General Cycling Discussion - Saddle crushing family jewels

This may have been covered before but I couldn't find it. I have a problem after about 15mi of getting pain in my nads. My sit bones are fine and get no pain in my butt. I have checked and my LBS has fitted me which made it better. The bike I am riding is a Specialized Sirrus with their BG saddle and like I said up until about 15 miles it is ok. I have only had this bike a short time so the saddle and my body may not be broke in. Any advice would be appreciated by me and my jewels.
Thanks...

Unless you are attempting to squeeze either or both nad-units through the slit in the saddle, I can't see why; perhaps the saddle is tilted too far back?

I've a similar bike (Crossroads) and the same saddle (the Body Geometry that's really lousy for rides longer than 100 miles), and I've never run into the same problem.

I have it set completely level and no I am not trying to squeeze them through the slot. The pain is more toward the front of the saddle. You say you have ridden yours on long distances without problems?
Thanks...

Completely level is way too high in the front for me. Try tilting the front down a few clicks.

How low are your bars compared to the level of your saddle ?
Riding down low can sometimes do that.

You may want to try adjusting the angle of your hips. Tuck your butt in a bit, under your spine. This will force your sit-bones down a bit. I find that a level saddle works for me this way, but I use a very relaxed touring position.

Any change in position should be done gradually.

I bet that is the problem. I am riding a Specialized Sirrus which is a flat bar rode bike and the seat is quite a bit higher than the bar.
Unfortunately I think I am stuck with this because I can't raise the stem so I need to find a way to alleviate the pain.

I did have the seat pointed down a little and that made it worse and I am pretty confident raising it a little won't help. I thought about one of the Selle Italia saddles that have a Gel strip on the top.

Anyway I am getting some good idea's here.

Thanks...

Average riders need the bars about 1-3" below the saddle for comfortable riding. Any more than this is really for short fast time trial races.

You may have some adjustment in the headset to raise the bars, otherwise, you need a stem with some rise on it..

Actually I just went out and checked it. I would say it is about 3 to 4" above the bar. Not sure if I can raise the stem at all, but I will find out.

Thanks... :confused:

Originally posted by Dirtgrinder
Completely level is way too high in the front for me. Try tilting the front down a few clicks.

Damn....Having my saddle perfectly level makes me feel like i'm sliding off the seat!:D I always tilt mine back.

I keep my well-worn Brooks Pro approximately level. Try standing on the cranks periodically, and experiment with different saddles and positions. The tops of my drop bars are perhaps 5cm below the top of my saddle -- I certainly would not want them any lower! Also, try varying your hand (and therefore body) position during a ride; many people consider the brake hoods, rather than the drops, to be the "normal" position.

Well I went out and put a level on the seat and then measured down to the bar and it is exactly 3" so that should be ok. I do stand from time to time and I change positions on the saddle.

I guess at this point I need to experiment with different saddles or maybe tilt it back a hair.

Thanks...

Have you checked yourself for lumps? lol....jk. You might want to go to the doctors or something, because it might not be a common thing to have pain down there. I dont have pain in my balls when I ride, only in my ass:D I hope your pain lessens or goes away....pain in the balls isnt fun.

Some thoughts:

...3" of drop, while not extreme, is still probably contributing to the problem. But with a threadless headset there's not a lot you're going to be able to do about it without a fair amount of work and expense. If you can get your hands on a stem with more rise, it would be worth experimenting with. (The next step after that is replacing the fork and cutting the steerer taller.)

...A bit less stem extension can also serve to move you to a slightly more upright position.

...Have you tried looser shorts? Seriously. Analyze exactly where the pressure is coming from and you might conceivably find that some or all of it can be relieved by giving the scrotum someplace to move so as not to be squeezed by the saddle.

...Sometimes when riders have trouble with level saddles, it's another indication that the reach to the bars is wrong (too long, usually), as well as that there's too much drop. The too-long reach tends to pull the rider onto the nose of the saddle. The feeling of sliding forward can have the same cause.

...A too-wide saddle can sometimes cause the rider to sit too far forward.

In general, I'd suggest that you revisit your basic bike fit. The most important part of bike fit is simply achieving comfort, and yours obviously fails in that regard. The amount of drop to the bars is one aspect of this, and if 3 inches of drop is causing the discomfort, maladjusting other parts of the bike is not the solution.

Many non-racers, particularly tourists and commuters who put in a lot of miles, set up their road bikes with zero drop. It's not racy and stylish, but neither is testicular pain.

RichC

Probably won't help, but this pic shows my saddle position well. It's actually more level that I thought. It at least shows the relationship to the handlebars.

Genitalia pain is almost always caused by leaning too far forward. My guess is your stem is too low or too long or both.

BTW - your saddle should always be level. Tilting it forward will throw your body weight forward onto your hands. Ouch!

I was having the same problems, as gabiker refers to. I was also getting sore hands, that were going numb after a while. I realised that my seat looked flat but was actually dipping forward. I now have it set flat and both problems have disappeared. I now know what people mean when they say to use your "sit bones" the difference is amazing. Now the seat appears to be tilted up, but with a level it is actually flat. Using a level or eyeing the seat against something is the best way to set it accurately.

CHEERS.

Mark

It was interesting to note that out of all the advice offered, only one suggested that Gabiker has himself medically checked out...

Dirtgrinder,
My bike is setup about like yours only it is a flatbar road bike instead of a MTB. I guess the drop could be the problem, however I see guys with more drop than I have, but I think I will go back to the LBS and revisit the fitting.

As far as me getting medically checked out. I get a complete physical once a year and see my doctor atleast 4 times a year. I really don't think it is a problem with me. If I get off my bike and and walk around for a few minutes and start riding again the pain goes away for quite awhile. But it does come back.
Thanks...

Hi All,
I worked so long and hard getting my brooks saddle just right than when it came time to put on my stella flite saddle I bought a new seatpost so I would not mess up the exact adjustment of the brooks. Worked great *S*

Ride Safe....Dudley

I put on a bit of miles each year, between 7500 and 10,000. I had the problems you are having, after spending much time at the LBS and doing adjustment after adjusment with no positive results I purchased a new saddle at the recommendation of a friend that rides mega miles. For the past three years I've been riding WTB SST-K with Ti rails with no pain or discomfort at all, even after 6 or 8 hour days of riding. I just purchased a Selle Italia Pro-link gel. I rode it yesterday for the first time. I rode 127 miles with no pain. It actually feels very sismilar to the WTB.

MrFix,
Yes that is the saddle I have been looking at. The placement of the gel seems to fit in to where my pain is. I do need to take another look though, because my pain is on the right side so maybe the saddle isn't exactly straight.

Will let you know.

Thanks for all the tips...

Your 3" of drop is at the far limit of normal riding. I use about 2".
You may also want to consider your saddle for-aft position.

You cant take any one part of bike setup in isolation.After reading up on bike fit, it took me many months to arrive at a position I liked, that was after several years of just riding.


http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

"Grinder... I would find your bike incredibly uncofortable. I find that, when my saddle is nose-down like that, I feel pitched forward, with all the stress on my shoulders. I like my saddle very slightly [like one degree] nose-up.

Yes I had mine angled down a little and didn't like it a bit. I have not tried to angle it up a little though. I might want to try that before anything else. I am going back to my LBS also just to have another look.

Are you talking about "pain" or numbness?
I've never experienced pain but I have had numbness in certain areas. :eek:

No I am talking about pain, however if I get off and walk around for a minute it goes away for awhile. The funny thing is it is on the right side. The left side is fine, so once again I am :confused:

Thanks...

I don't want to get too personal here, and I don't know how old you are but... do you examine yourself regularly? If the pain is on one side, rather than distributed, then there's a possibility that it may not be the bike but your... er... guys, or at least on of them.

It's also possible that you bruised one of them recently. That can cause pain that doesn't go away for quite a while, particularly if you keep aggravating it.

That is OK and yes I do and so does my wife. In fact not only we do but as stated earlier I have a complete physical once a year. This pain is not long lasting and as soon as I get off the bike it goes away.

I guess it could be me physically, however I really think it has more to do with the setup of the bike.

I am 49yo male that is not over weight at all, in very good shape and when I ride my other bike I don't get this pain at all. Of course I don't ride it 30 miles either, but probably enough to cause it. The big difference is it is a comfort bike so it is more upright with a gel seat.

Maybe I just don't have tough enough nuts. :)

The more you describe things the more convinced I am that the problem is directly caused by too much drop to the handlebars. The fact that it doesn't happen when you're on a more upright bike is very telling.

RichC

Rich,

Would there be that much of a difference between 3" and 4"? I have been thinking about that and if I bring the bar up any I think it would bring me up more than I want.

I am a tall fairly big guy at 6' 2" and 195 with log legs and long arms. My arm length is 35" so I am fairly comfortable in this position.

I have spoken to my LBS and will take it back in there on Saturday to see what they think. Of course they fitted me to begin with so maybe they missed it. Or maybe there not as good as I thought and if that is the case maybe I am just screwed.

Thanks Again...

Originally posted by gabiker

Would there be that much of a difference between 3" and 4"? I have been thinking about that and if I bring the bar up any I think it would bring me up more than I want.


I would think that getting rid of the sort of pain you're describing would tend to trump any other consideration, unless you're riding competitively. If you're using a medium-length, level or negative-rise stem, then you could try a stem with some rise as an experiment to raise the bars.

If you get the bars up as much as possible this way, ride for a week, and the pain goes away, you'll know what's what. If it doesn't work, you can change it back without having messed up your bike. Your LBS can probably find you a loaner stem for this experiment.

This sort of issue is not something that can be predicted during a bike fitting. It's covered by the question "are you comfortable with the bars at this height?" In your case, if the answer is "yes, except for this excruciating pain in the balls," maybe the answer is really "no."

Or not. Try the experiment.

RichC

Rich,

Your absolutely right and I will take that up with them on Saturday. I did notice something when I got home tonight though. I put a level on my bike to see if the seat was turned one way or the other and it is turned to the left a little. This would be odd because the pain is on the right unless it is making me lean that way a little. Anyway I am going to see them on Saturday afternoon, but in the mean time I am going to try to straighten out the seat and go for a ride to see if that helps. I am also going to tilt it up a tad, but at different times in order to rule those out before I go.

The reason I am waiting until Saturday because my LBS isn't exactly local he is 60 miles away. That is a whole other story.

Thanks...

Originally posted by gabiker
The reason I am waiting until Saturday because my LBS isn't exactly local he is 60 miles away. That is a whole other story.

Thanks...
Since you live in Rome where did you buy the bike?

BTW: I had the saddle you are complaining about for 3 months. Couldn't get comfortable on it and gave it away.

Ron,

I bought it at Atlanta Cycling, but don't get me wrong I don't think it is there fault. I also think they will make it right if they can and it probably is the saddle but it could be the setup too. Like I said earlier the saddle was turned to the left a little, but it doesn't make since that would make it hurt my right side. Of course there are a lot of things in life that don't make since.

Pat

thanks for bringing this issue up, and thanks to everyone for the helpful replies. This is the exact same thing that I've been experiencing, and if I hadn't peeked at this thread, I prolly would've tried to just get used to the pain. I went on a really long ride on Sunday and when I got back I could not feel anything down there. In fact it was still sore till yesterday! Then I got on my bike today, intentionally trying to sit on my a$$ instead of my .... precious equipment..., and it made WORLDS of a difference.

I adjusted my seat a little and rode for 15 miles yesterday and felt no pain. I haven't had time to ride further than that yet, but hopefully will Saturday. Like I said earlier my seat was pointing to the left just a hair, but maybe that is what was doing it. Will let you know for sure this weekend.

I would like to thank everyone that gave advice as well. It is nice to have a forum like this with so much experience to ask questions.

I rode for 32 miles today with very little discomfort and the little I did have I was able to adjust my position on the saddle to get rid of it. I took the advice about tucking my butt in a little to sit more on my sit bones and the minor adustment of my seat seems to work.

I am riding 60 miles next Saturday so I hope the problem is gone.

Thanks for everyone's help on this. Oh yea I did go back to the LBS today and had everything checked on my fit and it all seems to be just fine. There were 3 working and none of them seeme to think my reach was to far or the drop to the bars was to much.

Thanks again. :beer:

I've had similar problems. Here's my advice:

No saddle was designed to be painful or destroy your ability to reproduce. They're a bit like shoes, what fits one person may not fit another.

Find a good LBS. My Local Bike Shop has a policy that you keep trying saddles until you find one that fits. No questions asked.

I use a Terry Ti-Race saddle. I am very happy with it but your body construction might be different.

The positioning relationship between pedals, saddle, and handlebars is critical and very individual. Your body geometry, weight, flexibility, and fitness all influence the proper position for you. For the most part, the popularity of the threadless headset and non-adjustable stem really screws the cycling consumer.

My road bike has a quill stem. I usually start the season with it raised all the way. By the end of the season it is 2" lower.

There are adjustable stems sold on some "comfort" or low end hybrid bikes. Check with your LBS to see if they have any old ones laying around that you could try. Play with it in different positions until you find one that works. Then buy a stem with those dimensions, or even have a custom one made.

Jim