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Saddle pressure makes riding bikes a real pain—literally. But the all-new Women’s Power Saddle with MIMIC technology makes numbness and pain disappear with a design that mimics the body’s response to different types of pressure to create equilibrium within soft tissue.
Making Uncomfortable Subjects Comfortable Again
Society says it’s an uncomfortable subject, but guess what? Many women experience saddle pain and numbness on their labia when they ride, and it has real consequences. Some women will ride less, some will quit riding altogether, and in extreme cases, some will even seek surgical intervention.
This isn’t OK with us, so we set about solving the issue once and for all with the all-new Women’s Power Saddle with MIMIC technology. Harnessing decades of Body Geometry knowledge and methodology, this revolutionary saddle’s been ergonomically designed and scientifically tested to provide structural and anatomical support, while also reducing pressure on “sensitive areas.”
No more suffering in silence—no more suffering at all. So what if society is uncomfortable hearing about pain and numbness on your vagina (or more accurately, your labia)? That’s no reason for you to be uncomfortable on your bike.
How It Works
This is the saddle that puts you first. True to all Body Geometry products, this saddle has been ergonomically designed and scientifically tested to reduce pressure and to provide the structural support needed for blood flow to key areas. The multi-layer cushioning system molded into the saddle, meanwhile, prevents overly high pressure on soft tissue, so you can do longer rides with more comfort.
The Road To Comfort
Where there’s a will Dr. Andy Pruitt and his team find a way. And to get to this design, they built on the foundation of Body Geometry: Identify a problem, solve it through design, and validate it with science.
1. Identify the Problem
To solve this “suffer in silence” problem, the team first had to find women from all cycling disciplines that were willing to talk about it. They created a core group of over 20 women, including Alison Tetrick, and split them into data collection and saddle prototype tester groups. And throughout the development phase, this group provided rider insight and testing data of the highest order.
Using a mix of traditional and non-traditional data collection methods, like heat mapping, modelling, anatomical markers, and good ol’ fashioned rider feedback, Andy’s team was ready to move to the next phase—prototyping.
2. Interpret the Findings
One of the most surprising things the team found concerned the cutout. While traditional heat mapping identified pressure on the nose and rear of the saddle, non-traditional testing with anatomical markers showed that, for some women, soft tissue was actually swelling through the cutout. The solution wasn’t filling in the cutout, though. Instead, it required a foam that provided support without adding a pressure of its own. And with that, MIMIC was born.
3. Provide the Solution
Need a saddle truly designed for women? You have to test, test, test. In fact, this saddle is one of the most tested in our history. Rapid prototyping gave Andy and his team instant feedback on how different foam densities and placements affected the ride. And by matching the tissue density between the saddle and the body—“mimicking” soft tissue—the saddle stands alone in combining the firm support that the sit bones want with the density-matched firmness your body needs.
For more information visit their website: https://www.specialized.com/za/en/power-saddle-mimic