Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

TECH NEWS

Brooks release Cambium C17 Slate saddle and Slender grips

Matching Slate coloured C17 saddle and Slender grips now available

Brooks have released the matching Cambium C17 Slate saddle and Slender grips, costing £105 and £55 respectively, available now at Brooks dealers.

The company launched the Cambium last year. It’s made with the same basic structure of a traditional Brooks saddle, but replaces the leather with a vulcanised natural rubber, cotton canvas and structural textile top. You can read John's review of the Cambium here. 

It’s now available in this new slate colour to sit alongside the launch brown colour. You can pair the saddle with the new matching Cambium Slender grips (no sign of any matching bar tape yet). These feature an aluminium shell wrapped with a Numac treated organic cotton canvas and rubber tape, which provides good grip in all weather conditions.

Available now at Brooks dealers and www.brooksengland.com.

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

Add new comment

13 comments

Avatar
funkdubious | 9 years ago
0 likes

I got a Cambium to replace my Charge Spoon. Adds abit of class, not quite as comfortable as the Spoon, but I can ride without the need of any padding so job done in my book.
My only criticism is the claim of it being waterproof. Water does not run straight off it and as the canvas layer is very thin backed onto rubber its not going to soak up much water anyway

Avatar
andyp | 9 years ago
0 likes

FWIW...the Cambium, in my experience, stood up exceedingly well to a bad crash. The covering has a sort of rip-stop/slidey quality far superior to that displayed by my patella/gilet/elbows/STis...

Avatar
andyp | 9 years ago
0 likes

It's a fantastic saddle. I was totally, utterly unconvinced when I received it as a test rider. Then I rode it for a year. Superbly comfortable, way more so than any of my Flites ± cutouts.

But, it's a gert big lump of a thing, and needs to be about half that price considering what it's made from.

Avatar
harman_mogul | 9 years ago
0 likes

Not to mention the price.

Avatar
surly_by_name | 9 years ago
0 likes

Brooks jumped the shark years ago. From the Brooks website: "The Cambium is ready to ride as soon as you have properly fitted it on your bike". So does this mean that other saddle manufacturers were right all along and the idea that you had to break your saddle in was b0ll0ck$ all along? "This saddle is assembled from replaceable parts and requires no special tools for servicing." What kind of saddle needs "servicing"? "The uniquely flexible, maintenance-free, waterproof top". Again with the maintenance b0ll0cks - none of the saddles I have ever used have ever required "maintenance". "The vulcanized rubber top is practically indestructible" I'm betting "practically" runs out just about the point in time I crash and slide along the tarmac. And the funniest joke of all is the price.

Avatar
Hybridman replied to surly_by_name | 9 years ago
0 likes
surly_by_name wrote:

Brooks jumped the shark years ago. From the Brooks website: "The Cambium is ready to ride as soon as you have properly fitted it on your bike". So does this mean that other saddle manufacturers were right all along and the idea that you had to break your saddle in was b0ll0ck$ all along? "This saddle is assembled from replaceable parts and requires no special tools for servicing." What kind of saddle needs "servicing"? "The uniquely flexible, maintenance-free, waterproof top". Again with the maintenance b0ll0cks - none of the saddles I have ever used have ever required "maintenance". "The vulcanized rubber top is practically indestructible" I'm betting "practically" runs out just about the point in time I crash and slide along the tarmac. And the funniest joke of all is the price.

Not to mention the fact that when you start to look at the actual shape of a human being's undercarriage, this saddle is hardly what is required to preserve good health. Yes I know, thousands of riders have happily used Brooks saddles since time began - including myself (Brooks Pro in the 60s) - and will continue to use and praise them. Well, I guess we're all different, but give me a saddle with a relief channel of some kind over a saddle with a ridge along its length any time. Sorry, but much as I love retro designs and nostalgia, I just think that this shape of saddle is demonstrably ergonomically incorrect, most probably uncomfortable, and quite possibly unhealthy for most people.

Avatar
David Arthur @d... replied to surly_by_name | 9 years ago
0 likes
surly_by_name wrote:

Brooks jumped the shark years ago. From the Brooks website: "The Cambium is ready to ride as soon as you have properly fitted it on your bike". So does this mean that other saddle manufacturers were right all along and the idea that you had to break your saddle in was b0ll0ck$ all along? "This saddle is assembled from replaceable parts and requires no special tools for servicing." What kind of saddle needs "servicing"? "The uniquely flexible, maintenance-free, waterproof top". Again with the maintenance b0ll0cks - none of the saddles I have ever used have ever required "maintenance". "The vulcanized rubber top is practically indestructible" I'm betting "practically" runs out just about the point in time I crash and slide along the tarmac. And the funniest joke of all is the price.

A classic Brooks saddle needs maintenance. There is treating the leather of course, and as the saddle stretches and sags over time, as it does, then you need adjust the tension with the bolt at the front. Guess you've never used a Brooks saddle before?

No saddle is indestructible in a crash. However, you're more likely to come off worse in a crash so I wouldn't worry about the saddle if I were you

Avatar
surly_by_name replied to David Arthur @davearthur | 9 years ago
0 likes
David Arthur wrote:

A classic Brooks saddle needs maintenance. There is treating the leather of course ... then you need adjust the tension with the bolt at the front.

I can now see why your life is too short for tubs.

Avatar
David Arthur @d... replied to surly_by_name | 9 years ago
0 likes
surly_by_name wrote:
David Arthur wrote:

A classic Brooks saddle needs maintenance. There is treating the leather of course ... then you need adjust the tension with the bolt at the front.

I can now see why your life is too short for tubs.

Ha!

I should add, my Brooks B17 doesn't get any maintenance at all, it's tucked away in the shed, I reserve its use solely for the occasional tours I sometimes do

Avatar
Beaufort | 9 years ago
0 likes

Brooks are the only saddles I'll pro my posterior on.

Avatar
CanAmSteve | 9 years ago
0 likes

£55 each for the grips, right?

Avatar
northstar | 9 years ago
0 likes

Attractive? No way.

Avatar
Simmo72 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Wow, an attractive looking brooks.....what is going on?

Latest Comments