SamSpade1941 

A while back I purchased a Ridley X-Fire cyclocross bike not so much to use for cross racing even though I am giving that a small bit of thought for the future. Rather I wanted a gravel bike , but I just can't afford a new purpose built gravel rig. Over the weekend I finally finished my overhaul of the bike which involved replacing the rather tired Ultegra 6700 10 speed group with a new 105 R7000 11 speed group. Other changes made were to remove the FSA 44cm cross bars and really long stem / then installing an 80mm stem and 48cm Whisky gravel drop bars. I also purchased a new set of Velocity hoops and Shimano 105 R7000 hubs and a 11-34 R7000 cassette. Last but not least I also went with a Brooks Cambium saddle which I must say is actually not bad .

When I completed the build yesterday evening around 4pm it was starting to get dark , so I was unable to go for a really long ride, but the first thing I noticed was how nice the ride was on this bike, granted I do have 35mm tires on the bike but I was genuinely surprised how nice this carbon frame actually rides. Hopefully over Thanksgiving weekend I will be able to get out and his some unpaved trails and some gravel.

superdex

nice ride. check your saddle tilt

SamSpade1941 

actually the cambium saddles from what I’ve read on various places around the web tend to need to be tilted down . That is ultimately where it felt right I may futz with it more but they do not sit nose up like a leather saddle Which is what I usually ride at least that is I know this from riding it a little bit , you’re not gonna slip off the texture is seems abrasive enough that you don’t go anywhere .

however you probably know all this already.

mstateglfr 

Leather saddles have the nose up because they act like a hammock to keep you planted.
Cambium should be set up like every other saddle- just flat and neutral. Then from there, you can tweak it if needed to point a direction that is more comfortable.
A saddle tilting down naturally leads to more weight being placed on the wrists because its a constant push back to keep you from sliding forward.

But in the end, whatever is most comfortable is whats best. Everyone has different body geometry, limitations, and abilities- and seatposts adjust for a reason.

Speaking of the saddle- I need to buy a weatherproof Cambium and see what the difference is over the regular. Im close to wearing out the top of one of my regular C17s. I really like that your weatherproof Cambium is black(vs the faded gray of all mine).

Chi_Z

all weather cambium uses nylon outer compared to cotton on the regular

tFUnK

Sweet bike. I personally found the high BB on the Ridleys to not be great for the gravel riding that I do, but ymmv. I was also able to fit 40mm (measured width) tires but my frame was an alloy model.

Hmmm

What makes the high BB on a Ridley not great for the gravel riding that you do?

tFUnK

It just felt too high and not as stable. This was particularly noticeable on extended climbs and descents.