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Ebykr celebrates classic and vintage lightweight bicycles through provocative imagery and opinion. Ride along with us.
Brooks has been making saddles under the same name since 1866, in a range that has changed slowly and looked similar throughout. That is wonderful for riders and awkward for anyone holding a saddle and wondering what it is. Two…
A Brooks saddle is the only part of a bicycle that is expected to change shape while you own it. That is the whole idea. The leather is not upholstery stretched over a shell, it is a single hide top,…
Idéale saddles were made at Pont-Saint-Pierre in the Eure for just over a century, first by F. Tron & Cie and then by Tron et Berthet, and for much of that time they were the leather saddle a French rider…
A reference guide to the Idéale saddle and clip lineup, covering model number, category, top material, rail material, size, weight and technical notes for dozens of historic models. Use this table to identify, compare and date saddles from the Idéale catalog.
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Founded in 1866 in Birmingham, England to make horse harnesses and leather goods, Brooks pivoted to bicycle saddles in the winter of 1882 and became the most enduring name in that trade. This timeline traces its long run through changes in ownership, materials and design, from steel to titanium.
This feature article provides an unprecedented visual window into the industrial soul of the Idéale brand, presenting rare archival photographs of the F. Tron & Cie and Tron & Berthet facilities and the generations of artisans who defined them. The images trace the company's journey from its hydraulic roots at a former wool mill to the height of its mid-century power.
The history of Idéale is a century-long narrative of industrial perseverance and technical mastery that transformed a modest Parisian stamping workshop into the emblematic brand of the French saddle. Founded in 1890 by Jean-François Tron, this timeline traces its pursuit of extreme lightness through Duralumin and Titanium chassis and its racing pedigree under Marcel Berthet.
Idéale saddles remain among the least understood classic bicycle components given their standout prominence and frequent exorbitant value. This feature unpacks the dizzying array of models produced under the Idéale marque, 82 and counting, and the collapsing French cycling industry that nearly ended the brand before its recent revival.
“Whilst giving no so-called guarantee, we emphasise the fact that Brooks Saddles are made throughout of the best materials to be obtained, which, combined with experience and careful workmanship, and constant testing, is the best and safest guarantee that can…
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