So it’s been 5 years since the original Brooks Cambium C17 was launched with great success and we are still loving them. They have evolved somewhat since the first release, but at their core they still maintain that classic Brooks design and is constructed with that same 1865 ethos in mind.
A brief history of Brooks- 1865 John Boultbee Brooks bought a bike and decided that making his own saddle to make his riding more enjoyable, his father owned a leather factory were they made leather horse saddles so that was his first port of call and the rest is history. Over the next 100ish years they had ups and downs and developed some new design saddle not all that different to there current range of leather saddles. In 2002 they were taken over by Selle italia an Italian based family run company with a very similar beginning to Brooks. With the Selle Italia acquisition of Brooks we all saw a shift in production and design coming along side their traditional saddles like the B17, but no one could have expected a rubber saddle from a saddle company famous for its leather! The Brooks Cambium was born with a great marketing campaign that has only gone from strength to strength.
The latest Brooks saddle the C13 is a venture back in to the high performance side of cycling, with its almost classic look it is modelled after the now iconic C17 only with a sleeker narrower profile top and carbon rails. Weighing in at 259g it comes close to other performance saddle, however it far more usable and comfortable. We currently have a test saddle that we welcome people to come and borrow it (with a deposit left) we have not yet had someone come back from a test without loving it. We have all ridden it in the shop, most of us have either a C15 or C17 on our commuter bikes and the C13 although it looks to be a full race saddle it is perfectly comfortable and could easily be ridden daily.
So the Cambium range now includes (pictured below left to right) the C13 – C17 – C15 – C15 carved.
The C13 is obviously the narrowest Cambium Brooks produce, the C17 is the bench mark and designed around the iconic original B17, designed for touring and everyday duty. The C15 is a road or MTB saddle, very versatile and a better fit for a more sporty rider looking for something sleeker and more versatile than the C17 and finally the Carved, designed to relieve pressure off the perineum on longer rides.
We now offer the full range and colours of Brooks Cambium online and in store. Swing by the shop to borrow a Cambium for a test ride or to discuss which saddle is the best fit for you.
