Toward painless road-cycling for women: Innovative pressure distribution through lattice-based seat pads.

This article focuses on investigating pressure distributions and related discomfort in female road cyclists to develop a novel, individualized cycling short pad. A study with 29 experienced female athletes used a specially designed measurement saddle to capture static and dynamic pelvic pressure molds, which were digitized and analyzed to reveal individual loading patterns and correlations with subjective discomfort and anthropometric data. Based on these pressure data, a heterogeneous lattice-structured pad prototype was designed and additively manufactured using stereolithography, aiming to reduce genital area pressure and improve comfort. The study demonstrates a validated process pipeline for creating customized pads tailored to female cyclists' anatomical and biomechanical needs, addressing a gap in female-specific cycling equipment research.