Brooks Cambium C17

[STC]

Hi,

I have a Brooks Cambium C17 on a new road bike with handle bars below the saddle height by a few cms.

I had been really enjoying this bike and saddle over the past 6 months, much more so than the stock Trek Racelight the bike came with. However as my fitness has improved and my mileage is increasing (100km+) I am finding that I have started to develop abrasion blisters (saddle sores?) right in the crease between butt and leg particularly when riding on consecutive days. I can't help thinking this is coming from the rough material on the Cambium saddle. The saddle is not wearing my knicks and I have tried butt cream which improved the problem a little but not an acceptable fix. I am also thinking maybe it is not the material and the saddle is too wide? I have never had saddle sores before so don't really know where you would normally get them.

My previous saddle was a Brooks leather B17 on a bike with handlebars at saddle height and this was an incredibly comfortable setup and I could ride 150km with no butt cream and no saddle soreness at all. The dimples on this saddle are about 115mm centre to centre.

I changed to a Cambium because 1) B17's are not advised for set ups with the bars lower than saddle; 2) the appeal of an all-weather saddle and 3) a little bit of vanity as the B17 would look out of place on my new Trek 6.2 Domane.

So my questions are;
1) Is anybody else using the Cambium for high mileage and have they had a similar experience with abrasion?
2) With my more aggresive bike set up, is this saddle too wide (I don't really know what a too wide saddle feels like)?
3) I'm happy to go back to leather and thinking a Brooks Swallow (the Brooks Professional will have too short a rail length to fit on the bike). Is anyone using a Swallow for similar riding? Also maybe a Velo Orange Model 6 which looks to be a Brooks Swallow clone.
4) Any other recommendations?

I'm happy to buy another saddle but trying to avoid having to make multiple purchases.
Thanks

[Mulger bill]

B15 Swallows on all my skinny tyred bikes except the beater Reid Harrier which runs an ebay clone and the commuter which I recently swapped from a B15 to a C15 because of the weather resistance.

None have a huge saddle-bar drop and the commuter is close enough to level.
Occasional sores as you describe but it usually takes a high effort/long distance in very sweaty conditions to bring one on. Nothing with the C15 but it's still early days.

A sterile needle and magnoplasm dressing usually sees me right inside 4 days.

[Storm Boy]

I purchased a Cambium C15 Carved at the end of last year, replacing the stock Selle Royal Seta that came on the bike. The first ride was 91km, and was pretty good. The second ride was around 70 km. I average around 180-200km/week, often riding around 60km/day on several consecutive days. It took a little while to fine tune the position of the saddle - I ended up having the seat post a little little higher and the saddle tilted up a little at the nose compared to the original, but now everything has settled and it is very comfortable.

I have not had any rubbing issues that you have mentioned, and am really liking the saddle. I'd definitely take it on 100+ km rides. The only issue is that I keep looking down thinking that my tyre is going flat, but it is only the increased comfort the saddle offers that makes it feel that way.

Regards,

SB

[LateStarter]

I am having another go with the C17 which for me is good up to 100kms but gets bad after that, brushing, soreness top of thigh bone but it has given me my fastest times, so trying again. Different Knicks can make a difference. I really want the C17 to work, about 1500kms to date, keep trying it back / forward, up / down to get the just right, powerful and confortable position . I have a lot of continual saddle problems after 100kms.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

C17 user here. Have done several 200+ km rides as well as regular commuting. No problems at this end (pun intended).

[bigfriendlyvegan]

BTW, get a bike fit, it might help.

AND anyone who wants to sell their C17 or C15, send me a pm.