tom cotter

Anyone have experience with this saddle? Opinions?

egear

I have one and really like it. It replaced my tried and true B67 saddle. I rode this saddle for two and a half years and while very comfortable I always felt as though I was falling off the nose. I rode a C model demo saddle for an entire weekend, about 60 miles before I made the decision to buy one. It is really comfortable out of the box. No need to worry about slipping off the nose as the fabric covering is outstanding. You also dont need to point the saddle nose skyward in order prevent sliding forward. The casting on the back of the saddle is outstanding for grabbing the bike and lifting over stuff. I ride alot of gravel/mud and I no longer need to worry about waterproofing the leather. I have a black one with about 100 miles on it now. Winter has really set in here in Md. and I just havent been able to get out and ride. I believe any shop that has them for sale should have a selection of demo saddles. Be sure they give you the mens version not womans. I couldnt really tell the difference.

Ekh.

tom cotter

THX egear! Sounds like a contender!

The weather up here in NJ has made riding all but impossible. Snow, ice, salt -sand, and potholes on the roads along with totally non existent shoulders in many places. Deep ice encrusted snow has put a damper on the off road riding.

We've been getting weekly doses of snow and/or ice.

Buttt, the weather will be breaking soon so thoughts are turning to what maintenance is needed and what upgrades would be nice. A new saddle for my ten year old 520 is at the top of that list.

What shop offered you the demo saddle?

FKMTB07

I own two C17's, a slate one and a natural one. So far, they are SUPER comfy and seem to be wearing really well. No break-in required, feels like a cross between a Selle San Marco Regal and a nicely broken-in B17 and requires no maintenance. I'd say Brooks really hit it out of the park on these!

Aushiker

Another Brooks C17 owner here. I have a one from the initial send out to testers and it saw life on my dropbar commuter but will now get moved over to my mountiain bike which I use mainly for off-road touring. Haven't seen the need to stop using it so far.



Andrew

djb

Andrew, a question.

One of the things I like about my B17s is that in really really hot weather, I do find a leather saddle more comfortable because of the breathability of the leather, and the fact that when you sweat a lot, the leather does absorb it, so I feel less sweaty down there in general compared to seats Ive used in the past.

Is this a difference you found in this rubber topped c17?

Other than the longevity of the rubber top, I figure this is my main question mark about this new type of seat. No break in and not worrying about rain is one thing, but I really do value the fact that I can ride day after day in super hot weather and not have any issue of a sore bum, and being less sweaty probably helps with not getting saddle sores etc.

I'm curious of your experience with the new one in this regard?
Oh, do you find the "give" factor (flexing wise) similar to a leather seat, thats another thing I like about my B17s, the give they have takes the edge of things and certainly contributes to long term riding comfort along with the basic thing of them taking to your specific shape.

cheers

joseff

Flex-wise, I find my 300km old Cambium firmer than my B17 Aged of the last 4 years. In terms of absorbing road irregularities, they are more or less equal.
You also need to know that the fabric top of the C17 absorbs moisture (rain, sweat, etc) despite Brooks' claim of waterproofing.

fietsbob

I've made saddle covers , glueing on Chamois.. from the auto care department ,
to rebuild lightly padded Pro saddles.
Chamois is tanned to be water absorbant,

so if hot weather has you feeling the need for more sweat absorption,

a saddle cover of that leather can be fabricated, sewn, so made removable , to even wring dry.

seeker333

Does the Cambium darken with use? Seems like it would, which is why I believe saddles historically have been sold in a black finish. I wonder if the canvas cover material isn't rougher than leather and more likely to abrade bicycle shorts.

I have a B17 with ~800 miles. When new it was slippery and hard as a board, and twice as heavy as any modern-design saddle. After waterproofing treatment it began to sag, despite tying the skirts, and I found the saggy, hammock-like feel uncomfortable, so I quit using it. I would consider a Cambium if it doesn't suffer from the same tendency to sag with use as all tensioned leather saddles.

Brooks' advertising states "the new construction of Cambium Saddles works like a hammock and delivers immediate comfort while absorbing vibration and shock, performance traditionally found only with natural leather saddles". I know I'm not alone in wanting a fairly firm saddle that doesn't sag and hammock like a traditional Brooks saddle. I think it odd that Brooks actually describes the Cambrium as having this same potential flaw, but portrays it as a main design feature.

fietsbob

there is a dark colored top on the 2nd C17 version..

Only with lycra have bike shorts been anything but black.. so any dye transfer from black leather saddle

didn't matter either.

joseff

My Cambium is the Slate color. Looking at the two colors at the LBS, I suspect the natural would darken and the slate would fade.
Re. sag, the Cambium has no tensioning bolt. Apparently Brooks don't expect it to sag. "Hammock" simply denotes its construction method, not the sag.

Aushiker

That is a good point and I don't recall any issues but then I don't think I got much summer riding in with it. Now it has gone or is going over to the MTB it will get less. Most of my touring is in winter or the cooler months here due to summer being way to hot.

Sorry cannot help much

What I can say in this regard is I didn't notice any discomfort with the saddle over the Brooks Team Professional that I took off the bike so I would say that the flex was acceptable. It will be interesting to see how it goes on the MTB in this regards. Unfortunately my next tour will be on the Surly so it maybe awhile before I can really test this out.

Not much help I am afraid

Andrew

djb

No worries, was just curious. I haven't seen one in person yet and looking online it seems they are about $170 U.S, which is probably 200 can. So a fair amount to try something out. I wish I could try one out, if not I'd be inclined to get another b17 as it's a known quantity. Don't really need a new seat so just from interest at this point.

bhchdh 

$149 plus shipping at Wallingford, https://www.wallbike.com/brooks/brook...ks-cambium-c17, with a six month unconditional guarantee.

djb

tks bhcetc, but we are still talking over 200 canadian smackeroos, 150 us is 160 something canuck, + shipping + whoknowshowmuch duty border fees.

good to have the link though, I would have to see the price here to gauge if it was worth going the US route (throw in the factor of if the diff is not too much, I would prefer to support a local brick and mortar store, especially one that has been good to me over the years)

Mr. Thompson

We have three of them, all slate. Comfy.

The dealer we purchased them from has sold about 20 C17s. Not an unhappy customer in the lot!

tom cotter

THX everyone! When I first read about the c17 it sounded like a solid possibility. The positive feedback here confirms that first impression. Time to get the debit card out!!!!

Powerknight

I know you racers love sitting on rocks while riding, but there are more than a few of us who spend long days in the saddle touring down dirt roads/singletrack & find a race style saddle equivalent to making love to a post pounder.

My review of riding the C17:

Pros: Absolutely amazing build quality, beautiful design, Sexy (with a capital S!)
Cons: Torture device on rides longer than 1 hour. Give me my well worn, hammocky brooks flyer back.

Method of Torture? Imagine an oversized rounded rubber wedge (think transport truck chocks), insert between your buttocks cheeks & sit down while someone throws a sack 20kg sack of flower into your lap from 2m above you.

While the design obviously suits many riders out there, they would have to completely redesign the shape of the saddle to be comfortable for me. Far too rounded, cuts off circulation in my groin & hurts my sit bones by pushing them out sideways too much.