STAGE
BODHI CYCLING
For my internship, I had the opportunity to work at Bodhi Cycling, a company in Antwerp that specialises in designing and manufacturing custom-made cycling clothing. They focus on creating personalised designs for small to medium-sized cycling teams.
As a fashion technology intern, I was mainly involved in working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop - two tools that play a central role in the design process.
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A gallery showing some designs that I made during my internship. They are based on clear briefings from clients.
Gallery
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Bachelor Thesis
This bachelor thesis explores the seating comfort of female cyclists and how anatomical factors—such as pelvic structure, pelvic tilt, and sit bone width—influence the design of cycling apparel, particularly the chamois. The current market is largely based on male anatomy, which often leads to complaints among women, including chafing, sit bone pain, and general pressure discomfort.
To further investigate this issue, follow-up measurements were conducted with 37 female participants. These included sit bone width (measured using a gel pad), pelvic tilt (determined with an inclinometer), and body scans. Participants also completed a questionnaire covering age, BMI, childbirth history, and cycling behavior—factors previously linked to pelvic positioning.
The analysis revealed significant correlations between pelvic tilt and factors such as BMI, body type, and cycling experience. In particular, women with wider hips and more cycling experience more frequently showed anterior pelvic tilt, which affects saddle pressure distribution. Additionally, body type proved to be a better predictor of sit bone width than BMI or childbirth history.
The findings highlight the need for anatomically personalized chamois pads to improve cycling comfort for women. Based on these insights, an initial conceptual matrix was developed to support personalized chamois selection. However, further validation with a larger and more diverse study group, as well as refined measurement methods, is necessary to optimize and apply this matrix in practice.
My Matrix
The measurements show that younger women more often exhibit an anterior pelvic tilt, while women aged 45 to 60 tend to adopt a more neutral posture. This finding deviates from the existing literature, where age is typically described as an influential factor. BMI also appears to be related to pelvic position: women with a higher BMI more frequently show a pronounced anterior tilt, possibly due to reduced muscle strength.
Parity also plays a role: women with multiple children more often exhibit a slight anterior pelvic tilt, although the time since their last pregnancy suggests that recovery is possible. Furthermore, experienced cyclists—especially those who have been active for over 10 years—more frequently display a pronounced anterior tilt, likely due to prolonged time spent in cycling posture.
In terms of sit bone width, no significant correlation was found with BMI or parity, but a clear relationship emerged with body shape. Women with a pear or hourglass figure generally have wider sit bones compared to those with a rectangular body shape. These insights support the argument that chamois design should not rely solely on clothing size but should also consider bone structure and body shape.
Additionally, body scan data revealed that a larger hip circumference is associated with both a greater sit bone width and a higher occurrence of anterior pelvic tilt. These findings provide valuable input for the development of future custom-designed cycling shorts.
