Brooks Cambium Saddles.. thoughts?

[wafter]

While the Fizik saddle on the Brompton is useable and light (IIRC 230g), I'm not hugely impressed as it feels a bit cheap, and not amazingly comfortable as the padding seems a bit less resileant than I'm used to.

I'm tempted to indulge in some faux-patriotic badge-tartery with a Brooks Cambium (prob. a C17) as they seem to be available for reasonable money used if you bide your time.

I've never really been sold on Brooks stuff however - part of me thinks it's overpriced and fashion-led, while I wasn't very impressed by the Flyer I had on the Fuji for a while.

What to the CC massive think of the Cambium? It looks nice on paper, although is heavy (464g, apparently) and at £100+ new I wonder how much better (if any) it is in terms of comfort and functionality over a £25 Velo alternative..

I'd also considered the Swift but am a bit skeptical of the leather and all the hide offerings from Brooks seem to have really short, rear-biased rails meaning I can't get the layback I need.

Ta

 

[Specialeyes]

I have a couple of C17s and my arse absolutely loves them. One on the bike on the turbo and the other on a Brompton - neither of which are bikes where weight is a major consideration, of course. Comfort, however is excellent - particularly on the turbo where there's much less natural movement from riding.

I've tried breaking in Brooks leather saddles on the turbo before, figuring that the hyper-sweatiness would mould them quicker, but without much success (so they tend to be for vintage aesthetic rather than practical purposes) but the Cambium just sort of works for me straight out of the box.

I bought the first one used, figuring I could always sell it on without losing money, and was so impressed I bought the second new. (A poor man's Victor Kiam, for those that remember!)

 

[All uphill]

I use a C17 on my do everything bike.

Positives (compared with a leather B17)

Waterproof.
Looks good imo.

Negatives

Just OK comfort for me.
Cost.
Maybe more attractive to thieves than a no badge saddle?
Heavy.

I have ridden 50 mile days on this, but didn't ever forget that I was sitting on something hard.

I wouldn't buy another.

 

[chriswoody]

Depends a lot on your sit bones, the C17, of which I have two, is for wide sit boned folk, the C15 is narrower. I have quite wide sit bones and was experiencing a lot of discomfort with the narrow saddles on my gravel and mountain bike. Unfortunately I was unable to borrow a Cambium to try it out, so I just gambled and bought one. From the off, they are not a normal saddle, they consist of a hard rubberised shell suspended between the saddle rails. Sitting on one is like sitting on concrete, however, it's when you are riding that you realise their secret. The rubberised shell is suspended like a hammock and it gently flexes and bends as you ride, but not in a noticeable or uncomfortable way, in fact the complete opposite, I've found it to be really comfy.

After buying it, I soon switched from wearing padded inner shorts and instead wear thin Merino Wool boxers under my baggy shorts, which I've found to be the most comfortable combo that doesn't produce hotspots. I've ridden a fair few thousand kilometres on them now, mostly off-road and would never contemplate another saddle. My last tours have all been done on these saddles and I can easily spend over 12 hours of riding, day after day with no discomfort at all.

I've heard tell that they are not really Brooks saddles, just branded that way. They are produced in Italy and quite possibly made by their parent company Selle Italia. I'm not really bothered either way, they certainly aren't handcrafted like the leather ones, but they are still well made. You can also buy new parts for them and it is possible to replace the saddle rails if they break.

Overall I love both of mine, but like any saddle it really depends on the size of your derriere and what you find comfy.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

part of me thinks it's overpriced and fashion-led

I have bought 2 Brooks and never paid full price. It's just a matter of biding time. As for fashion led? A tad harsh considering some of their products have been around decades. Just because something becomes popular or trendy doesn't make it less.

I think I had a Flyer first (Springs?) and it was driving me demented with squeaking. I tried all the internet solutions but thankfully the nose support snapped and I could trade it for a B17. Bliss.

all the hide offerings from Brooks seem to have really short, rear-biased rails

I found that too, minimised with a seatpost that allowed the saddle be set further back.


I swapped a B17 for a C17 due to some pretty extreme weather I expected to be facing. I think I made the right choice but it was never as comfortable. It lasted about three years before the rails broke.

I wouldn't buy another.

That would be my position too.

@chriswoody is correct. Saddle comfort is personal.

 

[GuyBoden]

I have both the Brooks C17 Cambium and their original leather B17.

After a few rides, I found that the Brooks Cambium C17 wasn't as comfy as the leather B17, so it's on a shelf gathering dust, but I might give it another chance someday.

 

[postman]

I have had my Brooks since November 1987.

 

[All uphill]

Off topic a bit, I bought a Brooks copy a couple of years ago - a Spa Nidd. It cost under £40 at the time; the rails have a longer parallel section so it's much more adjustable. It weighs a ton and was hard as granite.

This week I've started experimenting with ways of softening it. I soaked the rear half in water for ten minutes, put it on the bike and rode 10 miles. Dried it out and proofided it. There's a definite improvement- it only feels like limestone now.

 

[wafter]

Thanks folks - appreciate the range of honest feedback

@All uphill: Theft value shouldn't be an issue since it'll be attached to something far more expensive that I'd not be leaving unattended, however mass, cost and of course ultimately comfort are all important.

@chriswoody: Appreciate the point about fit being personal - have you tried any of the Velo saddles at all - Charge Spoon, OEM jobs on Genesis and others? I find these are great so if you get on with them chances are a Cambium might suit..

@HobbesOnTour: Harsh maybe about the fashion thing; but potentially true - look at the way brands like Barbour and North Face have gone. I think I read somewhere that Brooks stuff was considered pretty budget for a long time until they decided to push the marketing; although not sure how true that is. Seems you didn't have a great experience with the Cambium!


Given the mixed response and lack of necessity I think I'll sit on my hands and see if I can score a used one to play with - thanks all!

 

[All uphill]

Thanks folks - appreciate the range of honest feedback

@All uphill: Theft value shouldn't be an issue since it'll be attached to something far more expensive that I'd not be leaving unattended, however mass, cost and of course ultimately comfort are all important.

@chriswoody: Appreciate the point about fit being personal - have you tried any of the Velo saddles at all - Charge Spoon, OEM jobs on Genesis and others? I find these are great so if you get on with them chances are a Cambium might suit..

@HobbesOnTour: Harsh maybe about the fashion thing; but potentially true - look at the way brands like Barbour and North Face have gone. I think I read somewhere that Brooks stuff was considered pretty budget for a long time until they decided to push the marketing; although not sure how true that is. Seems you didn't have a great experience with the Cambium!


Given the mixed response and lack of necessity I think I'll sit on my hands and see if I can score a used one to play with - thanks all!

If my experiments with the Nidd are successful I'd be happy to lend you my C17 for a trial for the cost of postage.

 

[wafter]

If my experiments with the Nidd are successful I'd be happy to lend you my C17 for a trial for the cost of postage.

Thanks - that's very generous of you

 

[chriswoody]

Appreciate the point about fit being personal - have you tried any of the Velo saddles at all - Charge Spoon, OEM jobs on Genesis and others? I find these are great so if you get on with them chances are a Cambium might suit..

I've actually got a couple of Charge Spoon saddles downstairs, a saddle I did like for quite a while, but I find it a little on the narrow side now. I still have one on my old Dawes that I use on the Turbo trainer in the winter.

I'm not sure what happened, but I've changed as I've got older (Not that I'm that old!) and I'm really getting less tolerant of OK'ish fit, which I think I was getting from the Spoon and I'm instead looking for maximum comfort where I can. That said, a lot of that might be the switch I've made to gravel/off-road riding where I get quite a pounding and a comfy bike really helps mitigate some of that.

Another point about the Cambium I like is the different range of colours they come in, I've gone for the copper Orange colour and they've worn in to this lovely orangy/black colour. I really like it and it makes a great change from the usual black saddles you see.

 

[vickster]

I like the c17 that came on my Brompton. Whether I’d like it as much on a road bike, not sure!

 

[Bollo]

On the Swift, I had a Ti-railed one on my flat-bar long-commute bike years ago. One of the rails snapped after about three years and I was relieved because I hated it. It was never comfortable, but it helped me suss some of the factors that work for me in a saddle.

 

[tinywheels]

mine is super comfy, but I guess it all depends on your physical makeup.