Understanding Saddle Comfort: A Rider Experience Study
A research project at Shimano Pro exploring how cyclists perceive and articulate saddle comfort — not through biomechanics, but through their own words.
User Research, Prototype Testing, Product Development
During a product development internship at Shimano, I investigated a deceptively simple question: does moving a saddle forward actually help cyclists — and if so, when? Rather than assuming a single "correct" position exists, I ran a controlled study combining 3D motion capture, saddle pressure mapping, and rider-reported body feeling across flat and climbing conditions. The finding that mattered most wasn't a number — it was that a forward saddle position changes how effort is distributed through the body, but that change isn't universally beneficial. It depends on the rider and the terrain.
Impact
Process
Reflection
23
riders surveyed about saddle discomfort
9 / 23
said adjusting their saddle correctly was hard
6
testing from professional riders
Those who feels their body more can master their performance on the bike.
An observation from a six month internship
First prototype
Version 3rd prototype
The project's contribution wasn't a single design fix — it was a way of testing that Shimano didn't have before: cross-validating what riders' bodies were doing (motion), what their bodies were carrying (pressure), and what they said they felt (perception), to separate a genuine mechanical benefit from a rider simply compensating.
Delivered a testing and cross-validation protocol that distinguishes real biomechanical benefit from compensation — reusable beyond this one study.
Findings converged on one clear, evidence-based recommendation: build in adjustability, not a fixed forward position — the benefit of a forward saddle appeared specifically under climbing, for some riders, not as a universal upgrade.
Handed engineering three concrete next-step questions instead of a vague "make it better": what adjustment range is effective, how does switching behave during sustained climbing, and how stable is control during the transition.