A Very Special Turbo

 

This past weekend, I took a trip back to the frigid tundra of DeKalb for a goodbye gathering in honor of my friend and former co-worker at NCC, Ross. He'll be escaping to SanDiego soon, never to be seen again. T.J. made the venture even more worth while when he surprised me with this awesome old Selle Italia Turbo "Bio" saddle.

This saddle was all too familiar. I had been lusting after it ever since the previous owner had taken his beautiful old Raleigh into our shop for a full overhaul, with this saddle mounted to a Dura-Ace post. I put a great deal of effort into that overhaul, meticulously removing every ball bearing from the headset, hubs and bottom bracket, cleaning them, and repacking them with fresh grease. I got the bike running buttery smooth, and all the while, I couldn't help but think of what a nice addition this saddle would make to my growing collection of Turbos. Well, turns out the owner was a co-worker of T.J.'s, and somehow he talked him into replacing it with something a bit more "comfy". Win/win situation I guess. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it, but for now it looks nice sitting on the shelf in my home office.

Brooks Cambium - Available Now

The new Brooks Cambium saddles are now available! I unfortunately didn't get the chance to test one out, but I would really consider purchasing one. There are two versions currently available - a mens and women's - and while it's not made of leather, it looks to be extremely comfortable while still maintaining the classic Brooks aesthetic. The shape looks great, it's maintenance free, covered in organic cotton canvas, completely waterproof, and also vegan. Essentially, it's a Brooks saddle without any of the downsides of a typical Brooks saddle. There will be an even narrower race-oriented version available soon too. I'm so curious to see one in person!

Get more info here.

The Brooks Cambium

Brooks will soon be introducing a brand new "vegan friendly" saddle called the Cambium (C17). I am not really opposed to using leather products, but from what I can see, this saddle looks to be a very promising alternative. It's made from a "uniquely flexible natural rubber and organic cotton top", which makes this saddle maintenance free and perhaps a bit less delicate than a traditional leather Brooks. The shape and look reminds me of the classic Selle San Marco Regal saddles. I'd love to get a hold of one of these, and you can register to test one here.

More info here.