Brooks and Carradice

Leather and wood, iron and titanium.

Peter passed me his touring saddle and saddlebag.

I'm not worthy!
I'm not worthy!

Thanks, dude  :-D





The 410 gram Brooks™ B-17 Champion Special is a beauty.





As part of the upgrades over the 525 gram standard B-17, the leather is chamfered at the skirts; the rivets are larger; are of solid copper, and are hammered in by hand. The 2 loops at the rear are for hanging saddlebags.






It took 3 days to fabricate this fella.




















Apart from the copper rivets, zinc-coated bolt and nut, the rest of the hardware is titanium  :-P





The 2-liter capacity Carradice™ Zipped Roll Bag is a beautiful piece of kit as well. Constructed from cotton duck, the 310 gram bag is accented by waterproofed aniline leather, and topped with a pewter-finish, anti-rust badge. (I'm of two minds as to whether to polish and restore the badge, or just leave it as it is.)





A seatpost clamp prevents the 14 cm (diameter) x 30 cm bag from flopping around.





Maggie made this  :-)





A wooden dowel and 2 self-taping screws form part of the upper support structure.





3 replaceable leather straps are employed for attachment.





The 2 upper leather straps thread through the loops on the rear of the Brooks B-7 Champion Special and cinch the wooden dowel to it.

I'm planning to spec these babies on my 1991 Bridgestone MB-0 Zip. The restoration project has been put on hold until I replace its stolen fork. (Anyone know of a Bridgestone MB series fork for sale? It has to be from a 46 cm (18.1") [center-to-center] frame or larger.)





Handcrafted in Italy by Marresi, using soft leather, detailed stitching, and strategic vents, Dromarti's Sportivo (or Race) would make the perfect complement to the setup.