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Want to keep your sex life and your bike?

SARAH BOESVELD

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:30 PM EST 14/08/08

Consider buying a noseless seat, experts say ...Read the full article

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  1. Darcy McGee from United States writes: Yeah. Ok.

    I've been cycling to work every day for three years, in addition to quite a bit of pleasure cycling. For years before that I spent hours in the saddle. Basically, since I was 17 I'm a cycling madman.

    Last year, my girlfriend wound up pregnant (she said it was medically impossible which, if true, would suggest that I'm overly potent.)

    So impotency? I don't think so. Bad bike fit would contribute, but the saddle design is not inherently bad.

    Or maybe I'm not riding enough.

    There's nothing wrong with alternative saddles, but they're not for everyone and they're not absolutely necessary.
  2. Mr. Roadrocket from Ottawa, Canada writes: This is a story that keeps coming back to the cycling community, over and over again. Like Darcy McGee, the first poster, I too ride to work every day and I also train a lot for races and have just returned from ten days cycling in the French Alps. I am 52 and have never had any problem with numbness and I attribute this to simple precautions such as getting fitted properly on the bike, standing up and stretching every so often, and having an excellent bicycle saddle. The noseless saddle, according to accounts I have read, causes bicycle control issues since you turn with your hips as much as with the handlebars. Most serious cyclists will tell you that the overall conditioning you get from cycling enhances your sexual life.
  3. john shantz from Canada writes: Most serious cyclists will tell you that the overall conditioning you get from cycling enhances your sexual life.

    Seems like the person to ask is not the serious cyclist.....but rather his partner.
  4. D K from Canaduh, Canada writes: I too do alot of cycling. I plan on switching to the newer nose type seats which have an opening in the center to releave pressure in the sensitive areas.

    At 41, I don't have any issues so far (knock on wood).

    The noseless saddle puts more pressure on your arms, hands, etc. and I don't need anymore.
  5. Omnibot 2000 from Canada writes: Darcy McGee, keep a close eye on whether your kid comes out resembling the milkman.
  6. Jim Vickers from Winnipeg, Canada writes: I began cycling to work 10 k on a road bike with a hard leather saddle over a gravel road at the age of 39. This soon lead to a case of blood in the urine. Later with a mountain bike and much softer saddle I still noticed numbness in the groin area after a ride. I found some saddles with a groove down the middle that took pressure of the nerves in that area and I never had problems again, so there are different solutions to these problems.
    I am glad that another solution is on the market for those who suffer injury because of time spent on bicycles. This new saddle, has the drawback of increasing the loading on the shoulders,hands and arms which may bring other problems. A good set of cycling gloves will likely be mandatory
  7. tommycycle w from Vancouver, Canada writes: I ride 10,000 KM a year on 5 different bikes; they all have regular saddles and I've never had more than temporary numbness (disappears after getting out of the saddle for 5 - 10 seconds). A lot of it comes down to correct saddle height, fore and aft position, and ensuring your saddle doesn't tilt forward or back. Most bike shops will either be able to fit you to your bike correctly, or know of an expert bike fitter that can do so.
    I've also heard that noseless saddles totally change your balance on the bike (inner thigh pressure on the saddle nose comes into play in balancing correctly, particularly when you need to ride with either no hands, or only one hand on the handlebar). Still, they have obviously made a difference for some men; they're just not for everybody.
  8. Hydrogen Bob from Toronto, Canada writes: I have had numbness issues in the past. A slight adjustment of the seat fixed that. Numbness is a not something to take lightly, however buying a new seat is not the only solution. Get your bike fitted by a professional! There are also seats designed specifically for women, and given that women are physiologically different than men in that area, this is a much more necessary product. Many women I have met cycling swear by these seats.
  9. James O'Keefe from Toronto, Canada writes: D K from Canaduh, Canada writes: I too do alot of cycling. I plan on switching to the newer nose type seats which have an opening in the center to releave pressure in the sensitive areas. At 41, I don't have any issues so far (knock on wood). The noseless saddle puts more pressure on your arms, hands, etc. and I don't need anymore. --------------------------- I agree with DK. I bike about 40km/day (weather permitting) on a mountainbike on pothole riddled roads. My seat is padded with a groove down the middle, and my biking shorts have a but pad and chamois groin cloth. Also keeps my junk up out of the way. I do get a lot of pain - in my hands and arms. The only sexual problems I suffer is that I don't get enough. And I'm older than DK.
  10. Cara Seekell from Hall, Montana, United States writes: I work for MoonSaddle, a noseless bicycle saddle manufacturer. I hope I can clear up some of the bad information being passed along in this conversation. 1. Not ALL people who ride a traditional saddle will experience symptoms. BUT, SOME of those people will still have issues they may not be aware of. A lot of medical research has PROVEN that the nose on traditional saddles can cause numbness, sexual dysfunction, low sperm count, prostate issues, urinary tract issues, and a host of other problems that over time can become permanent. That is FACT. I would take Dr. Schrader's word on that more so than anyone in this conversation, including my own. 2. Increased pressure on arms and legs can be alleviated by properly adjusting your noseless saddle. And yes, proper adjustment of a traditional seat is crucial, but no amount of adjustment takes away the soft tissue pressure caused by the nose. 3. Control is not an issue, at least with our saddle, many riders ride hands free. 4. Saddles with a groove down the middle have been shown to INCREASE pressure, rather than alleviate pressure, as your soft tissues drop down into the groove and receive pressure from all sides. I have proof. See WebMd http://men.webmd.com/features/biking-and-erectile-dysfunction-a-real-risk. 5. I get letters, emails and phone calls every day from people who simply cannot ride a regular saddle due to discomfort or more serious issues, such as scar tissue or other health problems caused from their regular saddle. They thank me for being able to ride again and for being comfortable for a change. They always ask "Why didn't anyone think of this years and years ago???" You can't dispute that, the proof is in the puddin' (or so they say). Hope that is helpful.
  11. Dr Demento from Canada writes: I thought the only saddles manufactured in Montana were for horses . . .
  12. Ferris Bueller from Bragg Creek, Canada writes: Prostrate problems? Diificulty lying down, I guess...
  13. Hornsworth Portswiler from Canada writes: any thoughts on padded bicycle shorts? I used them on my last trip but wasn't sure about the results... may be they create more pressure?
  14. H K from winnipeg, Canada writes: I'm guessing there needs to be more public education on the topic of tissue damage in men who cycle; only then will products like this gain in popularity.
  15. James O'Keefe from Toronto, Canada writes: Cara - thanks for the post. Hornsworth - I've got the padded shorts. Helps on long rides, but it does squeeze the nards.
  16. Darcy McGee from United States writes: No, there needs to be more education on the topic of bike fit (which includes alternative products such as this, but does not exclude products which have remained unchanged for decades with no ill effects.)
  17. Gord Lewis from the seat of power, Canada writes: D K from Canaduh, Canada writes . . . At 41, I don't have any issues so far (knock on wood).

    ___________________________________________

    Knock on wood? Yes! Good choice of words LOL

    The reason I don't cycle anymore is simply the mortal danger . . . erectile dysfunction is not really my biggest fear when being hunted down by a monster pickup.
  18. Kevin Desmoulin from TO, Canada writes: I like to try the new seat see how it hold up to my riding. I also think who going to keep riding around with your manhood going numb. Just common sense, Man we whack our selves enough on these bikes.
  19. Able Bodied Man from It's NOT 'VICTORIA' Island, Canada writes:
    Now I know why all my friends call me numbnuts.
  20. Able Bodied Man from It's NOT 'VICTORIA' Island, Canada writes:
    Ahem. Let's ask the Chinese for their input.

    But first, we ought to seriously consider the postives. This could be a method of birth control, a way to reduce STDs, part of the war against prostitution, and a forward step in dealing with sexual harrassment at work.
  21. Private Person from Toronto, Canada writes: I found the grooved saddle very helpful. I also wonder about padded shorts. I found that a $25 Raleigh grooved saddle from Crappy Tire was a great improvement over the hard saddle that came on my bike. previoously, with or without padded shorts, I had pain in the perinium. Now, with the changed saddle, I am ok with or without padded shorts.

    So for me the saddle was the key. When I look at the saddle in this story I can't imagine how I'd control my bike off-road without the saddle's "nose" between my legs. When one stands to pedal, one needs the nose between one's thighs to control the bike. Remove it and you're restricted to level paved surfaces, not my style of riding.
  22. Emilio Garazgos from Kanata, Canada writes: I'm 55 yrs old and cycle over 10,000 kms per year (on a road bike, a hybrid and in winter, a mountain bike) using a grooved saddle on the road bike, and ungrooved (but cushioned) ones on the hybrid and mtn bikes.

    Neither NumbNads nor erectile dysfunction have ever been issues. If anything, the opposite of the latter condition would be true.

    Correct saddle height and proper saddle tilt definitely make a difference.

    Aside from proper saddle adjustment, I suspect that people who experience numbnuts probably just haven't been cycling enough to toughen up their perineums.

    I have tried noseless saddles (both storebought and home-made) but didn't like them, ultimately returning to the old-fashioned nosey kind. But I will say that I never understood the attraction of those rock-hard, skinny-nosed (and very expensive) leather saddles that used to be common.
  23. John E. Boy from Vancouver, Canada writes: I am sure you will find somebody... somewhere...who has a problem with something...sometime. The writer of this article presents her information as if the noseless saddle is the be all and end all solution. Fly-by-night inventors came up with the electric-bike, the folding bike, the automatic bike and other ideas ad nauseum. For 10 years I have cycled 75 kilometres per day and have not heard a peep from my Johnson. At the age of 49 he still roars when he wants to. Being properly fitted to the bike is the best education anyone can have. My biggest problems followed a continuous 400-kilometre ride. My wrists and back bore the brunt of the strain.
  24. Chilled One from Canada writes: What absolute nonsense. The physical benefits of rigorous cycling will trump any negative "erectile dysfunction" issues caused by the bike seat. I can send you my gf's phone number and you can ask her yourself. Just keep your hands off my bike. LOL
  25. Jo Blo from Canada writes: "mostly those with existing prostrate problems"

    you mean "prostate"

    Why is this news? An alternative to the saddle seat has existed since almost the time bicycles were invented: the girl's seat.

    I think that it was invented during the Victorian era, just in case girls started enjoying themselves. Much like when respectable women rode horses side-saddle.

    I suppose we can't have men ride on a girl's seat because of the risk of being called a sissy. Very bad for marketing. So they had to invent the noseless seat. Very clever.

    I understand the issues when males ride girl's bikes. I have a bit of experience myself in this. My first bike was a girl's bike. That's because my father figured that it would be handed down to my sister, so it might was well be a girl's bike at the outset. You can imagine the teasing that went on from my peers. And that's when I was 7 years old!

    What will they think of next?
  26. skeptical Observer from Canada writes: i ve always wondered how it was possible to improve on a design where when you sit on the seat your crushing your boys.
  27. Tracy Bracy from TORONTO, Canada writes: I love love love being a girl!
  28. michael d'ailleurs from magog, Canada writes: 51 and ride 10,000k/season. The saddle has to be adjusted properly- setback, height AND LEVEL.Buy the best shorts you can, some will work better for you than others. I use a 135gram San Marco Aspide Fx , ultra hard, it works for me cause it fits my sitbones and supports me well. If you're riding 125k and more without a break, you can't expect any saddle to compare with your Lazyboy at home.My 2 cents.
  29. Charlotte Creamer from Halifax, Canada writes: Just a thought, but maybe it's the bending forward that's the problem..... how about giving those recumbent bikes a whirl?.... I mean, if you really want to cycle, and it's giving you (blush...) Male Issues, then it's at least worth a try.... I hear people who ride them get hooked and never go back to the standard cycle style. Good luck! I can't imagine having to choose between (blush blush....) sex and cycling, but if I were forced to choose -- I'D CHOOSE CYCLING!!!! :0)
  30. 1938371 1938371 from Vancouver, Canada writes: I cycled to and from work daily for 10 yrs. 22 k. Because we lean slightly forward to reach the handlebars, it was obviously necessary to adjust the seat with the nose slightly pointing downward as opposed to horizontal or point upwards else it would point into the crotch area and against the natural contour of the body while riding a bike. Another factor may be that often cyclists are very young and very thin and they may be more vulnerably than the average cyclist who carries slightly more weight (fat) to cushion the ride and offer more protection.
  31. Doug Fairbanks from Toronto, Canada writes: One source of noseless bicycle seats is SpongyWonder.com. I’ve been using a Spongy Wonder seat for a number of years now and find it to be an improvement in comfort in the crotch area from the gel cushion seat I formerly used. But I do find that I get some numbness in the palms, despite using padded handlebars and gloves.
  32. Richie Rich from Sar Chasm, Canada writes: One of the problems I see is that people believe the bigger the seat, the greater the comfort and alleviation to problems such as this. They look at my bike seats which are very small and narrow, and say, wow, that must be uncomfortable. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    I hate to beat a dead horse (which is how big some of those bike seats I've seen are), but a well designed, good quality bike which has been fitted to you properly is the best way to prevent this. I'm not talking $1000 bikes either. Buy a decent bike and you'll get a good saddle. In the past two years, Ive been using a Selle San Marco and a Giant brand saddle on my two bikes - on long rides, and the soldier always arrives prepared for battle. Forget the fad saddle, it will be gone in a couple years.
  33. Spending our money from Canada writes: Darcy McGee from United States writes: Yeah. Ok.

    "I've been cycling to work every day for three years, in addition to quite a bit of pleasure cycling. For years before that I spent hours in the saddle. Basically, since I was 17 I'm a cycling madman.

    Last year, my girlfriend wound up pregnant (she said it was medically impossible which, if true, would suggest that I'm overly potent.)

    So impotency? I don't think so. Bad bike fit would contribute, but the saddle design is not inherently bad.

    Or maybe I'm not riding enough.

    There's nothing wrong with alternative saddles, but they're not for everyone and they're not absolutely necessary."
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Darcy,
    Don't want to cause any issues...but....shouldn't you get a DNA check on the baby your girl friend is having? Maybe the seat thing might be a problem you don't know about.
  34. Philip McRae from Vancouver, Canada writes: I cut the nose off my bike seat and crazy glued it in the centre of the seat perpendicular to the frame. I found it kept me from sliding forward and gave me a vigorous sex life. Of course I can only ride for a couple of blocks and I haven't quite worked out if that's a down side.
  35. The Work Farce from Canada writes: What do you call a solution without a problem? ... Good advertising.
  36. Ainsley Hughes from Vancouver, Canada writes: Philip McRae, I have an old bike I'd like you to modify for me. :-)
  37. Alberta Marlowe from Halifax, Canada writes: What about people whose sex life IS their bicycle?
  38. Jack Rip from Vancouver, Canada writes: I'm a 41-year old male, cycle over 10,000 km a year and have been cycling seriously for 20 years never had a problem (I have 2 kids). I wear padded shorts and because I cycle competitvely, I also have a properly fitted bike. I know lots of other cyclists too and have never heard of this problem first-hand. It could be that

    1. That appropriate posture (using musclular control, not your joints to keep yourself upright), clothing and bike fit are all critical to 'nad comfort.
    2. People who are susceptible to numbness don't ever take up cycling seriously and that's why I don't know any of them.

    Do equestrians or motocyclists suffer from these problems too? You would think there would be studies ....
  39. John Melnick from High River AB, Canada writes: Numbness? Best to rub the affected area boys ; )
  40. phil sigmund from Saltspring Island BC, Canada writes: It seems like the new design removes a negative effect.
    Now we need a saddle design with a positive effect , you know something that enhances more than thigh muscles in the babyboomer male. Perhaps a big opportunity for someone to "ride" the new design wave.
  41. Angry West Coast Canuck from Canada writes: Alternatively, most current bicycle designs assume you want to race the damn things. I don't. I want to just get around. There are nice, wide, comfortable saddles on comfortable bikes you can get in countries where bikes are a way of life. Unfortunately, non-race style bikes aren't all that available here. Even their "hybrids" have too much racing heritage in this country. I don't want to race. I just want to sit comfortably upright and meander along. Anything else is just too uncomfortable for me.
  42. Able Bodied Man from It's NOT 'VICTORIA' Island, Canada writes:
    Tracy Bracy from TORONTO, Canada writes: I love love love being a girl!
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Tracy, I love love love being a boy! Would you like to meet?
  43. J A from Ottawa, Canada writes: Bicycling is a potency killer for sure. Being able to father children or to penetrate during sexual intercourse does not mean that you do not have a problem. You have to get tested for penile rigidness and blood flow during erection and compare the results to the normal ranges to determine if your erectile function is compromised.
  44. Craig Cooper from toronto, writes: What street cop admits to ED? Not bloody likely.
  45. Emma Hawthorne from Canada writes: I think the new seats should be combined with better ergonomics, such as 28" wheels and higher placement of the seat, almost to the handlebar level, so as to transfer the weight from the seat and allow for greater ease and strength in pedalling for both men and women. Most moden bikes are just too inefficient and uncomfortable for modern cyclists who want to bike to work, often over fairly long distances. No one wants really wants the inefficient uncomfortable energy and time-wasting 26" speedo-style bikes. When will bike manufacturers wake up to consumer demand and the opportunity to expand their markets, several times over, provided they deliver efficient 28" bicycles at modest prices?
  46. doctor business from vancouver, Canada writes: -I got my wife pregnant last year the very first month we tried without protection. I had actually been hoping for it to take a little longer (and having to work at that task more vigourously) but, no matter, I'm now a very happy father. So I'll add another to the pile of cyclists quite Potent.
    -If cyclists had bad sex lives from seats cycling wouldn't be as sexy as it is - this is a problem for some people and not others.
    -This is typical Western very BAD "Science" It's amazing that such a small survey as this gets "scientific" merit when actually cycling is a huge worldwide phenomenon and they are "discovering" nothing new and in fact make a lot of false ASSumptions. (Sorry, couldn't resist)
    -I've used lots of different seats. Hard plastic lumps have made me feel numb when I was working on my bike. For this reason I upgraded to an ergo (hole in centre) seat. After many year this seat's plastic shell broke so I upgraded to a Brooks. That took some time to "break in" but now it is confortable enough that I never think of it.
    -A friend of mine who is also a bike fanatic is now riding the noseless seat. He said it took him quite a while to get use to (he can't ride no hand with it) but he likes it a lot now.
    -Everyone has slightly different anatomy.
    -Cycling isn't just a trivial pastime. It's seriously the best, reliable, functional way to get around. Only in our Western culture where cycling is for Sundays and never work would such a naive study get taken seriously.
    -There are lots of solutions: ergo seats, hammock seats (more traditional and technological than our "modern" plastic seats), recumbents, Posture and bikefit.

    -We need more cycling and less nonsense.
    -Cyclists are endangered by cars first and foremost, as are we all.
  47. D K from Canaduh!, Canada writes: I would add that I use padded Louis Garneau bike shorts and I fitted a gel seat cover over my seat. I have no numbness etc. but it's a good idea to stand up every once in a while to relieve pressure and improve blood flow in the sensitive areas.
  48. The Religious Left from Canada writes:
    My father is an avid cyclist and one thing I noticed is that 9 months before the birth of my 2 brothers and I, my parents were on vacation. So either the break for cycling helped my parents conceive or my mom only puts out in Barbados.
  49. al goguen from Victoria, B.C., Canada writes: For me cyling ives an extra push. I bicycle to work every day and on weekends my wife and bicycle for a few hours. I also have a bicycle next to my bed. While my wife is getting ready for bed, I bicycle at high speed for half an hour. We are expecting our nineth child. So the effect of bicyling for some could be potent.
  50. Reality Check from up the road from Mont Ferrand, JOE., Canada writes: Not a problem in Ottawa for the bike racer crowd. Lots of new Dads and most of them are big pricks. Perhaps it is their hormones over compensating from all the leg shaving they do, or, the non-cycling male neighbours when they are away for the weekend doing the latest meaningless Vet race.
  51. Angus S Miskers from Victoria, Canada writes: Seems the new tradition for Tour de France winners and runners-up is to haul their kids on stage at the end. Nobody rides more than those guys, and yet procreate they do. (I would rather the kids be allowed to grow up and earn their way to the podium instead of making the auspicious event seem like romper room - you don't see that shyt at the Olympics)
  52. Angus S Miskers from Victoria, Canada writes: D K .. Louis Garneau is too flaccid and poorly cushioned. Try Assos shorts - amazing stuff (for twice the cost).

    I also want to note that I have experienced the numbness quite often .. but it actually works as a greatly heightened stimulus down there immed after a bike ride as the circulation rushed back in!
  53. RD Lone from Vancouver, Canada writes: Some of the cyclist fanatics here should re-read Cara Seekell's comment.

    If you drive a car and have not died in a car accident, it does not mean that people do not die in car accidents. This phenomenon is well researched and supported by empirical evidence.
  54. Rusty Brown from beautiful, quiet, shady Cobourg, Ontario, Canada writes:
    "In a truly rational world, it would be the men that ride side-saddle"

    I read that somewhere a long time ago. Ann Landers, perhaps, or Dear Abby.

    RB
  55. Cara Seekell from Hall, Montana, United States writes: Padded bike shorts can increase comfort, and so do the heavily padded or gel type saddles. However, be aware that padding does not take away soft tissue pressure, it disguises it. It can also "bunch" against soft tissues, increasing actual pressure. Most MoonSaddle riders report that they can finally throw away their diaper shorts! Women especially like this because padded shorts increase the likelyhood of yeast infections and the like. Besides, does anyone feel/look sexy in padded shorts? This is not a "small survey" or "bad western science." These studies have been going on for years with a broad control group! And yes, the cops did admit to it in the study, of course their private info remains anonymous so they felt safe to divulge their problems. There have been a lot of workers comp claims from bike cops, which is why they began studying this phenom. Folks, I sure wish you would stop jumping to concusions without even reading the research! Jeez! Girls experience issues too. Not just men. Soft tissues doesn't just mean your testicals. It means nerves, arteries, etc. We all have soft tissue. Men just have more. I have to laugh at some of these comments. No matter how much factual and scientific medical EVIDENCE there is to support the fact that regular saddles can and do cause serious health issues, there are so many of you who think that just because some guy has kids that the evidence is so easily discounted. Or because the rush after the numbness is enjoyable that it's ok to be numb... That makes me worry for you down the road. I like RD Lone's comment, very true!

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