Introduction

GLORIA LIU recently published a magnificent article on Bicycling.com titled “Cycling’s Silent Epidemic” . This excerpt alone will hopefully explain the entire rationale for the project.

In 2023, Bicycling conducted its own survey. The results were startling: Nearly 50 percent of the female respondents told us they had long-term genital swelling or disfigurement, while 16 percent experienced ongoing numbness. Twelve of the 89 respondents—all amateurs but one—said their issues were serious enough to consider or undergo surgery. Women shared that they often rode in pain, cut rides short, or had to take long breaks from the bike.

If you haven’t read the article then please do. A huge step forward would be just promoting this article virally. It’s fantastic and exactly what we need to see more of. So why are we doing this project? Many women are finding well-marketed women-specific saddles just aren’t working for them and they are left lost thinking it must just be them. So we need to figure out why they aren’t working, what needs to change and how we spread the information and overcome the bike companies’ marketing departments who let’s be honest, want to make everyone believe that one size fits all.