The TL;DR Pros & Cons: These are my experiences. Everyone's body is different, so saddles will fit people differently. In general this saddle is highly rated by a lot of customers, so it is likely a good fit for the wide variety of riders, but if you have some a unique physical inclination, it may not be for you. Pros: - Very comfortable, despite how thin & unpadded it looks - Cut out relieved the genital numbness and overall discomfort issues I was having while riding my road bike. - Price was just right. Paid about $100 at the time. I know that might be expensive for some people, as it's more than what they paid for their bikes. It's all relative, and to me the comfort is worth it. - Weatherproofing really works! - I am a big fan of the look (and lack of maintenance) on my bike compared to Brooks' traditional leather saddles. Now my only issue is that my bike looks faster than I actually am. Oh well. Cons: - Sizing was kind of tough to determine, and I ultimately ended up buying the wrong size. - The saddle is on the heavier side, so if you're someone that's concerned about component weights, this saddle might not be for you. - The vulcanized surface of the seat is not very slick. Hard to describe, but it's not sticky or tacky in the sense where it will leave a residue if you touch it, but it will kind of catch at your clothing a little bit. As a male rider, I was experiencing some issues with numbness and discomfort with the boys downstairs, even on relatively short (12mi.) rides. After some research, I found that a saddle with a cutout was likely what would help relieve my issues. I'd read a lot about the supreme comfort of Brooks' leather saddles, but frankly didn't care for the leather look on my road bike, as well as the maintenance that goes with them. Then I found Brooks' Cambium line. The saddle looks very thin with minimal padding, which would lead you to believe that it won't be comfortable, but contrary to popular belief, my online research told me that thinner saddles with less padding are actually more comfortable in the long run than extremely padded saddles. Still do not completely understand how that makes sense, but it seems to be true in this case. Not only was it comfortable, but also the cut-out in the saddle resolved the numbness issues I was having. You're welcome, my future children. I did it for you. Sizing was a question that I had, and it ended up being kind of hard to determine which model I needed between C15, C17, or C19. Somehow, I was lead to believe that the C17 was the right size for me and my riding (road bike riding, with a bike frame that puts me in a less relaxed, more aggressive position). I am an average build (5'10 x 180lbs), and the saddle was actually a little too wide. My sit bones started to feel a little sore on longer rides. If I could do it again, I'd go narrower with the C15 (and I actually have bought a C15 carved because I like the saddle so much). The C17, as I found out later, was built more for women, since women have wider sit bones then men, as well as people who have bikes that put them in a more relaxed and upright position (i.e. not me.). Other than that, the saddle is everything that has been advertised, and I don't see myself looking for a different saddle anytime soon.
