Bachelor Thesis | During my last year as a student Industrial Product Development (2018) in Kortrijk I designed a new range of saddles in collaboration with Ridley bikes and their components brand Forza. Their current saddle range wasn't up to date and didn't meet the requirements of amateur and professional bike riders.
Unlike popular believe it's not the softness of the padding but the shape of the saddle that determines the comfort of the saddle. THe padding has shifted to the shorts of the riders for sportive use so a harder but better shaped saddle fit's the requirements for this application.
Link to behance:
IDEATION | After Thorough market research i used sketching to form a first idea of the final saddle. Theses ideas were prototyped using clay and foam so they could be tested on a bike.
Usage tests | testing these saddles on bikes was the next step. I used a couple of these on my own bike for longer rides but i also asked some family and friends to have a quick spin on the saddles. THeir remarks were translated in some adaptations in the designs.
CAD-designs | Based on those final adjustments i made these CAD-models. These could be the base for a small production and further testing for longer periodes of time by a larger group of people.
