[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by amol4184

I have no doubt you will love this legit race bike. am I seeing Flight Deck shifters there? are the electronics working on it?

I had no idea there were electronics in there! It shifts quite well, but the drivetrain is quite grimey and needs a good clean. Will do that over the weekend.

The Klein for 700 looks quite good, it has been 1x converted, but I have no more space in the apartment anymore Might sell my Triban RC500 now that I have this. Tire clearance on the CAAD seems to be extremely tight though, don't know if it'll even take a 28.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

I had no idea there were electronics in there! It shifts quite well, but the drivetrain is quite grimey and needs a good clean. Will do that over the weekend.

The Klein for 700 looks quite good, it has been 1x converted, but I have no more space in the apartment anymore Might sell my Triban RC500 now that I have this. Tire clearance on the CAAD seems to be extremely tight though, don't know if it'll even take a 28.

Yeah the flight deck connects to biking computers, I am not sure if they work with modern computers though.

I think 28c will fit in *just* barely if you want to risk it. I checked on mine and 25c looks about right. Come to think of it, that is not terrible. My 15 year old younger SuperSix Evo barely fits 25c tires so I would say for a 2002 frame that clearance is pretty great. Those were the days when 23c tires were the most common on race bikes.

[amol4184]

Has anyone used Brooks Cambium C15 or similar modern Brooks saddle? I always thought they are not suitable for super light carbon road bikes and skipped right over them. I finally have a bike on which this will look good (I guess). But how are they in comfort department? The Cambium is not leather but rather some flexible rubber and the shape is suitable for all types of cycling per Brooks. I am curious.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Has anyone used Brooks Cambium C15 or similar modern Brooks saddle? I always thought they are not suitable for super light carbon road bikes and skipped right over them. I finally have a bike on which this will look good (I guess). But how are they in comfort department? The Cambium is not leather but rather some flexible rubber and the shape is suitable for all types of cycling per Brooks. I am curious.

I have a leather Brooks on my Brompton but that’s obviously heavy. Just intuitively, my association with Brooks is more on the lines of comfort and for more of the commuting / lifestyle sort of cycling (my perception - I haven’t researched this). I haven’t necessarily explored them in the context of a light saddle for high performance road cycling on a super light carbon road bike. Better to look at the more conventional ‘high performance and light’ options there I would imagine.

Above is just my perception again. I haven’t specifically checked out this Brooks model.

[amol4184]

So. I went and tried the Cambium C15 on someone else's bike. The saddle even though is not real leather looks very much like leather and the workmanship is fantastic. The shape does not look too odd on road bike. The fake texture is on point and will fool onlookers into believing into leather. But that's where the goodness ends. For one, its a pretty penny at $160 and not very comfortable which is odd because Brooks are known for comfort. I guess its hard to beat real leather. Giving it a pass for now. Oh and it weighs a whopping 450 grams.
Might look into 3D printed carbon saddle next which are light and yet not hard like usual carbon saddles.

[itisravi]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Might look into 3D printed carbon saddle next which are light and yet not hard like usual carbon saddles.

If you don't mind experimenting with Chinese ones, there are some nice options on Ebay/Aliexpress ."Mixed 5D carbon saddle" is one. There are also options from more popular brands from Rockbros or WestBiking that are a bit more expensive, but still a lot cheaper than global brands. All these weigh less than 200 grams.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by itisravi

If you don't mind experimenting with Chinese ones, there are some nice options on Ebay/Aliexpress ."Mixed 5D carbon saddle" is one. There are also options from more popular brands from Rockbros or WestBiking that are a bit more expensive, but still a lot cheaper than global brands. All these weigh less than 200 grams.

I have the Mixed 5D! The shape of that saddle is somewhat uncomfortable. It has higher than normal raised back that continuously pushes you forward. Weighs an astonishing 116 grams though. Its amazing in that little weight they have managed to sneak in a layer of foam too.

I did go ahead and got a proper 3D printed saddle and the comfort is really, really good while clocking in at 184 grams - not bad. The top layer is 3D printed mesh that is spongy thus eliminating the need for a foam layer.



That mesh is a two bladed sword. Its rather comfortable on one hand and on the other its a nightmare to clean. There are hundreds of nooks and crannies that accumulate dirt. Its still dry and warm here and I could just blow the dirt away but once it starts to rain and mud gets in there, the only way to clean it would be take it off the bike and wash it under the faucet

I will report how it sustains the regular usage. For the price, it feels and looks amazing. The whole thing is one solid unit without any seams or joints. No signs of glue either. I suspect they printed the saddle rails too.