NUMB GNADS

Jabster101

When I ride head down hard (so more on front of saddle), my nuts go completely numb. Worryingly so.

I always have had my sad tilted slightly forward, thought this would alleviate such stuff.

Anyone had similar?

Should I be leveling off saddle. Would a flow saddle help?

Spinner28

Sounds like your riding position may be all wrong to start with!

Often when a rider is sitting on the nose of their saddle they will just be pushing down hard through just the front of the legs, the hips are rolled slightly forwards in this position which is why you get numb nuts, or even penile numbness. You may have tilted your saddle forwards to try & minimize this effect but you're still left with a poor riding position & the problem of numb nuts is still there!

For general riding you should be able to sit on your buttocks & in the wide part of the saddle. Your saddle should be flat, not tilted up or down. To achieve the correct position you may have to move the saddle slightly further back on its rails (an adjustment you can do whilst flattening it out) you may then need to lower your saddle slightly as moving your hips/saddle back further whilst riding has the effect of stretching your legs out more. That will depend on you & if the the current height of the saddle is correct or not. The overall effect is that by sitting back in the wide part of the saddle you're using your legs like levers, particularly when climbing & bringing into effect more muscle groups. The efficiency of this is particularly pronounced if you are clipped in to your pedals with some type of cleat, once the smooth pull-push pedalling action is perfected an awful lot of power can be produced, again, especially when climbing.

If the problem still exists then you could try a flow saddle. You say it's when you're going down hard & sometimes riding the time trial position can be a problem in this area I find. But as you don't mention anything about TT'ing then I'd try & improve your general riding position etc & see if that helps. Hiopefully you'll get more power when going hard & no longer find yourself on the nose of the saddle.

Jabster101

Ta Spinner.

Though the bike is set up pretty good - was set up form a fitting. And yes it is when I am TT'ing. Not with aero bars. But flat down on the drops. I'm not necessarily further foward on the saddle, just weight distribution is further forward/spread longer. Gen riding position - not eye (numb) balls out - is fine. Maybe I'll go for a flow.

W5454

I wear swim trunks under my shorts.They keep my nads away from the saddle and are comfy.Nowt worse than squashing ones nads when cycling.

Spinner28

You can buy special cycling underwear to wear under your cycling shorts. I wouldn't bother with any of that personally. It can increase chafing problems & generally causes an overheating problem too. TT'ing can be hard on your bits, I use the aerobars, but drops can cause the same problems. So yes, a flow saddle is the answer for TT-position, but If you have a seperate bike for general riding, I wouldn't bother replacing your saddle for that purpose.

Nuggs

Have you tried a saddle with a cut-out? That may give you somewhere more comfortable to rest your undercarriage...

Spinner28 wrote:

You can buy special cycling underwear to wear under your cycling shorts.

I thought that the cycling underwear was to wear under 'normal' clothes (i.e. as a cycling short substitute)?

wilderbeest

I've had the same problem.....totally numb todger after a few miles. I don't really notice it until I move position slightly in the saddle.....I've dropped the front of the saddle down an inch and a half and wear padded cycling shorts underneath my normal shorts and this seems to have pretty much solved the problem though I still get it a little bit on a long uphill grind.....tilting the saddle down a bit at the front a bit made my two "rse bones a bit sorer for a couple of days, but I've gotten used to it now......the problem isn't your bits resting on the saddle, it's the nerves and blood supply running behind your bits that cause the numbness......personally I was just a bit relieved to know that I'm not anatomically unique

doktorsteve

Why not get a Rido saddle?

Not only will your numbness go away but you will able to amuse your roadie mates each time they see it

I'll take the laughter - the others can take the pain.

Jabster101

ta for the tips. Gonna try and spesh jobbie. And of that doesn't work I'll put it on back to front and just hang loose I rek

ANC

Hah! I got 'Boardman Bo**ocks' on the heads-down section of yesterdays hundred. I thought the feed stop was never going to appear.

Bumzonseats

No more pain...... and no more ridicule either! The R2 is now out and ready to rejuvenate your cycling enjoyment.

Jez mon

Put the saddle on level, this will stop you from falling down onto sensitive areas and putting weight onto your gootch.

Underwear etc, really shouldn't be necessary if you've got some decent Lycra shorts, which should provide the necessary support.