I know a lot of you ride. What kind's of seats are you using? I've got one of those seats with the hole in it (just a cheap one from schwinn) but I still can't ride for more than about 30 minutes without my dick going numb:wow: It's not so much the numb part, but when I get off the bike the pins and needles are killer. I've tried adjusting the seat downward in the front so more of my weight is supported by my butt, and raise the grips up to I'm more upright, but it still sucks.
I ride a "Selle Italia Max Flite". This is gonna sound real strange, but you need to have your butt measured. Not all seats are gonna work for everyone body type. Any really good bike shop should be able to hook you up.
could also be that your current seat has too much padding. your pelvis is pushing down on the seat and the other part of the seat is pushing up causing things to go numb. think of it like pushing down on a pillow with your hand. your hand would represent your pelvis, while the other part of the pillow that is now pushed down is where your junk is. That could be what is causing the pressure making you go numb. I had the same problem and switched to a road bike seat. The thin kind. I am able to ride 20 miles with riding shorts on and not have much of any problems. just my .02
Is your seat properly adjusted? It could be tilted upwards placing too much pressure on your nerves in that region.
25+ years of cycling... I tend to stay away the saddles with a channel or cut out for your plumbing. To me, the channel creates more edges and puts more pressure on the sensitive areas of my crotch then it eliminates...YMMV. I've had the best results by using cycling shorts with a good chamois (I like the gel filled chamois) and the smallest seat that still has padding in the right areas (lots of trial and error to get this right). Two to three hour rides are quite comfortable. I also like the "old school" seats (most of mine are 7 -10 years old) and over the years have been formed to fit me perfect - so any good saddle requires some break in time. Check out Brooks (very retro looking, but the best out there IMO). Comfort always trumps looks/lightweight when it comes to a good seat.
i have a Bontrager Race X Lite CRZ+ Carbon on my current road bike. it foreal took me 4 seats until i found one that didn't make me wanna kill myself. then again i also dont ride with shorts, but still. i'm building up a new mtb, and ordered a Selle Italia Max Flite Gel in 150mm width. fingers crossed its comfy for my big ass. all this money i spend on builds you'd think i'd go get fitted for a saddle... if this one is no bueno i'll go get fitted. wanted to try a Koobi sorta too, but i'm afraid to shell out the $200 without seeing it in person first.
For me the Fizik Arione is the go, set dead level. Try and keep the seat as close to level as you can, if you tip it up or down too much it moves pressure to points where it shouldn't be. Have you had your bike fitted, or are you just riding? That all being said seat selection is a very personal thing, depends on bike setup, rider flexibility, type of riding and about 100 more etc's. I tried a few different types before I got on the right one. Decent bike shorts are a big help. :up:
What you need to do is go to a specialized dealer and get sized up on there assometer. the sit bones need to have specific pads behind them. They will sell you a seat that fits perfect, it will set you back 170-200 dollars but you will no longer have the problem. Also it sounds like the nose of the seat is up to high point it down a bit and you should have better results.
from what I have been told you are going BACKWARDS with the tilt of the seat. It is counter intuitive but try tiping the nose upwards some. Something about rocking your hips in such a way that you actually sit on the wide part of the seat. If you tip it down you want to slid forward onto the narrow part and it causes the pressure also too much padding can cause it. Get a seat with less padding. And get measured, so your sit bones are actually supporting you, not a bunch of padding and the soft tissues. I use a fitted Bontrager saddle. I think 125mm seat? It is the narrowest of their fitted saddles. Apparently I have a narrow ass
Don't do anything until you're fitted on your bike by a professional. Once you do that, you'll be amazed to find out that you can ride basically any saddle. I've logged thousands of miles in the last year and have been riding and racing bicycles for the last 18 years.
I rode Selle Italia for a couple decades. Then tried a Fizike and now I'm kind of partial to them. The seat shape isn't much different though. I'd echo what others have said about getting fitted. It'll pay off in comfort even if it feels like a waste of money now. If you need miles more than comfort then I'd throw a WTB mtb saddle on in the short term. They're supportive, cushy, and fit alot of body types for ~$40. Lastly, when I've gotten numb nuts in the past it has had more to do with my weight than anything. If you're losing weight the problem might get better. IMO, no saddle that puts on any airs about "race" was made for a guy over 180 lbs.
Dude, put some clothes on when you ride. But seriously, no riding shorts? Try some, they do make a difference.
Bicycle seats are like leathers, everyone has a favorite for a different reason. I would also tip the nose up a hair and if that doesn't work Terry makes some nice saddles too. Getting professionally fit by a reputable bicycle shop will make a world of difference!
I had exact same problem and truly found the most awesome seat that will probably be a mainstay in the future. Its called the spongy wonder and is $80. There is absolutely no pressure on the gooch/taint area since its just two pads against the butt cheeks. I mountain bike and its great. The only downside is you have to run the seat a little lower if you are going down steep stuff since you got to get over the saddle. You also lose a small amount of control since no seat nose but .. either you are either a little slower on bike and get still get wood or you are faster but are broken.
