Saddle - as comfy as a Brooks, but not as chunky?

brownian · 02-09-2022 4:32pm #1

Apologies, can't work out how to 'search this forum', and of course saddles are always super-subjective.

Anyway, I currently have a leather saddle (a Gilles Berthoud aravis open) on my road bike. It's great for touring and long days, but it's nearly half a kilo. What would anyone recommend, that was, say, half that weight, but still good for the distance? I'm not looking for hard science, just anecdotal 'I have a Cobb saddle and like it' sort of comments.

Mefistofelino · 02-09-2022 6:03pm

It all depends on what "the distance" is.Whats tolerable at 100 km might not be as much fun at 200 or 300.

The Charge Spoon (280-300g) has worked for me up to 1200 km but saddles are purely subjective. If you have a saddle that works and you are changing it for the sake of 200-250g based on recommendations from randomers on the net, I'm not convinced it's a sensible strategy. You could end up spaffing money away on a series of less comfortable saddles and going back to the Berthoud ( which are excellent saddles- currently using an Aspin).

Personally speaking, if I needed to save 250g, there are many cheaper places I'd start ( mainly me) before compromising on a functioning saddle.

cyfac · 02-09-2022 6:50pm

Brooks swift is what I have and I finf its the ideal balance between comfort and weight

Eamonnator · 02-09-2022 8:29pm

I have a Charge Spoon on three of my bikes. The comfiest saddles I have ever had.

I did 150kms on Sunday, and hope to have about 15,000kms for 2022, all on Spoons.

CramCycle · 04-09-2022 12:42pm

Charge spoon fan here as well, last one got stolen but I would put it on par with Brooks for comfort, if not more so. And 1/6 the price. Can you still get them? Thought Charge wrapped up shop.

CramCycle · 04-09-2022 12:44pm

To put it in context I have done track racing, 100km road races, daily commuting and Audaxs over 600km on the Charge spoon. All were comfy. Looking back, there was also less slippage and faff about moulding compared to the Brooks.

JMcL · 05-09-2022 8:52am

I'd tend to agree with @Mefistofelino - if it ain't broke don't fix it. I suppose the exception would be if you need to shave every last gramme off for racing, though I'm guessing you're not tackling hill climbs with a leather saddle.

Brooks Cambiums would save a bit of weight - I have a C17 which I find very comfy which comes in just over 400g, the C13 looks to be sub 300g. They're pricey though and you mightn't like them

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119569205#Comment_119569205

I'd always been toying with trying one for the price, so that's a shame. Merlin do seem to have stock (https://www.merlincycles.com/charge-spoon-cromo-rail-saddle-106422.html), though Clusterf... err,,, Brexit means a min order of €150 from them now I think

Mefistofelino · 05-09-2022 10:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119569205#Comment_119569205

They are now sold under the Fabric brand

https://fabric.cc/products/saddles/

Eamonnator · 05-09-2022 10:54am

There are quite a few Spoons available on eBay as well.

I am unable to link.

brownian · 05-09-2022 11:26am

Thanks @all - exactly the kind of response I was hoping for.

Sadly, I had a charge spoon, and didn't love it; much less comfy, for me, than a Brooks or Gilles Berthoud.

I agree with Mephistolino, there are other ways to reduce weight. And, of course, there's a fair argument that weight isn't the be-all and end-all, anyway. But... having bought a nice light new bike, I'd kinda like to (I know, that's not a reason!) see if I avoid weighing it down with all the stuff that I have on my other bike/s. And 300+g, which is the difference between what I have and a 'light' saddle, is more that I'd save with lighter wheels, etc etc...and relatively cheap compared to wheels, at that. I could/should go on a diet, but that's another story.

CramCycle · 05-09-2022 5:02pm

What about one of the Cambium saddles? Not had one but might be the in between of a Brooks and a race saddle that your are looking at. Or measure your sit bones and figure out your size of fizik saddle?

smacl · 05-09-2022 6:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119575564#Comment_119575564

Tried one having been a long time B17 user and didn't really get on with it. Pity, as it is lighter and looks the part.

aldark · 08-09-2022 3:30pm

I replaced a brooks with an SMP - much lighter, leather covering and comfy too!

brownian · 13-09-2022 4:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119576005#Comment_119576005

Me too. I tried a Cambium between my B17 phase and my Gilles Berthoud phase. Didn't seem to really 'give' or change shape - was like sitting on a wooden saddle.

I can see this being an expensive process...

Flaccus · 13-09-2022 9:18pm

Brooks Cambium C17 is comfy for me. The rubber has a hammock effect and works if over 80KG. If a light rider it can be pretty hard.

Alternative and just as comfy and half the weight is the Fizik Terra Argo saddle. A little cheaper than Cambium and it's basically Fiziks gravel version of their endurance Tempo Argo but is slightly longer (270mm) so not a super short nose job, a more flexy shell then their other saddles, and longer rails so good for experimenting with fore and aft position. It works for long rides on or off road and comes in same width as the C17. Lots of main stream bike company's are supplying this range as standard now (obviously paid for) but I find it comfortable if you prefer a planted position and don't move around much.

CantGetNoSleep · 17-09-2022 7:35am

Is there anything similar to the Brooks B17 but narrower? I'd usually swap the stock saddle on my road bikes for something smaller sized (about 130mm) after a bike fit. I've done about 1000km on a B17 on my Brompton and I'm wondering if it is just too wide for me.

Miklos · 17-09-2022 6:36pm

I think Gilles Berthoud have a narrower one, not 130mm but narrower that a B17.

https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/527-leather-saddle-soulor-black.html

smacl · 19-09-2022 7:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119629640#Comment_119629640

The Brooks Swift is their narrower racing saddle, see https://www.brooksengland.com/en_eu/swift.html

dinneenp · 23-09-2022 1:54pm

Which Charge Spoon are people loving please? there's many on https://fabric.cc/products/saddles/

I'd be looking at shallow position (standard for road bike), Merlin Cycles have Charge Spoon Cromo Rail saddle for €24-

https://www.merlincycles.com/charge-spoon-cromo-rail-saddle-106422.html

Squidgy Black · 23-09-2022 3:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119655676#Comment_119655676

The Scoop Radius is supposed to be the same as the Charge Spoon supposedly, but honestly I'd just buy the Spoon from Merlin

brownian · 23-09-2022 3:51pm

FWIW, I ended with a Repente Artax GLM. Carbon rails, carbon frame and a few bits of padding, and a big central cut-out. Only ridden it 60k so far, and am still tweaking the angle...but overall happy enough so far.

cletus · 23-09-2022 4:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119656119#Comment_119656119

I have a Spoon, and was on the lookout for another one.

Tried the Merlin link above, and got this

If anyone feels like doing a boards bulk buy of Charge Spoons, my money is here, ready and waiting 😁

*Edit* we'd only have to order 7 saddles to pass the minimum order value

dinneenp · 23-09-2022 5:42pm

€40 here, which includes postage

https://www.maciag-offroad.com/fabric-saddle-scoop-sport-shallow-black-steel-rail-sid116092.html?channel=SEA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsrWZBhC4ARIsAGGUJuoo7mDSGzpYFzzIUw_ZquZHgNqO2NWOqv49Ylp88FuRopGi9Rn7_vUaAgqMEALw_wcB

Dr_Colossus · 26-09-2022 12:05pm

Rather than start a new thread and since search function is useless since site re-design has anyone had any problems with the tension bolt on their Brooks? I've had a B17 for I guess 8 years and it's clocked up good mileage with about 50k kms. It's well maintained with no rust and leather is still perfect but had become a little uncomfortable the past couple of weeks and bike had developed a bizarre creak I couldn't locate. Went to tighten up the saddle yesterday evening to find that the tension bolt was cracked just at the nut. Metal fatigue looks the culprit so has anyone replaced one previously. The front section/holder is riveted into the leather so hoping to just replace the bolt itself.

smacl · 26-09-2022 1:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666506#Comment_119666506

Had the exact same problem with a Brooks Flyer a few years ago, possibly a design weakness. Never managed to replace it, didn't look to be possible to remove and replace.

Dr_Colossus · 30-12-2022 11:24pm

Resurrecting this in case it benefits any future readers but finally got around to sorting my Brooks saddle and the broken tension bolt as pictured below:

PXL_20221226_123639066.jpg

Surprisingly simple to remove but it's some class of imperial thread of circa 7.8mm equivalent so little prospects of having similar to hand as a replacement. Brooks themselves didn't show anything on their website but found similar on some UK sites such as below for a quite reasonable £4.50 until you added shipping of a further £18.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/saddles/brooks-tension-pin-assembly-70-mm-with-nut-zinc-bmp174/?geoc=IE

Anyway in true MacGyver style took a beefier 10mm nut and bolt I had available and shaped that with a file to fit. Bigger and stronger than ever now so hopefully many more years use ahead.

PXL_20221228_150745074.jpg

Saddle - as comfy as a Brooks, but not as chunky?

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