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Brooks Team Pro chrome rail

Old 11-24-20, 04:21 AM
  #1  
merziac
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Brooks Team Pro chrome rail

Is dead and gone, has been deleted from production and catalog, will not be produced again according to Brooks in an email response to one I sent.

I had been checking many outlets that were saying they were coming including the Brooks website that says they are "out of stock", been so for months.

There are some new ones on efbay in Germany and San Marino, not cheap but likely not for long.
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Old 11-24-20, 01:35 PM
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Yeah, I work in a shop and observed these saddles going out of stock with our two Brooks suppliers...then disappearing from the offerings on the B2B sites entirely.
Out with a whimper and not a bang - I never saw any announcement or official indication that they'd be discontinued, but inferred that this might be the case.
Surprising to me, as the Team Pro is my go-to for a nice vintage or retro-styled modern road bike - and seemed to me such a cornerstone of the Brooks lineup.
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Old 11-24-20, 01:38 PM
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This is terrible. Where is the 'dislike' button
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Old 11-24-20, 02:43 PM
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Meanwhile there's still 6 B17's listed, although a few of those are out of stock as well.
Prices will rise.
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Old 11-24-20, 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by clubman
Meanwhile there's still 6 B17's listed, although a few of those are out of stock as well.
Prices will rise.
Yep and no chrome rails on the standards anymore either.
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Old 11-24-20, 03:21 PM
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Originally Posted by mikemowbz
Yeah, I work in a shop and observed these saddles going out of stock with our two Brooks suppliers...then disappearing from the offerings on the B2B sites entirely.
Out with a whimper and not a bang - I never saw any announcement or official indication that they'd be discontinued, but inferred that this might be the case.
Surprising to me, as the Team Pro is my go-to for a nice vintage or retro-styled modern road bike - and seemed to me such a cornerstone of the Brooks lineup.
Still no official word, they are still listed as "out of stock" on the website.
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Old 11-24-20, 08:21 PM
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I want a B17 Imperial with chrome rails for a current build. I was not a fan of the Team Pro when I had them - I bought, very slightly used and then sold two of them. If I'm not mistaken one even went to merziac rather recently?

The fact that the B17 Standard has only had black rails as an option for a while now seems like the real sin... That's the bread-and-butter model and the black rails look ungodly with so many classic color combinations that undoubtedly include chrome or polished alloys.

I can't say I'll miss this model much, except that it makes me wonder what will get cut next.

-Gregory
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Old 11-24-20, 09:08 PM
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The Titanium Swallow was also cut very early this year, I lucked out and have two. One was a good deal the other I paid dearly for, worth it though my butt likes it!!!

20200302_174851 by nemosengineer, on Flickr

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Old 11-24-20, 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Kilroy1988
I want a B17 Imperial with chrome rails for a current build. I was not a fan of the Team Pro when I had them - I bought, very slightly used and then sold two of them. If I'm not mistaken one even went to merziac rather recently?

The fact that the B17 Standard has only had black rails as an option for a while now seems like the real sin... That's the bread-and-butter model and the black rails look ungodly with so many classic color combinations that undoubtedly include chrome or polished alloys.

I can't say I'll miss this model much, except that it makes me wonder what will get cut next.

-Gregory
Exactly this, the road to H**L.

Not me, I don't think, no team Pro's from here and not enough in general even though I somewhat agree that they are stiff and uncomfortable.

I have a couple that work just fine, the old open nose ones seem to be ok since they are 30? years old and broken in by time if nothing else.

The aesthetic is the thing, chrome rails, no bag loops, big rivets or not, when you see one you automatically know it may be attached to something old, cool, b*****n or all of the above.
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Old 11-24-20, 09:26 PM
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Tribute shots


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Old 11-24-20, 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Nemosengineer
The Titanium Swallow was also cut very early this year, I lucked out and have two. One was a good deal the other I paid dearly for, worth it though my butt likes it!!!

20200302_174851 by nemosengineer, on Flickr

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Yep, Swift and Swallow Ti rails also dead and gone.
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Old 11-24-20, 09:55 PM
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B68 and B72 are also gone from the lineup. What do they still make?
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Old 11-24-20, 10:02 PM
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I'd like to think it's temporary pandemic/supply chain/production issues and we'll have to be patient for the next few seasons. Or is that naive.

I like older ones anyway.
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Old 11-24-20, 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted by rhm
B68 and B72 are also gone from the lineup. What do they still make?
Swift, Swallow and Imperial chrome rails supposedly, B17 Special with big copper rivets and rails.

Its going to be all up to you Rudi.
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Old 11-24-20, 11:08 PM
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A new Ideal "90" might be fun as a Brooks alternative, the only downside is I would have to build a restomod PY-10... Hmmmm

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Old 11-25-20, 12:04 AM
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Originally Posted by clubman
I'd like to think it's temporary pandemic/supply chain/production issues and we'll have to be patient for the next few seasons. Or is that naive.

I like older ones anyway.

Sounds like that won't be the case, here's the email from Brooks,

Steven (BROOKS ENGLAND)

24 Nov 2020, 06:51 GMT
Hi Van

The Team Pro saddle has been deleted from our catalogue (since June 2019), I am sorry, and there is no plan to bring it back.

The Swift and the Swallow are still current, but in the version with chrome plated steel rails only (titanium versions have also been removed from the catalogue)Â

Steven Green
Brooks England Ltd
Downing Street
Smethwick
West Midlands. B66 2PA
UK
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Old 11-25-20, 06:15 AM
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In the QBP catalog they dropped the Pro so I checked the Brooks website and found it was missing as well. Really surprised me, but sure am happy my friend gave me his NOS Select this summer! I can't help but think the competition has grown and they are infringing on Brooks market dominance so Brooks reacts by removing models that simply don't sell well enough to support production. Chrome rails the same. Black rails go nicely with modern black components.
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Old 11-25-20, 06:24 AM
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Shame. I guess the prices will go up for the few of us that appreciate the model. Maybe my white pro will be worth something!
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Old 11-25-20, 08:40 AM
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The Team Pro is the preferred Brooks for me. Sad to hear these news. Almost mourning it. They are wonderful to use and beautiful to look at. I just love all about them. I wish I had more of them!












Did I say I love leather saddles?!
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Old 11-25-20, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by rhm
B68 and B72 are also gone from the lineup. What do they still make?
They are making the plastic and rubber saddles.
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Old 11-25-20, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Nemosengineer
A new Ideal "90" might be fun as a Brooks alternative, the only downside is I would have to build a restomod PY-10... Hmmmm

That looks Good!!
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Old 11-25-20, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by trailangel
They are making the plastic and rubber saddles.
And they are very, very good. I have a C17 Cambium. But I don't love it as much as a B17. I have it on my commuter bike, as I have to lock it up in the rain.

The Cambiums (Cambia?) are made in Italy, not the Brooks factory in England.
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Old 11-25-20, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Nemosengineer
A new Ideal "90" might be fun as a Brooks alternative, the only downside is I would have to build a restomod PY-10... Hmmmm

Perhaps an alternative, but not a drop-in substitute. The Idéale saddles have a different shape than their Brooks counterparts. It doesn't narrow as steeply toward the nose. I'm inclined to believe I wouldn't like one, based on the general shape of saddle I prefer. The Berthoud saddles have a more Brooks-ish shape. I just don't know if I can get behind the plastic parts they employ.
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Old 11-25-20, 12:44 PM
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Harumph. But Team Pro to me always means big-ass copper rivets, so when Brooks dropped those I lost interest in new ones.

The main problem I have with black rails is that they're painted, and the paint flakes off and looks ugly in no time. [joke]I suppose if I were one of those boring types that put a new saddle on a bike and never swapped it around between half-a-dozen bikes it wouldn't matter much.[/joke]

I don't think there'll be a shortage on used vintage ones, though Brooks discontinuing production does ensure used/vintage prices will likely only increase.
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Old 11-25-20, 05:38 PM
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thank you Styggno1. Now I don't feel so bad, having only 4 or 5 Brooks saddles (and a couple Ideales) in stock surplus to requirements.

Mark Petry
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