About the Manufacturer
Ask the layperson what they considers British and they’ll probably come up with some combination of HRH, fish and chips and tea. Ask a cyclist and they’re likely to say threaded BBs, Brompton and Brooks. The story of Brooks begins way back with the birth of the modern bicycle in the 1800s when the founder of the company – who was a saddler – created a leather saddle for his bicycle because he found the traditional wooden ones so uncomfortable.
Brooks are most famous for their tensioned leather saddles which use a back plate and wider than modern rails to create tension in the leather. Over time the saddle is designed to conform to the dimensions as the leather is broken in, which makes them unique to each individual – and also the cause of much divisiveness given the time it can take to break in quality leather.
Despite being in several hands over the last century and a half (the brand was bought by Raleigh and then by Selle when Raleigh collapsed) the leather saddles are still made in the same West Midlands town as they were when they were first produced. The brand has tentatively moved into more modern materials with a traditional Brooks twist over the last few years, with the latest carbon models being produced by Selle in Italy.
About the Saddle
The Cambium range is Brook’s latest range and treads a far different path than their traditional leather range, using a vulcanised rubber and cotton shell with a range of different materials for the rails and rivets. This provides a far more modern look and also doesn’t required the breaking in period of the leather saddles but still provides all weather performance.
There’s a wide range of Cambium models targeting everything from commuters, to tourers to performance model, but it’s fair to say that overall the Cambium models provide a much more modern profile overall. There’s four different models in the range from the city orientated C19 to the model we have which is the race and performance orientated C13. This model is a standout in the range being made a one piece carbon fibre frame and finished in Italy, rather than the brand’s traditional home of England. It’s also a standout because of the price – the RRP for the C13 is AU$280 at the current time of writing. We’ve got the 145mm version to test – can it really be that good to warrant the price tag?
Positives and Negatives
First up a disclosure – I hate leather chairs. Not in a PETA, vegan sort of way, but in a why on earth would you sit in that when you could sit in something comfortable and non-sweaty kind of way. This then has also been my view of the traditional Brooks saddle. Of course we all know people that swear by them, but with a sport as often masochistic as cycling, winching your way up some god forsaken hillside on a hot day with a sweaty bum on a leather seat just seems that bit too far.
Which brings us to the Cambium C13, which is definitely not a traditional Brooks saddle and the impact when taking it out of the packaging. The C13 is an absolutely beautiful piece of engineering with the one piece frame with the raw carbon finish perfectly complimenting the space age material of the shell. The material and design does make the C13 heavier than a high end saddle from other manufacturers though – our test model came in at just over 280 grams. A lightweight compared to traditional Brooks leather saddles, but pretty portly compared something like the carbon railed Bontrager Montrose Elite which comes in 100 grams lighter for roughly the same size.
Truth is that you’re not thinking about the cost or the weight when your ride it – you’re thinking about just how good the ride quality is. While the Cambium series is made from completely different materials to the traditional saddles, they’re designed to emulate the “hammock” effect just using rubber and cotton and avoiding the break in times of leather. If you’re like me and you’ve never ridden one before, it’s initially pretty disconcerting to sort of sink into a saddle and there’s an expectation that it’s going to lead to wallowy ride like sitting on an overly cushioned commuter. That’s not the case at all though – once the saddle has conformed it supports your ride whatever you’re doing including putting the power down and getting up the hills. Despite that support, the look of the thing suggests that it’s going to beat you up, but again the C13 confounds with the comfort. It truly isn’t like anything else we’ve ever ridden.
The final verdict? The Cambium is a stunning work of art that also happens to be a great performing bike saddle. Like most great works of art however that comes at a price. If you’re looking for a long term saddle or you have the spare money, then this is definitely a saddle that should be on your consideration list.
Key Specifications
- Width: 145mm
- Weight: 280g
- Material: Vulcanised Rubber and Waterproof Nylon
Pros
- Stunning piece of design.
- Comfort and performance- does extremely well in all conditions.
Cons
- Cost. You won’t find many saddles more expensive.
- Weight. Although the quality and comfort is worth the penalty we think.