Leaving for Europe this morning. The hurricane seems to be veering West a little. Fingers still crossed.

I got a look at Gilles Berthoud’s new leather saddle yesterday. It is a knockout. Pictures after the official unveiling at Eurobike. Hints: “cork” color as well as tan and black. Leather tape, grips, and plugs.

Tags: Berthoud, eurobike

We have been sweating the Brooks supply around here. If the importer doesn’t get some saddles in soon we will be out of everything Brooks. Now I see on the Raleigh website that they are putting Brooks’ on many of their ’09 bikes. Could that explain the shortage?

Tags: Brooks, saddles

We are planning to make the trip to Eurobike this year. Will leave on Friday. But now there’s that darned Hurricane Gustav coming into the Gulf. We sure can’t take off for Europe with a hurricane heading right for our house. Predictions are too vague right now. Maybe on Thursday or Friday morning we can get a firm direction for Gustav. Fingers crossed.

I have seen the Brooks product list for the upcoming year. The much anticipated Imperial is on there – B.17N, B.17S, and B.17, black only. There is also a “Team Pro Tubular Rivets.” I expect this is a more affordable Team Pro made with the machine-set steel rivets of the B.17 Standard, and others, rather than the large copper hand set rivets that we are used to on a Team Pro. The copper-rivet Team Pro will still be available.

As to when we will have the Imperial: It will be introduced at the September trade shows with the goal of having it in the shops by the end of the year. Before Christmas is a slight possibility.

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16 September update: the Brooks folks have told me that the first Imperials will ship at the end of September.

Tags: Brooks, new, saddles

When I am interested in a new product, or I want to see what people are saying about the products we carry, I hit the forums. They are a great source of information. There are many cycling forums on the web but I have four that I turn to most often:

BIKEFORUMS.NET – This forum has been around a long time and has lots of traffic covering all types of cycling. Wallbike.com gets more hits from bikeforums.net than any other source.

For a woman’s take on cycling matters the forums on the TEAM ESTROGEN site are active and informative. I learn a lot about women and saddles on this forum

CRAZY GUY ON A BIKE is an on-line cyclotourist community. Webmaster Neil Gunton has built the framework. Cycle tourists from all over the world provide the content. This is another one that is rich with age.

And finally there is the FULLY LOADED TOURING BIKE PHOTO GALLERY. Not many words here but picture after picture after picture of loaded touring bikes. If you want to see how others do it – this is the place.

At Wallingford Bicycle Parts we want to carry the gear that your research will lead you to. Time spent on these forums will be rewarded.

Tags: touring

I have received word that Brooks is raising prices as of August 1st. I don’t have all of the information but we will be raising our own prices once we have gotten a couple of shipments at the higher price.

Tags: availability, Brooks, saddles