Brooks Cambium C15 Carved All Weather

The Cambium C15 Carved All Weather is an extension of Brooks' well-received saddle range that don't come with a leather upper. Vulcanised rubber is what you find here, with no breaking-in period needed. I found it a very comfortable saddle, but it is a little on the weighty side.

• Pros: Rubber upper is like having suspension, very comfortable shape
• Cons: Noticeably heavy

A few years back Brooks took a step away from its famous leather saddles with the launch of the Cambium. It was an instant hit, Jez tried one of the lightweight performance models, the C13 with carbon fibre rails, and was very impressed.

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The range has evolved, with the All Weather models having the cotton top layer replaced with a nylon one which makes it completely waterproof, ideal if your bike has to spend a lot of time outside in the elements.

Its main construction is still made from vulcanised rubber, and the saddle is very comfortable. The upper works almost like an elastomer to take any vibration out of the ride, and it'll even take out the small bumps from a gravel track too.

The Carved part of the name is in relation to the cutout in the middle of the saddle, as you can also get a non-cutout version. Without trying both models side by side it's difficult to say whether one one would suit me more than the other, but I certainly didn't find this one an issue. If you are looking to splash this much money on a saddle, I'm guessing you already know which way you're inclined, cutout or no cutout.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best high-performance saddles

The All Weather comes in a range of widths, the C19 is widest and aimed at riders who prefer a more upright position, while this C15 is for those with a more forward, performance bias. The C17 sits somewhere in between. (The size for the C15 is listed as Lx283mm, Wx140mm, Hx52mm).

I found the narrow nose of the C15 perfect for the type of riding it's intended for. I could get really low and pedal hard without my thighs rubbing against the sides or feeling like anything was getting crushed.

Its one downside is its weight: 426g is pretty massive for a performance saddle and it is noticeable, although it's a good compromise with the comfort.

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The C15 is really in its element on a quick audax machine or long range tourer/bikepacking expedition where you want the racier position but with some forgiveness.

Brooks saddles have never been cheap but this Cambium is towards the lower end at £95. It's difficult to compare on value, as we really don't see a lot of saddles aimed at performance riding with this level of comfort.

BBB's Echelon saddle has a good go with its cutout design being suited to both on road and off-road excursions. It's a bit cheaper than the Brooks at £69.95 and lighter too, 276g.

The Cambium All Weather is handmade in Italy and comes with a two-year warranty which, if you register it after purchase, increases to 10 years. That's pretty good and shows that Brooks is confident in its reliability.

Verdict

Adds a fair bit of weight to your bike for performance riding but it's so comfortable