with efficiency… In an age when Great Britain has shipped much of its industry overseas, it’s great to see heritage and craftsmanship are still alive at Brooks.

See more in the Gallery, as I walk you through this process.

Radar

LEH SEATS: Slip on Braided Bar Wrap

LEH SEATS recently relocated to Austin, Texas where the normal catalog has been extended from custom saddles and BMX seats to braided bar wrap. It looks damn nice and for a handmade leather product, it won’t break the bank!

Check out more details here.