When you’re out riding, the only thing you want to be thinking about is how to rail that berm, jump that gap, fly through that rock garden… and how sweet those post-ride drinks with your friends will be.

You don’t want to be distracted by uncomfortable kit, a rucksack that rubs, numbness in your fingers or – worst of all – pain in your private parts from a saddle.

Specialized spends as much time researching what kit each rider needs and how to give them the comfort and performance they deserve as they do making rad bikes.

The same huge body fit database, with thousands of points of fit and size data from men and women, that Specialized uses to build bikes is also used to understand how to solve those issues, and this isn’t a new development. Specialized has been working on it’s Body Geometry system for 25 years, identifying issues, finding ways of solving them, and using cutting-edge research and extensive amounts of data to ensure that it’s got the right solution.

Body and bike in harmony

Saddles were where it all started, and the latest innovation is Specialized’s ground-breaking Mimic technology. Working with researchers at the Boulder Centre of Sports Medicine, Specialized conducted the most exhaustive pressure-mapping study it’s ever conducted to fully understand what was happening with women. The result is a saddle technology that uses different densities of memory foam and structural support in the saddle that’s designed to mimic the soft tissue resting on it. Mimic technology is now available in three different saddle shapes – Power, Romin and Phenom – and a range of price points so no women need to suffer saddle pain again.

Secure and discreet

But if we’re talking saddle comfort, the saddle is only part of the equation – the chamois and short design is also critical. The women’s SWAT bib shorts have a custom chamois that’s designed to work with Specialized saddles perfectly.

And if you’re working to ensure comfort and performance, it’s not just about stopping pain – what about solving all those other annoyances while you’re at it, like where to put your stuff while you’re riding?

Stash your stuff

Those SWAT bibs are constructed from a breathable stretchy mesh, and there are pockets galore – three at the back including a secure zipped pocket, one on each thigh, and a hook for keeping your keys secure. Plenty of room for a bottle, snacks, wallet and multi-tool without lugging a sweaty backpack around. And for the top half? How about a jersey constructed from a fabric that’s actively designed to repel sunlight and offers UV50+ protection, is breathable, and still tough enough to handle unexpected sideways dismounts – because let’s face it, we all crash sometimes.

The correct kit helps you find your flow

The ultimate goal? You and your bike working in perfect harmony, so you can focus on finding that flow.