There’s nothing worse than a numb backside on a long ride. For female riders especially, finding the perfect saddle is a tough task and one that requires a lot of research and pre-planning. Striking the perfect balance between helping you lay down the watts, and providing a plush surface for your tush, the new women’s Power Saddle with MIMIC technology significantly reduces the pressure and improves comfort, power and performance in bucketloads.
Relieving the pressure
As one of the main contact points on the bike, the saddle sees a lot of action, particularly over long, arduous rides. These longer riders can cause a nasty build-up of pressure downstairs and soon lead to numbness and even niggling sores. There are many ‘comfort saddles’ to choose from to try and alleviate this kind of pressure, but none quite match the superiority of our new Women’s Power Saddle with MIMIC technology.
The saddle mimics the soft tissue of the rider up top, alleviating pressure, numbness and discomfort for just about any kind of cyclist, whether you’re shredding gravel, or racking up the miles on the road, this saddle compliments any kind of riding.
The long road to comfort
This saddle has been in development for the best part of two years. Dr Andy Pruitt, creator of the Body Geometry concept, and his stalwart design team worked alongside female gravel world champ, Alison Tetrick, and 22 other women to design the ‘perfect saddle’ for female riders.
The women were split into two groups, data collection and saddle prototype testers, and throughout the development phase, these groups fed back and provided crucial rider insight and testing data. By utilising a mix of heat mapping, modelling, anatomical markers and good ol’ fashioned rider feedback, Dr Pruitt and his team were ready to move onto the next phase in the creation of this ‘perfect saddle’.
When it came to prototyping, the team discovered that a lot of the design rested upon the cutout; anatomical markers indicated that soft tissue was actually swelling through the cutout of early prototypes. The answer didn’t lie with filling in the cutout, but rather placing a unique foam inside that provided support without adding pressure of its own. And that is how MIMIC technology was born.
Lifting the lid on MIMIC technology
Once MIMIC technology took to the stage, Dr Pruitt and his team worked tirelessly on finding which foam placement and density achieved that ‘perfect saddle’ feel. By matching the tissue density between the saddle and the body, mimicking soft tissue, the saddle was able to provide all the firm support that the sit bones want, with all the density-matched firmness that the body needs.
Unique MIMIC technologies can be found across the saddle, with multiple densities of foam placed strategically around the saddle to create the perfect blend of comfort, power and performance. At the nose of the saddle, a soft foam eliminates pressure. At the rear, a firmer but equally as comfortable foam provides sit bone support, delivering that firmness needed for optimum power transfer. Finally, in the cutout, there is a soft memory foam that delivers the best anatomical support imaginable – all to help prevent soft tissue swelling on sensitive areas.
This multi-layer cushion of foam helps you to adopt the most comfortable and efficient riding position possible, allowing you to ride both faster and a whole lot further. A good position ensures that you’ll be perched on your sit bones, rather than your arteries, nerves and soft tissues – in other words, it’s one damn comfy saddle.
Comfort for all
Not only can the Women’s Power Saddle be used on just about any bike, it can also be found in a wide range of widths to suit just about every body type. The saddles range from 143mm in width all the way to 168mm, ensuring that every size of rider is catered for.
If you’re unsure which width would be best suited to you, then don’t hesitate to send us a quick e-mail or visit one of our stores to hear our expert recommendations based on your sit bone measurements.
MIMIC technology has allowed us to create one of our comfiest saddles yet, something that Alison Tetrick, 2018 gravel world champ certainly agrees with.
“I’ve always been a little bit of a Goldilocks when it came to saddle comfort, and MIMIC has given me the ‘just right.’ Everyone is unique, from our riding styles to our bodies, to what feels comfortable. I believe MIMIC will change the cycling world with its technology that allows us to find our own ‘just right’ comfortable.”
If you want to get your hands on one of these super saddles, then be sure to view the whole range here, or perhaps pop into one of our stores to try one out before you buy.
