When Selle Royal, the world’s biggest producer of bicycle saddles, took over Brooks’ historic Smethwick factory, they imposed one golden rule – no robots. Ever.
For well over 100 years, Brooks has been producing its iconic B17 saddle by hand, and Selle Royal were smart enough to recognise that some manufacturing processes just work.
On today’s The Factory Next Door, we head to Smethwick to meet the workers hand-making a saddle that’s regarded as the longest-living bicycle product in the world.
Number 57 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The B17 Bicycle Saddle.
Brooks’ Operations Director Martin Shepherd shows us around as we consider the challenges of maintaining vintage tools, we learn about the importance of being Tigger, and I fall in love with a machine that breathes life into saddles.
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