Numb Nuts

Bullet1

Hi,

Hopefully this wont be removed by the forum police - It is a genuine concern!

As someone who has recently (start of Jan) taken up cycling, over the past week or two I've done a several 30-45 minute session on my turbo trainer.

All is fine whilst I'm cycling but on getting off my bike my balls (scrotum to be precise) and my penis are both numb.

I'm wearing padded shorts - is this normal or should I look to change my saddle/riding position etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Aggieboy

Yes we've got two, Willhub and Bhima.


As for your 'undercarriage' it could be a number of causes. Have a read of this....


http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=84072

hopper1

Probably require a different seat, so you are not sitting on the nerve that runs along the base of your sack!
I cured my 'numbness' with a Specialized saddle.

Kneesaway

Hi

They are expensive but these saddles work very well for me.

http://www.smpsaddle.co.uk/

Neil

Slow Downcp

Before you go to the expense of changing your saddle, make sure your current one is set correctly. Run a spirit level from back to front of the saddle, and it should be set level (or possibly VERY slighly nose up). If it's pointing down or upwards too much it will give you the numbness you describe.

rkdj

Thats a great reply and well worth reading. I also suffered from a similar problem until quite recently. I had tried many things until i found the web site below which allowed me to identify a problem with my bike set up - in my case my saddle position was wrong and i needed to move it back 1cm, which is a tiny amount, but i tried it and my symptoms are much better - not cured - but much better. It might assist you as well.


http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO

Additionally I do not get any problems on the road - only on the turbo - i think this is because when you asre on the road you tend to shift about more and get out of the sadlly as well on occassion thus allowing the blood flow to return to normal.

good luck

stonehouse

I find that with either of my saddles I need to stand up on the pedals every half an hour, just a few seconds usually is enough to keep the blood flowing. Like you I don't get that issue on the road.

on the road

Using a spirit level will be very unrelyable if the floor your bike is standing on isn't level. The best thing to do is to experiment with the height adjustment and the angle of the saddle, it takes a while to get right.

bobtbuilder

As others have said, your first step should be playing around with the angle of your current saddle. New saddles can be expensive and there is no way to guarantee that any new saddle will suit you.

However, if you have no joy with your current saddle, it may be worth trying one with a cut-out centre. I had the same problem as you, both on the trainer and the road, but replacing my saddle with a Selle Italia SLC has completely eradicated this problem.

CXXC

I also suffered with this problem but only after riding my MTB and not my road bike. I adjusted my riding and saddle position on my MTB several times but to no avail, so in the end i replaced the stock specialized saddle with a fizik gobi and, hey presto, problem solved.

on the bright side it was relatively easy to convince the wife that i needed to splash out on a new saddle, well that's if she wanted us to ever have children...

carrock

massage your penis and testicles as soon as you get off the bike.

NB This may lead to you being banned from many cycling cafes.

Alternatively, buy a cut-out saddle.

on the road

lol

Flasheart

carrock wrote:

massage your penis and testicles as soon as you get off the bike.

NB This may lead to you being banned from many cycling cafes.

Alternatively, buy a cut-out saddle.

Or alternatly hire a retired "Fluffer" and keep her in your Support Car :twisted:

neeb

However you achieve the solution (different saddle, saddle position, general bike setup, etc) the solution itself is quite simple. You want to make sure that when you are on the bike, your weight is being supported by the two pointy bones in you ar*e, not by the soft tissue behind your nuts. This means that the rear part of the saddle should be taking nearly all of the weight, and to do this it has to be wide enough to support your sitbones and the right shape (usually sloping up slightly at the back). You should be able to stick a couple of fingers underneath your nuts from the front (again, don't do this in public.. ) and feel that the perineal area is not being pressurized by the saddle.

Once you get it right, it should completely cure the problem and you should be able to ride hundreds of miles a week without doing yourself any damage at all.

MARKIE METAL HIP

lol @ balls ! awesome thread, hope you get sorted tho

brh77

I had the same issue- played with seat angle etc- then changed to a Charge Knife, which lived up to its name and nearly cut me in half like some kind of medieval torture device.

I got a specialized cut out BG saddle (it feels easier as a balding man to say this than to say that I bought a toupe), and 1st ride I felt no pain at all......

jtmcouat

Hi Everyone! I am repeating this post everywhere I can because I have solved this problem for myself!

I experienced this problem for many years. It got the point where I became very concerned that I would have to quit riding. Sometimes it would happen very quickly, within minutes.

But never fear, there is a solution for you! I ride with zero numbness even on long rides. As a bonus, my fatigue level has been greatly reduced.

Now I am not saying that this will be your solution, just that you can find one. Here is my story.

First of all, I don't have a specific riding style. I love to climb, with fast downhills. I also ride single track and technical stuff sometimes. I have been riding for 25 years.

First step: Saddle and saddle position. I tried several new "ergonomic" saddles, none helped much and some made it worse. The best was the Specialized Romin Expert, which I still ride. The impact was modest, but better was better. I also experimented with saddle position and height. It turns out the saddle was a little too far back. Good for climbing power, but bad for the groin. Again, this was only modest help, still got numb, just a little less.

Second Step: Pedal position. Tried several. In the end I found that just behind the ball was good. Between the ball and mid-foot. Helped me overall, but not numbness.

Third step (aka Eureka#1!): Handle bar length/rise. BE SURE TO READ THE CAVEAT AT THE BOTTOM. For 20 years I had my set-up very narrow, straight 420mm bars with no rise. No one would ever set a bike up that way now, but the idea was to have strong climbing and it was great for that. I had no problems with downhill speed.

I read that wider handlebars are generally better for a number of reasons, including this. Stem rise is also a factor. I moved to wider, 730mm riser bars and it helped right away! It was night and day! Almost no numbness!

Fourth step (aka Eureka#2!): Stem length: AGAIN BE SURE TO READ THE CAVEAT AT THE BOTTOM. I had been riding with a 120mm flat stem for 20 years. I had no idea it could have any relation, but I was wrong. I moved to a 100mm 30 degree rise and it was great. Problem solved!

It seems that being more upright was the real key to resolving the issue.

CAVEAT: BE CAREFUL CHANGING BAR WIDTH AND STEM LENGTH. Everyone gets used to a bike fit/set-up. This warning is especially true if you have been riding a long time like me.

Control of the bike changes dramatically with bar width and stem length, so take it one step at a time. I made a huge mistake moving too far to fast. I changed to 720mm riser bars and 100mm riser stem at the same time. Fatigue and numbness was improved immediately, but handling and climbing was VERY different. Lots of steer wander and harder to keep the front wheel on the ground when climbing steep in seated position (standing was improved).

I decided that what I needed (based on reading articles, etc) was a shorter stem. I went with a 50mm. Huge mistake. On the first ride I was unable to keep the front wheel down and fell backwards and broke my wrist.

Moral of the story: Make changes one at a time. Ride easy and figure out what works. Bars can be easily trimmed with a pipe cutter. Start wide and narrow until it feels right. Get used to it and work on the stem.

I now ride a 680mm riser bar and 100mm 30 degree stem. I am much more upright on the bike, which relieves numbness and I also find I am less fatigued. I gave up a little climbing power, but there is no doubt it was worth it!

Good luck!

Travis

sheffsimon

jtmcouat wrote:

Hi Everyone! I am repeating this post everywhere I can because I have solved this problem for myself!

I experienced this problem for many years. It got the point where I became very concerned that I would have to quit riding. Sometimes it would happen very quickly, within minutes.

But never fear, there is a solution for you! I ride with zero numbness even on long rides. As a bonus, my fatigue level has been greatly reduced.

Now I am not saying that this will be your solution, just that you can find one. Here is my story.

First of all, I don't have a specific riding style. I love to climb, with fast downhills. I also ride single track and technical stuff sometimes. I have been riding for 25 years.

First step: Saddle and saddle position. I tried several new "ergonomic" saddles, none helped much and some made it worse. The best was the Specialized Romin Expert, which I still ride. The impact was modest, but better was better. I also experimented with saddle position and height. It turns out the saddle was a little too far back. Good for climbing power, but bad for the groin. Again, this was only modest help, still got numb, just a little less.

Second Step: Pedal position. Tried several. In the end I found that just behind the ball was good. Between the ball and mid-foot. Helped me overall, but not numbness.

Third step (aka Eureka#1!): Handle bar length/rise. BE SURE TO READ THE CAVEAT AT THE BOTTOM. For 20 years I had my set-up very narrow, straight 420mm bars with no rise. No one would ever set a bike up that way now, but the idea was to have strong climbing and it was great for that. I had no problems with downhill speed.

I read that wider handlebars are generally better for a number of reasons, including this. Stem rise is also a factor. I moved to wider, 730mm riser bars and it helped right away! It was night and day! Almost no numbness!

Fourth step (aka Eureka#2!): Stem length: AGAIN BE SURE TO READ THE CAVEAT AT THE BOTTOM. I had been riding with a 120mm flat stem for 20 years. I had no idea it could have any relation, but I was wrong. I moved to a 100mm 30 degree rise and it was great. Problem solved!

It seems that being more upright was the real key to resolving the issue.

CAVEAT: BE CAREFUL CHANGING BAR WIDTH AND STEM LENGTH. Everyone gets used to a bike fit/set-up. This warning is especially true if you have been riding a long time like me.

Control of the bike changes dramatically with bar width and stem length, so take it one step at a time. I made a huge mistake moving too far to fast. I changed to 720mm riser bars and 100mm riser stem at the same time. Fatigue and numbness was improved immediately, but handling and climbing was VERY different. Lots of steer wander and harder to keep the front wheel on the ground when climbing steep in seated position (standing was improved).

I decided that what I needed (based on reading articles, etc) was a shorter stem. I went with a 50mm. Huge mistake. On the first ride I was unable to keep the front wheel down and fell backwards and broke my wrist.

Moral of the story: Make changes one at a time. Ride easy and figure out what works. Bars can be easily trimmed with a pipe cutter. Start wide and narrow until it feels right. Get used to it and work on the stem.

I now ride a 680mm riser bar and 100mm 30 degree stem. I am much more upright on the bike, which relieves numbness and I also find I am less fatigued. I gave up a little climbing power, but there is no doubt it was worth it!

Good luck!

Travis

In the context of the thread topic....... :shock:

wishitwasallflat

SQ Lab 611 Race