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.

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.

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.