Thoughts on Cambium?

[Joe Bernard]

I know there was a flurry of reviews when these first hit the market, but I'm curious how folks are getting along with them now that time/miles have passed. The only saddle I can ride more than 15 miles is the Brooks B17, and I'm thinking of trying the Cambium C17 when my mustard CLEM comes in.

Also, are the rails longer? The rails on my new-to-me ti B17 are longer than the steel ones..I'm wondering of they made that change on the Cambiums.

Thanks,
Joe Bernard
Vallejo, CA.

[Deacon Patrick]

Have you tried Rivet? I know I felt daunted in my saddle quest until I tried them. Deb offers a 1 year guarantee. Also, folks here have loved the Brooks Select (or whatever the organic, extra thick hide is) and the Berthod saddles, where were next on my list if Rivet didn't work out.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Joe Bernard]

No I haven't. I love B17's - including my Select version - and was wondering how close the vegan version comes to it. If it duplicates the comfort of a classic Brooks in a lighter, waterproof saddle, I'm interested.

[René Sterental]

I love mine. They're all doing well. Yes, the rails are longer, not sure compared to the Ti B17.

I'm going to try a B17 Select on my custom when it arrives, but so far, the C17 is my favorite saddle.

René 

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[Philip Kim]

Yep the rails are longer. I liked the C17 saddle - I think it is good for general riding/commuting. The furthest I've ridden was 40 miles with it. Still pretty comfortable. Also nice not having to worry about riding in the rain. I went back to my all time favorite Brooks Swift though.

[Kainalu]

The width of a C17 is 162mm, a B17 is 170mm.
I can't ride anything narrower than a B17, so if it were for me, I'd step up to the C19, having a width of 184mm.
-Kai
Brooklyn NY

[Wayne]

I'm generally happy with mine.  I find it almost as comfortable as my B17 on pavement and more comfortable on gravel.  I love that the rails are longer, allowing me to slide it back further.

Wayne

[Chris Birkenmaier]

I love the B17 and the Brooks Pro but the C17 was too rounded on the top back of the saddle to be comfortable for me. I put it on a Surly Krampus but took it off and have it sitting unused. I also,own a Berthound Mente in natural which I really like. The leather is nice and thick but the saddle has broken in nicely for me. I own more Brooks saddles than I currently can use. I bought a number of older B17s and Pros on eBay that were in excellent condition. The leather on the older saddles tend to be thicker. Should I purchase a new Brooks it would definitely be the B17 Select.

Not that I need it but the Rivet Imogene looks really appealing. My only concern with that is that the back of the saddle seems to be rounded much like the Cambium

[Michael Morrissey]

I have a C17 on my Appaloosa and it really does not agree with me.  I bought the Cambium because I thought it would be more durable in the snow and rain.  As it turns out, the cotton outer layer absorbs water, whereas with a leather saddle you can just wipe it off in one second (or keep it covered).  I have a vintage B67 that I brought back to life with proofide and a B17 select on other bikes.  The B17 select is the comfiest of the lot.  I'm going to buy another Brooks soon because I broke the nose of the B67 (after 5+ years of daily, very hard use and abuse), and I think I'm going to go with one with the springs.

I don't mean to trash the product, but I found almost nothing in common between the B17 and C17 other than the name brand. 

On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 11:45:35 AM UTC-4, Joe Bernard wrote:

[Jon in central Colorado]

Thanks for the post! I've been wondering about the Cambium saddles and how well people like them.

I may have to pull the trigger on one my next build.I love my B-17.

Jon

[Jeff Lesperance]

I've raved about the Cambium C17 and C17 carved a few times, I'm pretty sure on this list, though possibly on iBob, or both. Recap:

* With my favorite handlebar and positioning (Noodle, approx. at saddle height), B17 saddles were always slightly too wide for me, I settled on B17n (narrow) saddles for years.

* The C17 is great - being slightly narrower than the B17 makes it work on my noodle-equipped bikes, and also on my more upright bikes, though I can ride a B17 in a more upright position

* The C17 carved is now my favorite saddle. So much so I used the cutout as a pattern to make an old B17n into a carved model. The shape, width and cutout really make this saddle disappear under me.

I happen to have a surplus C17 natural at the moment. I'd be willing to put it out to the community for testing and passing around if you think you can make it work. I don't want to admin anything, but if there are a few of you all interested, I'd be happy to send it out to one of you first, and then you all have to agree to pass it on down the line. If one of you falls in love with it and wants to keep it, I'd be happy to make a favorable deal to make it yours. If it hits the end of the line at some point, I can work on getting it back. Let me know if any of you want to try a C17 for the cost of shipping.

-Jeff

Silver Spring, MD

[Reed Kennedy]

What a generous offer Jeff! 

I've been meaning to give one of those a try as well! I figure Joe should get first dibs as the thread starter, but if he's not interested I'd be happy to pay shipping in order to try the C17 and then pass it on after I've made up my mind.

Best,

Reed

[Pondero]

As a long time B17 fan, I tried a C17 on a whim.  It is now my favorite saddle.

Chris Johnson

Sanger, Texas

[masmojo]

I have the C17 carved on my Rawland and I have had no issues with it so far, I only have about 300 miles on it though. But riding it is very much a non event, which for me is good. If I am just thinking about my ride and where I am going and not about my ass; that's sort of the test really.
The shape is different than the B17, maybe it's a bit narrower, but I think the actual part you contact, the "contact patch" is about the same.
I also have a C19, but I've only just gotten it and have not mounted it up on anything yet.
My only major concern going forward is how long they last, it's sort of an unknown value,but will ultimately determine if they are worthwhile or not.

[Joe Bernard]

Sure, Jeff, I'd love to try it. I'll put it on my Bobbin right away so I'm not waiting for the CLEM to get here to get some miles in. I really like this idea because I'm kinda terrible about new saddles..they almost never work for me. If I decide not to buy it, I'll happily ship it along. I'm on mobile right now so gimme a holler at joeremi62 at gmail dot com to work out payment and shipping. Thanks!

[Lungimsam]

Im holding out for a sprung cambium

[Manuel Acosta]

I bent mine already. 

https://flic.kr/p/H7ww3z

[Joe Bernard]

"I bent mine already."

Of course you did!

[René Sterental]

Manny!!! How did you do that?

On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 12:36 AM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

"I bent mine already."

Of course you did!

[Justin August]

[Jeff Lesperance]

I'll be sending my Cambium C17 out to Joe. I'll ask when he's done with it, to make it available to Reed if he wants to try it, and so on and so forth.

[Joe Bernard]

I'll make sure it gets to Reed if I don't end up making a 'buy' deal with Jeff first. Thanks for the road test!

[rod...@verizon.net]

I tried one and never made friends and have moved over to my new comfy Selle Anatomica. All the best.

Roderick

[Reed Kennedy]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks again to Jeff for the generous experiment!  And Joe, if you do keep it, all I ask is a detailed review!

Best,

Reed

On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 12:36 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'll make sure it gets to Reed if I don't end up making a 'buy' deal with Jeff first. Thanks for the road test!

[Chris Halasz]

Tired of Brooks leather staining pants, I eagerly grabbed a C17 at an REI garage sale a year or so ago.

Sitting on it the first time I was convinced it wasn't going to work, but I like to give a new saddle a full two week tryout. I'm not sure of the biomechanics, but it seems to take about that long for the overall adjustment to the new experience.

After a week or so, I found the saddle as comfortable, maybe more comfortable, as any I've owned.

I'd like to try a C19 sometime, but have no plans to change what works so well. Very comfortable, no stains, great appearance.

The saddle is slate color, bike is a Brompton, I ride it daily -- about forty miles a week. It was well used when I purchased it, and is going strong. I weigh about 170lbs.

Cheers,

Chris

[Joe Bernard]

That's a promising report, Chris. I agree it takes a couple weeks to get "worked in" to a new saddle so I'll give it some time. If it doesn't work out I'll send it on and buy another B17, I'm more curious than anything. I'll take the lighter weight and easier care if I can get it, but B17s are pretty great saddles.

[Jay in Tel Aviv]

Funny, I wasn't overwhelmed with the C17 on my Sam Hillborne, but love it on the Brompton.


On Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 8:35:40 AM UTC+3, Joe Bernard wrote:

That's a promising report, Chris. I agree it takes a couple weeks to get "worked in" to a new saddle so I'll give it some time. If it doesn't work out I'll send it on and buy another B17, I'm more curious than anything. I'll take the lighter weight and easier care if I can get it, but B17s are pretty great saddles.Funny

[Bob K.]

This summer, after riding B17s exclusively for over a decade, I decided to try out a narrower saddle. There was an old Specialized Comp 143 lying around my school's bike shop, so I slapped it on my late 80s Rockhopper before a three-day camping trip on the VA Mountain Bike Trail in the Jefferson National Forest. The first ten or so miles were pretty painful, but the next 120 were pure bliss.

Upon returning home, my vanity took over and even though it was so comfortable, I couldn't bring myself to swap it onto my Sam. It just didn't "feel" right even though it did! I kept riding with the saggy and splayed-out B17 that I desperately need to address, trying to fight back the memories of the ugly saddle's comforts, when it occurred to me that trying out a C15 might be a good call, so I got one on loan from my LBS this past week. Cost me $25, but after hearing mixed reviews I wasn't sure I'd like it, so I decided to go the demo route.

On first look, the shape was perfect, almost exactly like the plastic Specialized saddle, but the first ride was awful. I had a bunch of pain from the firmer feel, and everything felt just plain wrong. I decided to give it the full week, though. Very much to my surprise, after some slight adjustments and a couple of "longer" rides, it felt incredible! I could hardly believe the transformation. I know others have had some issues with durability, but I might take the plunge anyway as I'm worn out on messing around with leather. I'm thinking the C15 carved will be the sweet spot since it offers a bit more flex. I'll report back once I pinch enough pennies to snag one.

Bob