The Radavist

I’ve been a fan of the Cambium line from Brooks since its inception, yet was always hesitant to put one on my carbon Argonaut road bike. Why? I dunno, they never really matched the sleek and minimal aesthetic of my bike. Read that as: they never came in black! Now I don’t really care about weight. I’m not a gram counter, especially when it comes to saddles- even though the C13 weighs 259g – less than any of my other saddles. What I like in a ride is comfort without sacrificing aesthetic or most importantly, functionality. A lot of the über weight weenie saddles look scary or don’t fit my sit bones right. Or they’re just too damn stiff.

On the other side of the coin, Brooks saddles have always felt great. Luckily, the Cambium C13 continues this tradition just with an undated material palette. It’s so sleek that it looks great on a road bike (full driveside photo coming soon with another product review,) which I have to say has been feeling a bit neglected as of late. Yet over the past few weeks, since receiving the C13, I’ve been riding my road bike more and more, just to test the saddle’s durability and feel before I even began to think about writing this review. I was worried the C13 would lose the springiness of the other Cambium saddles when adopting the carbon weave, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it give just the right amount. The only bummer was having to track down oversize rail hardware for my ENVE seatpost.

After what I would consider a lot of road riding for this dirt-minded individual, I’m completely satisfied with the C13. It’s elegant enough for a carbon road bike, fits great, and is made in Italy. The C13 saddle is available for $220 at Brooks Dealers of Excellence worldwide or online at Brooks England.

Any questions? Leave them in the comments and check out more photos below.

Busyman Bicycles is capable of some really amazing leatherwork. Take this custom saddle for example. The fluro halftone skull pops thanks to all the precisely-cut holes, which are all cut by hand… You’ve gotta see more at Busyman Bicycles.

The first batch of 259 Brooks C13 carbon fiber saddles have landed in the Brooks web shop. These lightweight (259g) Cambiums feature aluminum rivets in all black and is the first in a series of models to follow from Brooks. Each of the 259 saddles comes in a limited edition packaging and a special ‘First Batch 259’ marking on the underside.

Pick one up in the Brooks web shop today!

What better way to top off a balleur bike like an Argonaut than with a Busyman Bicycles custom saddle? Mick’s latest work has been on point. Get it? Needle point. Anyway, check out more of his Melbourne-based studio’s work at his blog.

The C13 is lighter, narrower and blacker than the previous Cambium models and now you have the opportunity to test one out before they hit the market. Head to Brooks to sign up and enter for your chance to win!

The C15 lineup just keeps getting better and better. Now Brooks offers their new C15 Cambium shape in a Carved version, allowing for even more movement and flexibility. Head over to Brooks for more information.

I love the looks (and feel) of this collaboration:

“Brooks England and Levi’s® Commuter™ have teamed up to create a Numbered Limited Edition Cambium C17 Denim Saddle. This release of 1,000 pieces will be exclusively available at the flagship B1866 store in London and the Brooks online shop from the 5th of February, 2015.

This special saddle is manufactured from recycled Levi’s denim utilising the same vulcanisation techniques of the comfortable, waterproof, and long-lasting Cambium C17 original. The used denim was collected at Levi’s Commuter Workspaces in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and London in summer 2014.”

Head over to Brooks England for more information.

Team Cinelli Chrome has teamed up with longtime saddle manufacturer on a custom Concor saddle. Available now at the Winged Store.

I don’t want to say this is a new feature, because I’m not sure how long it’s been out, but in the vein of Nike iD and other customizable products, Fizik has a saddle customization application on their website. Match virtually any of their saddle shapes to a spectrum of colors and tones.

See more at Fizik.

I’ve got a thing for reptiles and so when I saw one of Mick Peel’s latest saddles, I had to share. This WTB Silverado is going on a ti mountain frame. See more at Busyman’s blog.

Brooks England is throwing a party at their B1866 store in London and will be auctioning off one of these limited edition Movember saddles. Head on over to the Brooks blog to find out more information!

We’ve all got different bone structures, which ultimately determine our body size, independent of diet. These is one of the factors in determining fit, from clothing to even saddles. These bone structures are known as Somatotypes and come in three varieties; Ectomorph (Light bone structure) Mesomorph (Average bone structure) and Endomorph (Broad bone structure).

Fabric Saddles takes a look at how your Somotype determines your sit-bone width and sizes you off of your height and wrist circumference.

Their line is taking shape and will be available in early 2015. For now, head over to Fabric and check out their saddles. The Cell and ALM models look interesting.

San Marco is a brand with a lot of history in cycling and they’re not going anywhere…

Mick Peel at Busyman really did an incredible job on this Fizik Vesta saddle and accessories. This bird is flying to Portland to make its way on a Cielo. Hopefully we’ll see photos of the complete bike!

Check out more at Busyman Bicycles.

This saddle has been creating quite the stir and rightfully so. I’ve been riding the C17 on and off for several months and it’s great, but I usually ride a narrower saddle, so it was never ideal. When Brooks England gave me two C15 Cambiums to try out on my bikes, I was eager to see how it felt on my touring bike and a road bike. First up, is my Geekhouse Woodville touring bike.

I’ve been pedaling around today on the C15 and I’m already in love with it… See more below

I caught wind of this while I was in England and I’m way into the concept:

“Brooks England and Levi’s® Commuter™ are teaming up to create a Limited Edition saddle: the Cambium Denim, exclusively available this Summer at Levi’s® Commuter™ Workspaces in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and London, and from October at the Brooks online shop.

Levi’s® Commuter™ is partnering with Brooks England to produce a special bike saddle manufactured from recycled Levi’s® denim. The saddle will be a Limited Edition version of Brooks’ newest product, the Cambium C17, which uses vulcanized rubber pressing techniques to create a comfortable, waterproof, and long-lasting saddle whose features align with the performance benefits of the Levi’s® Commuter™ collection. Teams from Levi’s® Commuter™ and Brooks England are taking this opportunity to work together to create a product of unique beauty and utility.”

See more at Brooks, including availability and information on the Levi’s® Commuter™ Workspaces.

I read somewhere that camo is merely “floral pattern for men” in regards to fashion. Surely, that applies to cycling – sex aside – and these new Blue Lug San Marco saddles look so good! See the Concor and Concor Racing at Blue Lug.