About a year and a half ago, I bought what I thought would be the last saddle (at least model-wise) that I would need — the Brooks Cambium. I loved it immediately, and was plenty content, but it’s been a while and I’ve got a couple of friends who run with the Brooks Leather B17 — a classic that is known for its comfort, especially after you’ve broken it in.
So I finally gave in, bought the thing (quite reasonable on Amazon for about $109), and took it out for a spin on a short ride. And it didn’t disappoint…well, not exactly. It was plenty comfortable, and I know it’ll get better. It’s just a matter of dialing it in. It sits higher than the Cambium, so I had to lower the seat. It doesn’t have the cutout that my Cambium has, so I’ve got to get used to that. And finally, it requires a slightly different angle — a more “nose up” setup — and that’s going to be the biggest challenge to get working.
When I started out yesterday, the nose was a bit too high. Problem is, to adjust the angle, I had to take off my tool bag, and I didn’t want to do that. But I was eventually compelled. The angle with which I started was causing a bit of strain on my hamstrings actually. So I lowered the nose, and was fairly comfortable, but noticed that I was feeling a bit more pressure on the hands. I made an adjustment when I got home, but haven’t tested it yet on the road. And it looks like my next ride is going to be about 70 on Saturday, so…here’s hoping.
I’m sure I’ll get it working. I’ll definitely bring a wrench with me on the ride, and I’ll tinker with it on stops if I have to. In any case, I’m looking forward to breaking it in. I hear after a month, I won’t even need a pad anymore. I don’t believe that for a minute, but comfort is a big deal these days, so I’m going to make it work somehow.
