It’s one of the most perplexing of all cycling issues: You’ve been in the saddle for a while, nature calls and you stop to pee. Everything works just fine, but you can’t feel it. Your penis is swaying around out there in the breeze like a deflated flag.
Not Comfortably Numb
Numb genitalia is nothing new to cycling. If you’ve done any serious miles on any bike, you’ve probably had numb hands or fingers — it’s the same thing, only between your legs.
Women Too
Embarrassing as it is to discuss openly around other cyclists, numb genitals is not something that women are immune to. If you’ve ever done any long distance cycling with your spouse, you probably already know that. Yale researchers in 2006 found that female cyclists often had less genital sensation after spending time on the bike, and it’s believed that female cyclists are at just as much risk for genital numbness as male riders.
Getting Personal
It’s caused primarily when nerves — more exclusively the pudendal nerve — and blood vessels become compressed in one of the most vulnerable areas of your body; the perineum. In men, the penis is affected. In women, the labia and clitoris. You can opt for staying off your bike to avoid it, but that’s not an option any real cyclist would even consider.
Cause and Effect
It’s not always obvious what’s causing you to go numb down there. A cause and effect, or trial and error is the best approach to numb genitals, starting from easy to more drastic measures. Most of the typical causes are simple; your riding position, bad saddle angle, bad saddle, seat or handlebars too high, and the most often overlooked but probably the least likely — a seam in your shorts.
Riding Position
Your riding position can make all the difference. Too much torso forward is an obvious giveaway to numb genitals. If you’re zoned out for miles and miles, it could be that you just need to keep shifting your ass back and forth. You’ll feel the difference when blood rushes back into your privates, kind of a tingling. Pay attention, shift around on the bike and stand up occasionally.
You’re Reaching
If you’re reaching too far for your handlebars, it means you’re leaning forward, putting more pressure on the perineum. A shorter stem makes your reach more comfortable, allowing your torso to lift slightly up off the front of the seat. Bike shops have all kinds of stems, try them out, they’re easy to change, and it only takes a few minutes.
Bad Saddle Angle
Tilt the nose of the saddle downward. Ride the bike for a few hours or days. It might feel like you’re sliding forward. It’s common and you’ll get used to it, and likely stop sliding eventually. If you don’t, look at other solutions. Your butt should be touching the saddle, supporting your weight only by the two bones in your rear — nowhere else.
Seat Down
If your hips rock back and forth while pedaling, it’s a safe bet your saddle is too high. Ideally, the top of the seat should be level, or angled down no more than 2-to-3-degrees. It’s OK to move it more than that to test it. Check it by riding, and see if your numbness goes away. Even if you don’t rock and roll, excessive height may still be involved. Lower the saddle about a 1/2-inch or less at a time, just enough to promote a slight bend of the knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. This should reduce compression on the nerves in your perineum. A lower saddle height also improves your ability to support your weight throughout the pedal stroke.
Seams in Shorts
If your wearing cheap or poorly designed shorts, you can get skin abrasion, also sometimes referred to as saddle sore, along a seam. It feels like fire. But that same seam can pinch nerves or blood vessels in your crotch. It’s not a given solution, but wear high-dollar shorts to help alleviate numbness. Shorts are rated by panels, the more panels the better. Riding shorts typically don’t have seams in the crotch area.
Seat
If everything checks out, and you still suffer from genital numbness, the most likely suspect is the seat. Saddle choice is a personal thing, what works for one cyclist may cause agony for others. Riding with different saddles is the only real solution, but there are certain saddles that have proven to relieve genital numbness better than others.
Split the Difference
Don’t be too interested in running out for a gender specific saddle, most of them do the same thing. If you’re a woman, a man’s saddle might be what you’re looking for. They come in two varieties, one type has a split in the back, the other has a split in the front. Both types have proven to relieve pressure on nerves and blood vessels, but neither has been crowned the king or queen of comfort, and numbness reducing, it’s that personal thing. The only real way to figure it out is by trying them.
Mountain Bike Saddle
If you don’t want to spend $100 a piece trying out saddles, you might want to opt for a cheap mountain bike saddle. They have the blunt, short nose at a fraction of the cost of road bike saddles. If you don’t like it, you’re not out that much.
The No-Nose
No-nose saddles have been around for a while. It might be that they just look goofy, but the thing is, most cyclists shy away from them, even though they’ve been proven to work at reducing numbness. Another issue deals with control. Some cyclists use the nose of the saddle to help steer. But others don’t miss the long, extended nose on a road bike saddle.
The Study
“Cutting off the nose to save the penis,” is an article published in the Journal of Sexual Health. Before the study, nearly three-quarters of the participating cyclists complained of numbness while riding with standard saddles. After six months of using the no-nose, fewer than one-fifth complained. So it’s a sure bet that a no-nose saddle can reduce numb genitals.