..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
brooks cambium c19 saddle
in the days before radio had to hold its ground against the eventual and rapid encroachment of television and when the modern day radio four was still referred to as the light programme, mums and children all across britain could sit down of an early afternoon and tune their ears to 'listen with mother'. having begun life in january 1950, at its peak, the programme held an audience of over a million listeners, moving over to the bbc home service in 1964. the last broadcast took place in october 1982 when 'listen with mother' became 'listening corner', still featuring those beloved 'wriggly worm' stories that so enthralled the younger members of the audience.
but what 'listen with mother' is perhaps most fondly remembered for, is the catchphrase "are you sitting comfortably? then i'll begin.", first ad-libbed by presenter julia lang. so popular did this become that it subsequently appeared in the oxford dictionary of quotations. the phrase was also incorporated in the lyrics of one of mellotron's best customers, the 'moody blues' album from the late 1960s, 'on the threshold of a dream'.
you do remember the moody blues don't you?
'sitting comfortably' is something that matters greatly to the average velocipedinist, for no matter your enthusiasm for pedalling hither and thither, there's little that can detract from a decent bike ride more, than a sore posterior. oddly enough, in my own experience of professional bike fits, though they are all overly concerned with the height and fore and aft positioning of the saddle, i've not come across any that suggest what length, width or padding of saddle might best suit my riding style or width of bum. at the time of writing, brooks of england offer 21 different variations of their, non-leather, cambium range, from the narrow c13 to the widest c19, so how does the hapless bicyclist know which is the right one to affix to their seatpost?
(as if that were insufficient, there are 44 models in their highly respected leather saddle range.)
as a quick rule of thumb, the narrower your bottom, the narrower the saddle you should choose, but, as one of my work colleagues regularly reminds me 'we're not all the same'. tautologically speaking, the narrower and shorter a saddle, the more rigid it will be. if you're racing (or pretending to), rigid is probably just what you're looking for. lung-busting sprints, climbs or simply hanging on for grim death are probably far more onerous than a stiff, uncomfortable saddle, something you might not even notice until crossing the finish-line. and, at any rate, who wants untoward movement of any part of the bike in the heat of battle? the majority of us, however, might enjoy a rapid encroachment towards the speed limit sign at the end of the sunday ride, but on the whole, i think we'd prefer at least a smidgeon of comfort.
i have previously reviewed the c13, c15 and c17 models from the brooks cambium range, but what of the maximum width c19? would a narrow bum like mine simply wallow uncontrollably across the vast expanse of saddle, or would i find unparalleled parker knoll comfort on the way to froth supping? brooks were kind enough to send over an all-weather cambium c19 to help me find out.
according to brooks, the c19 is specifically aimed at the commuter riding a more upright bicycle than the sunday peloton would ever admit to owning. you have to admit, under those circumstances, the increased width makes excellent sense, bearing in mind that the weight distribution leans more towards the saddle than the handlebars. but a bit like the 'medium ride' designation to be found atop favoured cymbals, what the manufacturer had in mind might not equate with personal preference. but would implementation of the latter quickly lead to adoption of the 'pride bears no pain' mantra? after all, if leaning forward on the drops leads to chafing discomfort, is this a saddle that ought to be avoided by the more portly members of the peloton?
the short answer would appear to be 'no'. despite my width-challeged posterior, i have climbed, sprinted (a guy can dream, can't he?) and rouleured into headwinds, without so much as a morsel of discomfort. and the inner-panels of my bibshorts remain utterly free of scuff marks. i tend to think that the c19's true vocation in life is firmly stuck to the seatpost of the itinerant tourer, where long, slow(er) days in the saddle demand a greater level of comfort than speeding in the face of adversity, or, indeed, aiding and abetting the daily commute.
but despite those contentions, i participate in neither of those genres of cycling, so can i be trusted with such confident statements? well, on the face of it, pursuant to my many kilometres while sat upon such increased real estate, i'd like to think so. so far, i can find no specific downside to riding a wider saddle than tradition would suggest. on those few moments when my athletic prowess was able to savour a few slower moments, i have had the opportunity to enjoy the c19's proffered comfort. and with colder, wetter and windier days, doubtless about to inflict themselves upon the great unwashed, the nylon covered, all-weather, vulcanised rubber top simply laughs in the face of the incumbent trials and tribulations of the weather.
manufactured in italy, the cambium saddle arrives with an initial two-year warranty, extended to ten years on registration and retails at £95. the c19 is also available as a 'carved' version with a slot in the top. unlike brooks leather saddles, the cambium range requires no breaking in period.
so, now that i'm sitting comfortably, you may begin.
saturday 17 november 2018
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................