Brooks England just announced their most sustainable saddle yet in the Cambium series. The new C17 Special Recycled Nylon saddle uses sustainably-harvested natural rubber in pursuit of a comfortable ride. From there, it layers on rewoven “industrial remainders” to create a semi-coarse nylon surface.
Brooks England also makes the C17’s nosepiece and backplate from an intriguingly-named substance called Liquid Wood. The innovative biopolymer comes from by-products of industrial paper production and, Brooks says, it is 100% biodegradable.
Stainless steel tubular rails and distinctive aluminum rivets finish off the dapper saddle. It weighs 392 grams (claimed).
Liquid Wood’s parent company, Aesop Technologies, says the substance has similar thermal and mechanical properties as wood because it shares the same main ingredients. Lignin, cellulose, and sugars are among its key components. The proprietary material, Aesop says, can be processed on conventional plastic manufacturing systems.
“Natural rubber from trees,” as Brooks England puts it, is simple enough. The nylon recycling process is somewhat less obvious — the brand sources nylon, such as from a cutting room floor, as raw material, then weaves it into a fabric that it can vulcanize to the C17’s rubber base.
We’ve asked for further clarification from Brooks on the process and will report back once we have more information.
The C17 Special Recycled Nylon comes in two colors: cream, and a debonair black.
It starts at MSRP $150.
