Saddle and Perineum contact advice?

manick0de

How much contact should I have on the perinium?

I've always ridden with my saddle nose down at quite a steep angle, this meant only my sit bones made contact with the saddle which was great as It's very comfy. The downside is my hands get very sore supporting the extra weight.

I've started to put my saddle level to sort out the hand problem but I instantly notice the contact between perinium and saddle, is this a bad thing?

Most of the weight is still on the sit bones but some is the perinium now.

girofan

:roll: :roll: Well I suppose it depends on how much you think it may harm your sex life and maybe prostate problems.
Best probably to speak to a medical expert. Not your GP I hasten to add as they will see it as an unusual activity and immediately put it down to something sinister or seek refuge in their usual mantra, "well at your age."
If its any help most cyclists seem to suffer in this area to a greater or lesser degree, suppose it's a hazard of the game. :? :?

maddog 2

try a saddle with a groove

I use a WTB Rocket V on both my bikes. Don't get any pressure on the perineum at all, and no numbness at all, even on 100+ mile rides.

simbil1

If your lower back is tense / straight / holding an inward arch, it can align your soft bits with the saddle more. Try allowing your lower back to be more vertical and bend from the mid-back onto the bars. This puts your hips square over the saddle so even if it is level it will engage with your sit bones. It also takes more weight off your hands. If it is hard to adjust your position like this it may indicate your abs are weak compared to your lower back.
I've no idea if this is conventional wisdom, but it is what I do as it is more comfortable.

portuguese mike

simbil1 wrote:

If your lower back is tense / straight / holding an inward arch, it can align your soft bits with the saddle more. Try allowing your lower back to be more vertical and bend from the mid-back onto the bars. This puts your hips square over the saddle so even if it is level it will engage with your sit bones. It also takes more weight off your hands. If it is hard to adjust your position like this it may indicate your abs are weak compared to your lower back.I've no idea if this is conventional wisdom, but it is what I do as it is more comfortable.

Interestingly i find the opposite - i used to get numb hands until i had a bikefit session and was told the i shouldn't be arching my back. Apparently in that position your not actually using your abs or any of your other core muscles to support your upper body thus placing more weight on the hands. i changed my posture accordingly, bending from the hip and keeping my back straight and i've not had hand problems since. it's also made my pedalling stroke more efficient according to the computer analysis that was part of the session.

As far as pressure on the perimeum is concerned it did increase but not to an uncomfortable level and i soon got used to it - in fact i can tell that my weight is still being carried predominantly on my sit bones as that's where i get achy on long rides (3 hrs plus).

As ever it's horses for courses and the OP will have to experiment with posture as well as bike set up to find out what works for him.

ColinJ

manick0de wrote:

How much contact should I have on the perinium?

I've always ridden with my saddle nose down at quite a steep angle, this meant only my sit bones made contact with the saddle which was great as It's very comfy. The downside is my hands get very sore supporting the extra weight.

I've started to put my saddle level to sort out the hand problem but I instantly notice the contact between perinium and saddle, is this a bad thing?

Most of the weight is still on the sit bones but some is the perinium now.

I've had this problem too. I tried the tilted saddle approach, but then had the slipping forward feeling. If I had my original saddle level, I didn't have to ask anybody if it was a bad thing - after a 1 hour ride you could have performed genital surgery on me with a rusty penknife and I wouldn't have felt a thing I'd be that numb :shock: ! If it feels bad - it is a bad thing.

I retrieved an old WTB saddle from my junk box and fitted that - the result was instant relief! It is a really ugly thing, but I find it very comfortable. Instead of just a cut-out, the saddle has the entire middle area cut away. I remember reading that the designer started with a block of wood and kept whittling away at it until he ended up with something that felt felt comfortable (for him) to sit on. My body must be the same shape as his because it works for me. Here's a picture of it on my single-speed Basso:

Yellow Cliff

I go for Selle Italia trans am saddles and these have helped me -all their trans am models have a cut out and that seems to do the job of getting rid of the pressure on the perineum.