Brooks Cambium C17 Review - Is it good for bike touring?
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- A look at the Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, to see if it is good for bike touring. In this Brooks Cambium C17 review, I go over what it is made of, the difference between the C17 and the B17, and whether I liked using it on my recent bike tour in Greece.
Is the Cambium C17 the vegan alternative to the B17, or is it something more? Let's find out in this review!
Find it on Amazon here: amzn.to/4aomi63
You can read my blog post about the Cambium C17 saddle review here: www.davestrave...
My B17 snapped its tension bolt crossing Pyrenees last autumn & all the Brooks bike shop stockists didn’t have a spare bolt part, so I bought the C17 Carved in Bordeaux & initially found it way harder than B17, but after a few hundred miles it bedded in, or my but got used to it & as a weatherproof low maintenance option I am loving it & don’t see myself going back to B17... Saddles are very subjective/personal choices in my view... good review though 😉👍🏻
That's the one downside of the B17 - that bolt. If it could have been a more 'universal' fitting of some sort, it would be ideal. Glad to hear you managed to find yourself a saddle and it's proven to be comfortable for you though! It's obviously still in good shape a year later as well.
Another reason to consider a C17 over a B17 is that the C17 rails allow the saddle to be pushed 3/4" or 2 mm farther back than a B17. The B17 has very short rails, which is such a known issue that there are special seatposts with extreme setback (VO Grand Cru) designed to compensate for the lack of adjustment on B17's.
I have 2 C19s that I’ve been using for close to two years. The best thing that I could say about any saddle is that you don’t need to think about it while you are riding. I can say that about my C19s, I don’t notice them any more.
I put a Brooks C17 on my Cannondale Synapse. while I have never toured, I must say it eliminated probably 90% of the numbness I've encountered from other saddles. The longest distance I've ridden with it is a 100 km (62 mile) event ride with 1,218 m (3,998 feet) of elevation gain. I live in the Denver, Colorado metro area, and usually bike 30-40 miles when I have a chance to ride. This saddle is worth EVERY penny!
Maybe the target customer is the long-distance weekend rider and commuter. It would also be an excellent choice for mountain bikers. The fasteners are actually a two-piece bolt, not a rivet, which is one piece. While I have not checked, I suspect you can buy a replacement rubber seat for it, and not have to repurchase the frame.
Glad to hear that the saddle is almost the perfect fit for you! It makes such a big difference when you can enjoy all the time in the saddle, as opposed to only part of it! Certainly, the target customer audience is more than just the bike touring niche, but as that's 'my thing', that's the angle I took for the review. Happy tailwinds for your future rides!
Great videos Dave! I appreciate your objectivity, and stating the pros/cons of what you're looking at. Thanks..keep up the good work!
My Brooks Flyer after 800 miles, now moulded to my sit bones, after feeling quite hard. Don't wear padded shorts, no need. Springs slightly ease out the ride, but not much. Prefer the leather to the Cambium, but it looks a good saddle.
Excellent comparison. I have been thinking between this both for my first quality saddle. Great review
With all the options out there why would anyone ride a Brooks B17? I did a couple decades ago, put thousands of miles on it and every time I see one one on a bike I ask myself why. I especially liked mine after riding it in the rain, not. In the words or Rodney Dangerfield, "but it looks good on you".
A Great review , ive always gone with a Brooks B17 or a Charge spoon , now im after a saddle for a Full susser E bike . Thou a Leather saddle might look a bit out of place on a Mountain Bike im Gona go with with what i know what feels most comfortable.
A B17.
I think the video you referenced about the worn out C17 was by Zach Gallardo; titled- Brooks C17 Cambium: 2 year review.
yes! That is exactly the one!
*I'm an amateur rider, and **Latest.Bike** performed as expected. It was easy to assemble and adjust, and I like the grip-shift. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase.*
I ride with the Cambium C17 and have really liked it. We did a tour of the Oregon Coast this year and I really liked not having to worry about the seat in the rainy weather. I didn't find it needed breaking in, but that may just have been that I've been riding all summer on other seats.
Glad to hear you got on well with it! You mentioned two of its great features - no breaking in period and an all-weather saddle. I think it's definitely got it's place, just for me it wasn't as comfortable as the B17. What did you think to the Oregon Coast? I loved cycling there a few years ago!
The Oregon Coast was FANTASTIC. We had to deal with some smoke from all the fires, but the landscape is just unreal. Plus, the state campgrounds were so nice, cheap, and filled with awesome bikers. I've put together videos of the trip on our channel.
I felt the C17 with my hand and I still got the B17. Some people don't like sliding around on leather. I do. I am not a racer but endurance and comfort is more I'm interested in. The C17 material seems like it holds on to your pants unless you're wearing slippery biking pants.
Right you are. I am a Vegan Roadie getting into touring. Considering the C15 Carved. Thanks for the review.
I bought a C17 and it pulled all the rivets through the rubber in 3 months and 2500kms. Brooks knocked back my warranty and said it was crash damage. On the other hand, my b17 is awesome. I did 524kms in 5 days without padded knicks and it was so comfy.
I also MUCH prefer the leather saddle over the C17. I fully agree, I just couldn't get comfortable on the C17. A lot of people complain about the break in period of leather. I found mine to be super comfortable right away. And then after a few rides it just got better and better.
For me personally I would not consider any saddle without a nice deep chanel/groove down the middle. I swapped from a sdgi fly titanium kevlar seat for a much cheeper seat with a deep 1" wide groove down the cebtre and its been a huge improvement in comfort.
I've not tried one with a groove as of yet, but I plan to in the future. I think Brooks actually make this model with that option called the Cambium C17 Carved.
Its personal to you but (pun intended).. by butt problems came from the seat I had tucking up in between the cheeks and the curved design meant my weight was on the seat right on my holiest of holes! (sorry this is so graphic but its how it is lol) I have swapped to a seat with a pretty decent groove down the centre and thats non exsistent now.. the weight is on my cheeks and all the sensitive bits are left alone. Also the more expensive seat was made of a fabric that yout lycra didnt slide over but (pun) gripped instead so the clothing scraped along me rather that the clothing slide over the seat.. my new seat is smooth so allows my clothes to slide over it.. not everyones problem but another view on how i'm choosin saddles at the moment lol
Brooks are dinosaurs.
There's a lot out there that are nicer, but saddles are of course very subjective.
Oh, the B17 sucks in the rain.
These are nice looking saddles. With the man performance saddle available today these are on the heavy side of performance saddles. Unless you’re a weight weenie this shouldn’t be a deal breaker. How were weight is carried and adds to your energy output. As with anything compromises are made, so your compromise should be, it should be very comfortable. Does it squeak when wet?
I was just considering getting c17, but I've seen so many broken ones that I still decided to go wih b17. I have about 15 000km on my flyer, but got another bike and I want to go springless on this one.
Great review, clear, well detailed! thanks!! One thing to add is that the light version of the C17 (C13) takes out something like 200g
It's not the light version of the C17. It's the C13, which is significantly narrower and won't fit the same individual. The fact that it is lighter is secondary.
I loved how the leather Brooks saddles looks and feels but I bought two B67 saddles in 2 years now. On the fist one the bridge just snapped. But that could have been my fault since I didn't use a Brooks saddle clamp, wich Brooks recommends to do. So I bought a new one with an original saddle clamp. But 2 months later one of the front ribbons started ripping the leather. So i replaced the leather seating with my old leather seating. Now another 4 months later the saddle squeaks ridiculously loud when I ride. I'm riding a 3500 dollar bike but it sounds like a 50 dollar one. Also the tightening bolt on the 2 saddles were broken or something. When I tried to stretch the saddle the bolt would just rotated along with the thread so it did nothing. I always had to hold the thread with a pair of pliers. So i am looking for something new or tips on why I'm having so much issues with these saddles because i kinda like the comfort and looks.
Just took one on a 130km and the surface is like sandpaper. Despite having a chamois my behind ended up bleeding.
The side bit are called wings.some people don’t like wings because they chaff the legs.
120 kg, 2.04 mtr, 130 km+ without saddlepains. For me the next best touringsaddle. B17 preferred:-):-)
A few years ago I looked for a new "Brooks" saddle for my also rather new, LightweightH6LXBrompton, but I had seen complaints about some lack of quality, so in the end I found a: Selle san Marco Royal, a racing-bike type, leather saddle for my bike (Italian Brand: Selle now also owns Brooks Saddles!). Since then I have found an American Branch of Selle: "Selle Anatomica", which makes special leather saddles, with an extra long slit, but also rather expensive versions of saddles (Everything is bigger in America!), which I may try at one time? But for now I still use the plain, ordinary Brompton saddle, sold with my bike! .
Not a C17, but I tried a C15 on my classic steel racer, wanting to see what all the fuss was about. Rught from the off it never felt right and just became ridiculously uncomfortable -even after just half an hour. I'm only 140lbs and have very narrow ischeal tuberosities (that's sit bones to you) but still, there was absolutely no give in the saddle and I ended up with a bruised backside. It made no difference playing around with setback either.
I put my 25 yo Turbomatic 3 back on, which was ridiculously comfortable in comparison, and then picked up a s/h titanium Swift. My god, that is *supremely* comfortable even if the short saddle rails mean I can't get the setback I want, so too much weight ends up being thrown onto my wrists and hands (and gives me neck-ache if I spend too long in the drops), but I imagine It'll be perfect with a long layback seatpost. As mentioned in the video, the top of the canvas Cambiums seems to wear through pretty quickly too.
I think you need more meat on your backside :)
@@SwazersC Can't argue with that!
I have a C17. Best seat ever. I am a heavy-built bloke so maybe I get more of a flex? Plenty of muscle mass in the backside so comfort is never an issue. I found using this saddle an increase in ride speed. I tour mainly.
I am sadly in the market for a new saddle and have come across the C17, I have used a now impossible to find Bontrager in a 148mm width for what must be a decade. I am just waiting to see if Brooks London do a test scheme before purchase. Currently looking at the Carved version. My main worry is the longevity, I cycle 8-10 thousand miles every year and from the reviews I have seen people have had issues with only a few thousand "Ks", I would be purchasing three of these for all my bikes so cannot make a mistake with buying a product that will pop rivets within 6 months.
I'm pretty certain that they won't be popping rivets, and Brooks have a good guarantee. Probably the only thing to do though is try one out before going all in on the bigger purchase.
Excellent review!
I‘m interested in this saddle precisely because it is a vegan Brooks! But it’s kind of a bummer that the Flyer with the springs isn’t available in the Cambium series
Brooks is coming out with more Cambium models. None with springs yet, but wider versions for more upright riding bikes and they have carved versions which are more springy. They should allow for more comfort. And you could also consider a seatpost suspension like the Kinekt. I use one, amazing comfort.
I’ve just brought the cut out version,was told it’s comfortable but feels so hard
How's it going now? Any noticeable benefits with the carved model?
My concern with the fabric would be how would it work with cycling bib shorts. Would wear out or scuff the butt faster? Seems to be a saddle for commuters wearing pants.
I think this is a valid concern, although I should add I haven't tested them with bib shorts myself. I wear a more heavy duty short for bike touring - The Endura Humvee 3/4 shorts .. review coming in the next few days of those shorts btw!
I wonder how long the rubber will keep _springing back._ One can adjust the tension of Brooks leather saddles as they stretch, but it's not possible to achieve a similar result with the C17. There's no way I'd trade in my trusty old Brooks Conquest for a slab of canvas covered rubber.
;-)
I think from handling it, the rubber might be ok. My two concerns for longevity would be perhaps cracking of the rubber on the underside (I haven't seen anyone say this has happened though), and wear and tear of the canvas on the top. I'm not going to trade either! I took it out for another ride today of 30kms just to see if the feel had improved after a couple of weeks of not using it - Nope! It felt uncomfortable to me after about 20kms. I'll swap it back out for the leather one.
Your discomfort was probably due to the with of the C17. The B17 is much wider and supports your sit bones properly.
Very likely - I've continued to persevere with it, but it's not getting any better! I've got a 200km ride this weekend, but after that it's back to my trusty B17!
wise choice
You can get very wide versions of brooks cambiums such as the c19
i haven't ridden a b17 since the early 80's but I do remember how bloody comfortable it was once it was worn in , nothing I've used since has that same feeling , padded shorts sort of make up for that these days though , we used to get them really wet then go for a biggish ride to mold them to our backsides , it was like riding on a hammock after that
That's the phrase I was looking for! Yep, this Cambium C17 lacks the 'hammock' feeling.
Shape. Your B17 has flat surface where seat bones land and C17 has curved top just like many vintage saddles have. I felt uncomfortable with curved saddle so off it went and got replaced with cheap stiff flat surface saddle which paired with my butt like a silk glove with hand. Just didn't like sense of pressure in between butt halves from curved saddle.
IT seems like a very fair review. Thanks for posting.
Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪
Had my Cambium now last 2 months.
Not as a comfy a ride as I hoped it would be.
As for touring, just one BIG problem.
The loops on the back of the saddle are NOT load bearing.
My Carradice Classic rack & saddle bag fell onto my rear tyre because the plastic saddle bag loop snapped.
Very disappointed Brooks.
on the official website there is information that loops cannot be pulled out more than 3 kilograms
Dave, In my opinion, the C17 is designed more for riders who use padded cycling shorts/Bib shorts, do you/did you wear padded shorts when you used the C17? Whereas the B17 is more of a dedicated touring saddle and designed to mold itself to your individual anatomy i.e. no padded shorts.
Idk their site says the C17 is for touring
Very good review.
It went together easily in less than an hour. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Make sure the front fork is forward or the pedals will hit the front tire. Tires are both a little soft so it needs air before I ride it. The rear wheel didn't come with a clamp regular bolts hold it on. The front had the clamp. No scratches out of box. Rims are a little off with a slight wobble. They could have spent more time with the spoke tool fixing the run out. So far out of the box I'm happy with it. I did replace the pedals with a nice aftermarket set. After riding it a bit my A$$ is a bit sore so I ordered another seat. Overall I'm nearly 60 and didn't ride a bike in 30 years. I like my new 29" Schwinn. It will be used for casual rides with my friend.
Oh yeah!
Mine is going up for sale or straight in the bin, I'd feel bad if it beat up anyone else's ass as bad as it did mine. If you plan on riding in even mildly cold weather, steer clear of this torture device. Saddles are difficult to address as everyone's butt is not the same but, damn... never found such pain in a high end saddle. Bummer.
But prefer leather, for me, of course!!
Like both of them, !!!!
Do you wear padded shorts while riding?
Yes I do. Typically my Endura Hummvee shorts which have a padded liner.
is it good for mtb?
Awesome Review! can you test sbode bluetooth speaker too?Sounds Great to me!
I had to take mine off regardless of what I did this saddle is just so so noisy it ruins my entire rides
Zach Gallardo
"Vegan equivalent" How can people get?
not really a vegan saddle when the money you pay for it goes to investing in more LEATHER for their other saddles. LOL.
Go eat a hamburger, you’re anemic
@@Smegma_pirate I'm not a vegeterian smartass. Hell, I'm going to cook a barbecue today with some fine Argentinian meat. I'm sorry I had to point out your stupidity and deplorable deduction skills, have a good day though 🙋♂️
@@Megadeth6633 your sense of humor is laden with vegan sensibilities. Enjoy your meat, I’ll enjoy mine.
“Investing”? You mean Brooks is buying their own saddles?
There is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism. By those standards nothing is vegan which defeats the purpose
Vegan rubbish. Leather rules, always.
not so much for touring, unless you're in a dry warm area
Moron
Yes good point.
Nothing compares to leather. Sorry vegans. I'm not surprised you found that 'thing' not comfortable; to me it screams: "Do not sit on me!"