The Cyclist's Tight SpotCaught between a love of riding and a disrupted sex life? The latest bike seats might ease the pressure, but shop around.
By Bill Becher,
Los Angeles Times April 9, 2007
When urologist Dr. Irwin Goldstein declared in 1997: "There are only two kinds of male cyclists — those who are impotent and those who will be impotent," many bike riders scoffed. Saying the equipment housed in their spandex shorts worked just fine, they optimistically kept riding. Several prominent urologists dismissed Goldstein's claims, saying that they were based on a small sample of riders and that the cardiovascular benefits of cycling outweighed any risk of impotence.
Ten years later, more than two dozen published studies, including several by Goldstein, have confirmed the connection between cycling and sexual dysfunction. Problems can range from impotence — the complete inability to penetrate — to an erection that doesn't last as long as desired.
Bike companies have responded by developing new saddle designs, and riders have bought millions of these ergonomic seats in the last 10 years. But whether they will help a rider's sex life is a matter of contention.
Many of the new saddles, such as the Prologo, right, feature cutouts meant to ease pressure on the nerves. Some medical and occupational health researchers say they don't prevent erectile dysfunction, that the modifications don't necessarily ensure adequate blood flow to the penis. They advocate a more radical seat design that some cyclists say is dangerous.
One man in Northern California, looking for more comfort, began using an ergonomic bike saddle last fall. The seat, with a protruding nose, was advertised as "helpful in reducing the risk of cycling-associated genital numbness and sexual dysfunction." But after using the saddle for a few months, the 52-year-old began having trouble maintaining an erection. His doctor advised him to give up the bike. He didn't — and suffered the consequences. "After a time it didn't work at all," says the man who requested anonymity.
Comfort can be a misleading guide. Some cyclists opt for a big, soft-gel seat. But that can be the worst choice for circulation, some experts say. Riders on large gel seats sink in, and the gel tends to bunch up under the tender bits, cutting off blood flow.
Women can also be affected. A study of 48 young women competitive cyclists and 22 women runners published last year in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the cyclists had decreased genital sensation compared with the runners, but that this didn't have any negative effects on their sexual function. Another study found that female competitive cyclists who spent a lot of time on their bicycles had swelling and damage to the lymphatic vessels in the vulva.
"This whole saddle thing is very tricky for the bike industry," says Matt Phillips, test director for Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines. "We want people to be healthy and comfortable while riding, but we don't want to scare people away from riding."
A small percentageNot all male riders, or even the majority of male bicyclists, are likely to experience erectile dysfunction, as Goldstein seemed to suggest in 1997. Then a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, where he headed the Institute for Sexual Medicine, he notably commented: "Riding should be banned and outlawed."
A study presented to the American Urological Assn. in 1997 found that 4.2% of cyclists had moderate to complete ED, compared with 1.1% of runners. That study compared 738 male riders from a Boston cycling club with an age-matched control group of runners.
A second study, presented to the association the following year comparing cyclists and swimmers, found that 4% of cyclists had ED compared with 2% of swimmers. Older bicyclists and those riding long distances tend to have an increased risk.
And yet another study, published in the International Journal of Impotence Research in 2001, found that men who rode for less than three hours a week decreased their risk of ED, compared with noncyclists, possibly because of the benefits to the cardiovascular system. But the same research found that cycling more than three hours a week nearly doubled the risk of ED, compared with noncyclists. To this day, Goldstein says bicycles should come with a warning label, similar to those on cigarette packs, that cycling may cause impotence.
Recreational cyclists aren't the only riders to experience problems.
In 2000, a group of bicycle patrol officers in Long Beach, suspecting that bike-riding was causing sexual problems, contacted Steven Schrader, a reproductive health expert at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati. Schrader studied the bike cops and reported in the Journal of Andrology in 2002 that although none of the men were impotent, they had decreased erectile quality and genital numbness compared with nonbiking officers.
As with many other cyclists' seats, the nose of the officers' bike saddles exerted excessive pressure on the perineum, the region between the anus and the external genitals, "a place that was never designed to support a person's weight," Schrader wrote. Such pressure is widely believed to be the source of some cyclists' erectile problems, damaging the arteries that supply blood to the penis and the nerves that connect to the penis.
Although erectile dysfunction can go away if cyclists stop riding, it can also be permanent. Treatments include sex therapy, hormones, drug injections in the penis, vacuum devices and drugs such as Viagra and Levitra. Goldstein, as a last resort, will recommend bypass surgery to restore blood flow, but the procedure is considered experimental by some urologists.
Doctors agree that prevention is better than any of the treatment options. Schrader, for example, suggested that the officers use a bike saddle that did not have a protruding nose.
That advice has since become common in medical journal articles — but it's not welcomed by many cyclists.
Some modificationsOver the years, a number of bicycle seat manufacturers have sought to develop saddles that would minimize erectile problems by adding holes and grooves — one company calls its design "the Love Channel" — that are meant to minimize pressure on arteries and nerves. But whether these designs will actually help prevent problems is debatable. Dr. Roger Minkow, a specialist in ergonomics, says that a properly designed and fitted bike seat with a nose can work as well as noseless saddles in avoiding erectile problems without sacrificing control and safety on the bike.
Minkow, who has developed pilot seats for United Airlines and training equipment for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, was hired in 1997 by Specialized Bicycle Components to design a new line of bicycle seats. After traveling to Germany to work at the laboratory of Dr. Frank Sommer, an internationally known urologist and now a professor of men's health at the University of Hamburg medical center, Minkow began by testing blood flows using different saddle designs. He then took a scalpel to existing seats, cutting away sections to improve the blood supply to the penis.
He tested his modifications using a device, originally developed to monitor premature babies, that detects blood oxygen flow through the skin. By attaching the device to riders' penises, Minkow was able to measure blood flows while the cyclists were pedaling.
Because road cyclists lean forward on their bikes for better aerodynamic efficiency, Minkow later added a cutout in the nose of the saddle to relieve pressure on the perineum in this position. He is currently working on a design to help male triathletes, who pedal in an extreme forward aerodynamic lean. In that position, "you're riding on your penis," Minkow says.
Testing at Sommer's lab showed that the modified saddles allowed blood flow up to about 70% of normal in an upright position, and 60% in a forward position. Some other saddles tested had flows less than 2% of normal. Minkow says that flows of more than 50% should be enough to prevent ED problems.
In the last 10 years, other bike companies have marketed versions of ergonomic saddles and several German cycling magazines have sponsored independent testing of more than 20 saddles. Their results showed a similar range of blood flows, from next to nothing to more than 80%.
But Joe Lindsey, a contributing writer for Bicycling magazine who has observed testing at Sommer's lab, says that the results were highly dependent on the individual riders. Some had good flows with most of the seats, some with only a few and some with none. And, Lindsey says, seats that were the most comfortable for a rider weren't necessarily the best for blood flow. Although all male riders have the same basic plumbing, differences in individual anatomy affect how the seats perform.
Regardless of personal variations, however, numbness is one of the few warning signs that something's amiss. Numbness is associated with reduced blood flows and ED, says Dr. Kenneth Taylor, director of the sports medicine program at UC San Diego who has helped design ergonomic saddles.
Some bike shops offer demo seats that riders can test before they buy and riders should try different saddles before settling on one, Lindsey says. "It's like finding a needle in a haystack. But the needle's there."
But that needle, in the shape of the traditional bike saddle's nose, is the problem, say medical researchers. Saddles with holes and grooves may actually cause more problems, according to Goldstein, who says some of the newer saddles reduce the surface area the rider rests on, thus increasing pressure on the arteries and nerves that supply blood and sensation to the penis.
A saddle’s protruding nose is the problem, some researchers say, putting pressure on the arteries and nerves. Schrader and Goldstein, who are not involved in the design of bike seats, and other independent medical researchers say that the best design to prevent erectile dysfunction is a saddle without a nose. Instead, these saddles have only two separate pads for the rider's sit bones to rest on.
In a study of 17 riders published in 2005 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine found that straddling a bike seat with a nose significantly reduced blood velocity in the arteries to the penis by more than 95%, but that sitting on a "two cheek" noseless saddle had virtually no adverse effect.
Experienced cyclists say that riding noseless saddles is like pedaling perched on a soccer ball. Those seats make bicycles hard to control and, because of that, are dangerous. "I'd be afraid to ride next to someone on a noseless saddle," says Joshua Cohen, who researched bike seat blood flow problems for his master's degree at the University of North Carolina and published a book,
Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat. Others agree.
Georgena Terry, whose company Terry Precision Cycling makes products for women cyclists as well as a line of ergonomic seats for both men and women, says that saddles without a nose increase the odds that cyclists will slide forward and injure themselves on the bike's top tube in a sudden stop. "You use the nose pressing against your thighs to control the bike more than you'll ever know — until you get on a saddle that doesn't have a nose."
Taylor says that cycling involves a certain amount of machismo and most cyclists resist riding noseless saddles. "We've got to provide riders with the best possible product that they will use, even if it's not the safest thing for their perineum," he says. "It's a minority of riders that need noseless saddles."
Makers of noseless saddles say that riders need to spend some time getting used to the new designs — up to two weeks in some cases.
Kurt Sandiforth, a Nevada City, Calif., cyclist and professional bike mechanic, is a believer. After years of using a conventional saddle, the 31-year-old cyclist developed scar tissue on his urethra and had difficulty urinating. After he underwent surgery two years ago to remove the scar tissue, doctors told him to give up bike riding. Sandiforth couldn't do it. Instead, he tried a noseless saddle he found on the Internet called the Spiderflex. He says that the saddle was uncomfortable at first but after making adjustments and learning how to sit on the new seat, he found he could ride comfortably for long distances. He has competed in road cycling races on the noseless saddle and is now on a yearlong bike trip, pedaling on the saddle through Europe, North Africa and East Asia.
Bike fit experts recommend that cyclists experiment with different ergonomic saddles, making sure that they are properly fitted and adjusted. If they still experience pain and numbness from riding, or have any ED or sensitivity issues, regardless of comfort, then noseless may be the best option.
The 52-year-old Northern California cyclist with ED problems ultimately decided to try a noseless saddle. It took getting used to, he says. "You don't hop on it the first day and do exactly what you did with your old seat." But after some practice he found he could ride hard and steer aggressively by pressing his thighs against the bike's top tube. Best of all, he says:
"I can have a normal relationship with my beautiful wife and ride my bike."
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From my 17 years of (serious) riding, I would opine it is not so much the nose of the saddle or even cutouts (or lack thereof). Instead, it is the match — or
mismatch — between the width of a cyclist's pelvic bones and the "wings" or the rear portion of the saddle. Apart from steep off-angle trail climbs — where if one stays seated, the front wheel lifts, and if one stands, the rear wheel lifts — thus forcing the rider to place his weight on the nose of the saddle to maintain traction on both wheels, the rider's weight is always supported by the "wings" of the saddle via his pelvic bones, and not his perineum (the area between the anus and scrotum).
This is why I am remain unimpressed by saddles with cutouts. Some cyclists swear by them, but my position is, if your weight is supported by your pelvic bones resting on the wings of the saddle, then the issue of a pressure-relieving cutout for the perineum is moot. One good thing about saddles with cutouts? Great ventilation :-D
Relative to my height, I have narrow hips. Extrapolating from this that I possess a narrow pelvis, perhaps this is why I have no problems with relatively narrow saddles such as the classic
Sella Italia Turbo, the narrower Sella Italia Flite, or even the very narrow Sella Italia SLR, as width of the saddle "wings" remain sufficiently wide enough to support my pelvic bones.
After you get your saddle fore-aft position determined (beyond the scope of this post. Get a book, use Google, or ask your friendly local bike shop) right, begin your saddle angle adjustment with the saddle perfectly horizontal; this way, you have a reference. Novices mistakenly assume that, when seated, the saddle supports 100% of the cyclist's weight, with the handlebars only for control. Ideally, when seated, the saddle supports anything from 60 to 80% of the cyclist's weight, with the remaining transferred to the hands. The more the saddle tilts towards the handlebars, the more weight is transferred to the hands. If you find your hands going numb, it is supporting too much weight, return to a more horizontal angle on the saddle. If you feel your butt hurting, increase the tilt towards the handlebars. Find a happy compromise which works for you.
In general, wide or comfort saddles are really only for obese individuals or people who rarely cycle. While a wide saddle may look more comfortable, looks are deceiving. On longer rides, the increased width of the saddle "locks" the cyclist in one position. For the posterior, this means constant pressure points which cannot be transferred to other areas for the duration of the ride. Ouch. Also, wide saddles can cause increased chaffing, particularly with riders with higher cadence. Wide saddles also score low in ventilation. This monster weighs 600 grams.
There are 2 basic shapes for middle to high end racing MTB saddles: flat and curved. Flat saddles have several riding positions. Curved saddles have only 1 or 2 riding positions. If you move around a lot and ride in several positions, a flat saddle is for you. If you primarily sit in one or two positions, then a curved saddle would be more comfortable for you. All the saddles I own are flat racing saddles.
This is a limited edition Sella Italia Turbo in suede leather which came with my
1991 Bridgestone MB-0. It is really comfortable, and the suede trim allows lycra cycling shorts to grip better. Unfortunately, it retains dirt, sweat, mud, and grime better too. This saddle was originally pearl white.
The Selle Turbo in it's many variations has probably been the most used saddle by the professional racing community. The shape of the saddle follows classic styling. It's lightweight, durable and enduring. The saddle is made in Italy, using a resilient anatomically designed nylon shell. The shell has depressions molded into it where the pelvic bones comes into greatest contact with the saddle. Over the shell is an extremely high density, molded foam padding that surrounds the top and most of the side, feathering to a thin edge where the buffalo hide and plastic join. The depressions accommodate more padding giving the rider more comfort. The leather top is carefully cemented to the shell on the lower sides and is then further glued on the underside as the leather is wrapped around the shell. The rails are made of chrome plated spring steel. The rails have the return curve at the front, located two inches from the front of the saddle. Weight 346 grams.
This Sella Italia Turbo Lite came with my
1992 Bridgestone MB-3. Converted to touring duty, this bike accompanied me for a month and 937.5 miles (1500 km) in Java, Indonesia, as well as epic rides in Malaysia (e.g. 418 km Singapore-to-Kuantan). While not as comfortable as the Sella Italia Turbo, this saddle did its job. Weight unknown.
Bought in 1992, the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden, period.
The Sella Italia Flite Titanium was created with the objective of reducing weight to it's barest minimum while retaining the clever styling that Italians are famous for. The Flite begins with a molded carbon composite shell. It doesn't have the anatomic depressions the Sella Italia Turbo's have (that adds weight in the form of requiring more foam padding). The Carbon composite base is designed to flex (creating the effect of more padding) and therefore affords a degree of comfort that most saddles don't have. Over the carbon composite shell, molded high density foam padding is glued. The padding is really only on the upper "seat" area and extends two thirds the distance from the tail to the nose of the saddle. Selle has trimmed the sides exposing the seat clamp area. This is wise, on a saddle this narrow, the clamp would continually rub against the inner bottom lip and destroy the seat. There is a leather top glued around the foam and very careful trim work on the underside leaving a beautifully finished saddle. The rails are made of titanium with a return curve at the front. The return curve is 1 3/4" inches from the tip. This early production model weighs 200 grams. The weight of later units crept up to 235 grams.
Note: The Sella Italia Flite is not compatible with Thomson seatposts. There isn't enough clearance between the rails and seat body. Forcing it in will cut the leather and gorge the nylon shell.
Trading off a little more padding for increased durability, the Sella Italia Flite Kevlar Titanium with titanium rails and Kevlar™ sides is a gem. The armored sides protect the saddle from tearing in laydowns and crashes. Some users claim reduced comfort from the seam between the leather and the Kevlar™, but I did not feel any difference. I bought this for
Ivy, my Specialized Stumpjumper FS, in 1996. If you find one, don't let it go. Weight unknown.
The minimalist 135 gram Sella Italia SLR Ti. Made primarily for the road biking market, a leather skin, carbon fiber shell, very little padding, and titanium rails, the SLR Ti is unbelievably light and surprisingly comfortable — even for mountain biking.
Some gripes:
1.) The tip of the saddle is neither padded nor downward sloping (like the Flite). This makes it liable to snag bike shorts when getting back on the saddle during mountain biking.
2.) The lack of Kelvar™ scuff corners made me realize what a great design the Sella Italia Flite Kevlar Titanium is. As the picture evinces, it is all too easy to abrade or tear the corners of the Sella Italia SLR Ti.
3.) It takes a long time for the shell and padding to break in (500 miles / 800 km).
The ultra-minimalist, high tech, Tioga Spyder saddle has a Carbonite composite carbon web which flexes and stretches to support the rider's weight. The design has two clear advantages: one, with neither padding nor cover, it is completely waterproof; two, unsurpassed ventilation.
I haven't gone for it for 2 reasons: one, at 140 grams, it is actually heavier than the Sella Italia SLR Ti; two, "To avoid any inadvertent failure of the saddle due to fatigue, Tioga especially urge users to replace it with another Spyder saddle once a year." Maybe it's just me, but, at USD$110, a saddle should last more than 1 year.
Some heavier users complained that if you make the mistake of sitting on the saddle when encountering a hard hit, the seat clamp pushes past the flexible Carbonite shell to give you a free colonoscopy. That sounds rather uncomfortable, to put it mildly. Then again, if you are a clydesdale, what are you doing on this saddle?
If all these sound too complicated and confusing to you, you can always do what
Cindy Whitehead (Hat tip to
Charlie Kelly) did when her seatpost broke in the first few miles of the brutal 50-mile (80 km) Plumline Challenge outside Bishop, California in 1986. Tossing the broken seatpost away, she rode the rest of the off-road race — which included a 14-mile (22.4 km) climb up mountains reaching 11,000 feet (3353 m) — without a seat or seatpost and finished champion. ^_^
