numb nuts

sirlylos

Guys,

Every time I come in from a ride, as little as 10 miles, my nuts are numb. It eventually passes but I'm wondering if this is normal and whether I should be concerned?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

SirLylos

weedy1

Man, thats not normal and something you shouldn't put up with.
Try a different saddle, for me a 'flatter' saddle on top with a cut out was very comfy but everyone is different.
Watch out for your shorts/whatever bunching and compressing things sometimes more padding only makes things worse.

good luck happy new year

crumbschief

Saddle height/angle too high is the usual,if not, you have either, A - mahassive knackers that have spilt out on to the tarmac, B - you don't wear shorts / tights on a ride or are unpadded, C - i don't know.

sirlylos

Jake151 wrote:

.... they might have a contraption that will measure your butt cheek bones so you can get a perfect saddle for you

That I have to see! I can't imagine how that would work...!?

to be fair I've been using my leggings which are without pad so that could be the reason, I can't remember if I get it with my bib which has a huge pad. I think you can get some padded underwear actually.

Failing that I might have to put it down to my behemoth balls!

Thanks chaps.

unixnerd

Tilt the saddle forwards slightly. Worked for me!

dennisn

sirlylos wrote:

Jake151 wrote:

.... they might have a contraption that will measure your butt cheek bones so you can get a perfect saddle for you

That I have to see! I can't imagine how that would work...!?

It's nothing much. Just a sort of pad that you sit on for a minute and when you get up your
sit bones have left an impression in it. This "distance between sit bones" is measured and the shop can then fit you with the proper width saddle. All this being, somewhat reasonable, theory at best, but until something better comes along you might as well give it a shot. FWIW, I'm a saddle cut out fan also. Whatever it takes to get comfy while riding.

Pokerface

If I rode in unpadded tights, my boys would go numb by the end of the road, let alone end of the ride!

I use a saddle with a HUGE cut out (Selle SMP) to avoid pressure on the undercarriage.

But before you change saddle, make sure it's the right height, angle and fore-aft position.

And get some padding down there pronto!

cyco2

I measure my seat height from the centre of the axle up the seat tube to the top of the saddle. Then with the bike on level ground and the saddle level I drop the front 1cm. This is done on every one of my bikes and saddles for TT,RR, CX, ATB and Tour and works every time.
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seanoconn

I can tell just by looking at a saddle which ones will give me the old numb nuts. My last 4 or 5 saddles have all had cut outs. I'm still looking for the perfect saddle but the cut out works and i can do a 5mile commute during the week, without the need for the extra comfort of padded shorts used for longer rides.

reyserf

A lot of people, myself included, wear unpadded longs over padded bib shorts during the cold months. You get the advantage of padding and a double thickness of material around your nads which improves warmth where its needed. And as people have already said ensure that your saddle is not to high and that the front is not pointed skyward. You don't say if this numbness has coincided with wearing the unpadded tights.

George

bianchimoon

as everyone has said check saddle is not tilted upwards, then get padded shorts/longs if still not working change seat if al that fails resort to surgery!!!

Matt the Tester

get padded shorts!

i can't believe people still ride unpadded! i usually have my full length bib shorts on and my cycling shorts, both have padding! i couldnt imagine riding any distance more then 10 miles without padding!


SOOOOOOORE

fallingoff

I used to get a tingling sensation in my nads after about an hour in the saddle...I put it down to my recovery from a semi-torsion,but as soon as I changed my "running" tights to padded cycling tights it's all good.
I did do a lot of messing with the saddle height to get it right though as well,what I found that worked personaly for me was to raise it inch by inch until I cramped up and then go back 1 setting ...it might not be text book but it worked...

holker

Could be cold wind. I used to get same problem on cold rides particularly if riding into wind or at faster speeds on cold still days. Invested in warm tights. Only happened once so far this winter on a particularly cold day.

holker

Could be cold wind. I used to get same problem on cold rides particularly if riding into wind or at faster speeds on cold still days. Invested in warm tights. Only happened once so far this winter on a particularly cold day.

redmeat

Gents
I'm in the market for a new saddle and quite like the look of the Selle SMP and would like to try one out.
A distributor search on google has come up with nothing.
Does anyone know of a retailer in the north west area?
Thanks

fallingoff

redmeat wrote:

Gents
I'm in the market for a new saddle and quite like the look of the Selle SMP and would like to try one out.
A distributor search on google has come up with nothing.
Does anyone know of a retailer in the north west area?
Thanks

Can't you ask your LBS if they can get you one?

vision267

Good quality shorts with a good quality chamois.Dont where any underwear,chamois cream is a very good idea as well.Assos cream is excellent,your saddle should be level or only a few degrees off level.Saddle fore and aft is also very important,a saddle that complies to your body is very very important.

Finding a saddle that's good for you is about the most important and frankly the hardest thing to find.I use a prologo scratch since September 2010 and its a god send for me.Best of luck

dov2711

Just a word of warning on this subject. If there is numbness/pain please dont ignore it.

I did last year and havent been on a bike since July after problems with my undercarriage and pelvis spasm. The contribution made by ill fitting saddle and me grinninng and bearing it through my 100/120 miles per week was clear.

Hoping to start some light bike work Feb/March though meantime I remain in the hands of th local chronic pain management team. The past months have included significant time from work and hospitalisation for pain management when morphine wasnt enough. I remain on daily doses of affore mentioned drug.

The SMP saddles are my next big hope when Im allowed to try again, fingers crossed that a correctly fitted lite 209 or glider will do the trick.

Hindsight is a great thing if only I had reacted sooner via a decent bike fit..still maybe the weakness would have still been exposed. Hopefully sharing this means someone else doesnt have to go through what I have.