Saddle pressure, numbness, and maintaining sexual health at 59

[RMSDivine]

Hello fellow cyclists,

I'm reaching out to this knowledgeable community for some advice regarding an issue I've started to notice and its potential long-term effects. I'm 59 years old and enjoy riding my e-bike daily, covering around 12Km. Despite using a saddle designed to be safer for the perineum, with an empty center area to reduce pressure, I've been experiencing some numbness during and after my rides. (I do use a Selle Italia FLITE BOOST TM SUPERFLOW)

Given my age, I'm also facing natural changes in my sexual function. While I still maintain an active sex life with my wife, achieving and maintaining an erection has become more challenging, often requiring more libido and manual stimulation. We manage to be intimate once or twice a week, but it's important for me to ensure that my cycling doesn't exacerbate these issues!!

I've heard about noseless saddles as a potential solution (spongy wonder, all wings saddle) to reduce pressure and prevent numbness. I'm curious if anyone here has made the switch and can share their experiences. How effective are they in alleviating pressure and potential risks to sexual health? Are there specific models you'd recommend for someone in my situation?

Any advice on adjustments, saddle types, or other measures to mitigate these concerns would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to continue enjoying my daily rides without compromising my health or sexual well-being.

Thank you in advance for your insights and suggestions.

 

[6zfshdb]

I switched to a noseless saddle in my early 40's due to numbness. Doctor said to do it or give up cycling.
I've tried a couple of dozen styles, including the cutout designs. I hesitate to recommend a specific saddle since there are so many to choose from and every butt is different.

FWIW, personally, I found the Spiderflex to be the most comfortable:

Ergonomic Bike Seats | Spiderflex.com

Product: Ergonomic Bicycle Seat, Cost: $129.99USD. Comfortable ergonomic bike seats for all bike riders.

www.spiderflex.com

The Hobson Easyseat was a close second but lacks the shock absorber of the Spiderflex.

Amazon.com

The results are amazing! No more numbness! There is a learning curve associated with a noseless saddle though. It's like sitting on a barstool rather than straddling a split rail fence. Unfortunately, you give up most of the ability to control the bike with your hips, which makes riding no hands quite difficult.

Many bike shops will let you try a saddle before buying. Another trick is to order online, try it and return if it doesn't work out.

Keep in mind, every rider is different and what works for some, may not for all.

Good luck!

 

[indianajo]

The salesmen & owners of bike shops are all for those skinny blade seats like in post 1. I think they are nuts. I also think they never sit down. With the rider's head lower than the hips on a road bike, there is no weight on the hips anyway. My LBS only caters to road bikers. They sell MTB but have nothing to say about them.
I am 73 and my only problem is that my hips get sore after a number of hours. My saddles have a groove down the middle to clear the nerve. I sit on my ischial tuber bones. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischial_tuberosity I lost all the fat over these bones in my mid sixties. The fat around my belly sticks like glue. You see my upright position cargo bike in the avatar left.
I ride a 260 mm wide evo cruiser saddle with a nose. https://www.modernbike.com/evo-cruiser-saddle-260-x-218mm-black PN VL-8039 . I have it tipped forwards where I do not sit on the nose, I sit my hips on the back. The nose is for controlling the bike when I get on & off or stand using my hands for something. I would prefer a saddle with 3 cm of dense foam to the 1 cm foam evo, but I have found none. My bike has an oversized post so I have to buy saddles with rails like the Brooks. Brooks, Schwinn, Selle Royal Respiro,.and SQL saddles were also big disappointments. I am low pain for 3 hours on the Evo.
You may find riding with your pulse up to 120 bpm for 7-9 hours a week that the sludge may flush out of your arteries and your erections may improve. I certainly have more than my wife wants to deal with. I use electricity only for the 60th to 70th hills on my 30 mile commute to summer camp, or anytime the wind is >12 mph in my face. 70-80% of the time I ride unpowered. When the weather might freeze, my battery stays in the garage under a heat pad. I still ride 20 miles per week in winter due to I do not drive a car to run errands. My geared hub motor does not drag the motor with my feet unpowered. People in mountain states that would burn a geared hub motor, Yamaha, Shimano Steps, and Brose mid-drives have this slip clutch feature. Days when I cannot ride the bike enough, I do 30-45 minutes of Pilates upper body weight routines and stationary bike riding to keep my heart rate up to 110-132, at least 6 days a week. Exercise cannot improve my flexibility or put fat where I want it, but weakness & sludge filled arteries are a choice. Note dementia & cancer are negatively correlated with adequate aerobic exercise. See various BBCnews articles, also an NPR article about women cancer & exercise 3 days ago. My Grandmother lost her short term memory age 85 when her walking partner moved to a nursing home and church friends stated giving her rides instead of letting her walk up the hill 3 times a week. Mrs. Smith down the street died 5 months after her granddaughter started prohibiting her walking 8 blocks round trip to the store twice a week with a grocery cart. A physician friend who swam laps at the Y 4 times a week was fine until a fall ruined his stability age 97.

 

[Chargeride]

I've experienced similar numbness, but I put it down to a niggling disc problem that causes tingling in my right foot if I hit a hard bump.
Im riding a hard tail now, but concentrate on always being off the seat on the rough stuff.

I have no back pain whatsoever, but I know when I've twinged it as the tingling starts instantly.
It was a numbness from rse to sck, lasted a few days alongside the foot issue.

 

[Deacon Blues]

The type of saddle you purchase can depend greatly on what type of bike you ride.
Example: I have a "skinny" Fabric (name of company) saddle on my light drop-bar road bike, which I find very comfortable, even on 70+ km rides.
Since I like the saddle so much I decided one day to install it on my more upright commuter bike. I did a 30km ride and couldn't wait to get off the bike.
What worked wonderfully on my road bike was a painful disaster on my commuter bike.

Also, there can be a number of reasons why you're experiencing numbness while riding, including wrong frame size, wrong saddle height, incorrect saddle tilt, etc, etc.
If possible a visit to a qualified bike fitter would be something to consider.

 

[Roamers]

Many moons ago I resolved numb-nuts by tilting nose down a smidge. My go-to solution on last 3 bikes along with up off the saddle (while riding when younger, has changed to off bike now) periodically.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@RMSDivine: This subject has been wallowed to death in these Fora.

There is no perfect saddle. It is a wrong riding position. You say "12 km", and I say "208 km and no numbness in the private parts, no pain in the ass". How come? If you are riding in an upright position, almost the whole body weight of yours rests on the saddle. If you wear padded shorts or bibs in that position, your private parts will be squeezed even more. If you try a big, wide and soft "comfortable saddle" it would be even worse (sit on a sofa and try pedalling...)

The major change in my own cycling occured when I watched my gravel cycling ultramarathon buddies. They ride narrow and firm saddles (the cut for the perineal area is OK) but they lean forward as they are riding. This way, the big part of their body weight rests on the pedals and the bars. I did a similar thing:

• Changed the stems on my both e-bikes to longer ones. Lowered (slammed) them. Flipped them for even more forward riding position. I stopped and increased the stem height a little when I felt I had overdone the thing.
• Installed Innerbarends on my handlebars to "ride in the hoods".
• Narrow and firm "sporty" saddles.
• Carefully tuned the position of the saddle: on the horizontal and with the tilt (my favourite tilt is 0 deg, or purely horizontal saddle)
• Wear chamois on long rides only.
• Wear gloves for the hand comfort.

Outcome:

• No numbness in the private parts
• No pain in the ass
• No pain in the lumbar
• No pain in the back
• No pain in the neck.
• No numb hands.

I said: "208 km on a single day, 263 km over two days and no pain".

My riding position on a road cycling group workout. When riding against the headwind, I bend my arms in the elbows to lower my body even more.

My riding position at the finish of the 263 km race. (Another e-bike).

 

[AvalancheRun]

Suspension seatpost or dropper post?

I find the worst pressure happens when mounting and dismounting the bike.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

This requires a throttle, Chargeride She would even not be able to reach the pedals!

 

[Chargeride]

Fix both problems.

 

[Chargeride]

This requires a throttle, Chargeride She would even not be able to reach the pedals!

I edited

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I find the worst pressure happens when mounting and dismounting the bike.

Not just bikes.
;^}

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Two words: Bike Fit.

There are a lot of dials on the machine, not just the saddle type. Bluntly if the other dials are badly out of adjustment no saddle will work for you and your bike. Like someone else said, this topic has been beaten to death here.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Two words: Bike Fit.

There are a lot of dials on the machine, not just the saddle type. Bluntly if the other dials are badly out of adjustment no saddle will work for you and your bike. Like someone else said, this topic has been beaten to death here.

Just had one myself and wholeheartedly recommend it. There are so many adjustments to improve comfort, and it’s a fraction of the cost of a bike.

 

[smorgasbord]

Much good advice here on bike fit, too much padding, etc.

I'll add that the right size (as in width) saddle is important, too, Too narrow a seat you're not resting your sit bones. This is for SQ Lab saddles, but the fit measurements apply to all saddles:

SQlab sit bone measurement

A bicycle saddle should fit like a pair of shoes! Measure your sit bone distance now and ensure you choose a saddle that fits right to your needs. Every butt is different, therefore the saddle should be also.

sqlab-usa.com

They'll even send you a free measuring chart and kit:

Free "measure at home" Kit

Bundle: measuring boards, ruler, instruction and product overview. We recommend purchasing ergomics products at an approved dealer as our dealers are trained and experienced in ergonomics. All Ergonomics Partners in our dealer search offer: sitbone measurement, grip size determination and lots more.

sqlab-usa.com

An important thing with the measuring (you can do it on any soft corrugated paper/cardboard) is that you're in your riding position.

 

[PDoz]

Ischial tuberosity - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm 76. Ischial tubereosity.

Eos, the god of the dawn , who rose every morning.....

There's a subtlety to your spelling that would be good advice - start each day in a happy way.

Any advice on adjustments, saddle types, or other measures to mitigate these concerns would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to continue enjoying my daily rides without compromising my health or sexual well-being.

Thank you in advance for your insights and suggestions.

At 59 , it might be worth having a chat with your gp ?

 

[ElevenAD]

I go noseless, they have their drawbacks when it come to bike control but the trade off is worth it for me.

 

[Bicyclista]

Much good advice here on bike fit, too much padding, etc.

I'll add that the right size (as in width) saddle is important, too, Too narrow a seat you're not resting your sit bones. This is for SQ Lab saddles, but the fit measurements apply to all saddles:

SQlab sit bone measurement

A bicycle saddle should fit like a pair of shoes! Measure your sit bone distance now and ensure you choose a saddle that fits right to your needs. Every butt is different, therefore the saddle should be also.

sqlab-usa.com

They'll even send you a free measuring chart and kit:

Free "measure at home" Kit

Bundle: measuring boards, ruler, instruction and product overview. We recommend purchasing ergomics products at an approved dealer as our dealers are trained and experienced in ergonomics. All Ergonomics Partners in our dealer search offer: sitbone measurement, grip size determination and lots more.

sqlab-usa.com

An important thing with the measuring (you can do it on any soft corrugated paper/cardboard) is that you're in your riding position.

I switched to SQLabs saddles and find them comfortable and respectful of the human anatomy.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

respectful of the human anatomy.

The human anatomy and saddles.

 

[m@Robertson]

SQLab two thumbs up x 100


Saddle width and nose length are in large part specific to the type of riding you do. Aggressive riding on a road bike is best handled via a narrow, long-nosed saddle. As your posture elevates, the nose goes shorter and - to a point - the rear of the saddle widens.

Those big fat Grandma's Sofa saddles (looking at you, Cloud 9) should be sold with a paper bag so the unfortunate dupe can wear it over their head. Adding padding to a bad saddle design only puts off the point where fitment causes pain to manifest. The people who use those saddles tend to not ride anywhere far enough for this to show up as a problem so they think its a miracle. With that said, a cruiser saddle for a cruiser that just lazes around the neighborhood for a couple of miles is a fine thing.

Proper saddle fitment comes after measuring your sit bone width, taking a look at your riding posture and riding style. For instance a wide rear sofa saddle isn't as bad as it would be for a pedaler if the rider just exercises their thumb and throttles the bike. That rider would not experience the discomfort of banging the rear of their thighs a few hundred times per ride against the fat saddle.

I was using Ergon ST Core Prime saddles (which are quite well padded, well designed and narrow-ish with a long nose) but I was having some issues and eventually figured out I had misjudged the saddle width (a proper saddle is available in multiple widths). Now I am using the SQLab M-D saddles in the 16cm width. That model is designed to relieve almost all pressure on the perineum, and it was markedly more comfortable overall than the already-comfy Ergon.

Everyone's ass is different. As is their bike, riding position and (often bad) attitude. Expect 20 posts on the subject to have 20 different recommendations.