Road Cycling - Saddles & Testicles

Is cycling bad for testicles and how bad?

Which saddle is the best for our family jewels?

What to watch out for when riding to stress the testicles as little as possible? :rolleyes:

From what I have seen, it is mostly wives tales. To date, I have not seen any bonefide scientific evidence to back it up.

:beer: S

I have had one minor male problem (extremely painful, but self-resolving, inflammation of an epididysis appendix) that I might attribute to bicycling. I think a much bigger problem than any direct mechanical damage would be overexertion-triggered weakening of the immune system, as evidenced by Steve Scott's and Lance Armstrong's testicular cancers.

As for saddles, I favor either traditional tensioned leather (a Brooks Pro and a Brooks Competiition) or ergonomic (a Serfas ARC), but what really matters is to find a saddle which fits your anatomy, and to adjust its position properly. Beyond that, do not give up the world's greatest sport over unproven paranoia induced by one publicity-seeking urologist and one investigative reporter.

When you try out a saddle, make sure that the pressure is located under your sit-bones,not between them.
Hard padding is usually better than soft padding, but no padding will help if the shape of the saddle is wrong for you.
Since there is quite a variation in rear-end configurations, dont take someones word for a comfortable saddle. The only exception would be the Brooks leather saddle which moulds into your shape after a few weeks of use.

Saddle type is only one components of good fit. You also need to keep the saddle more or less level, Position the saddle relative to the pedals, then position the bars relative to the saddle.

sounds like a bad country and western group at a local county fair

Well has for me, I have balls of steel, so im not affected by this saddles & testicles thing. You could always duck tape your testicles to your upper crouch area so they are not in the way. :lol: That might be too sadistic! Or if you have large testicles, you could position them to where they hang off the sides of the saddle.:lol:

:D

I agree with Michael, the pressure needs to be on the cheeks, not the stones. As far as serious medical problems from pressure, like prostate trouble, I don't think there's a danger of that, at least that's what I read in bicycling magazine a couple years ago. I used to get occasional numb nuts from a soft gel seat but switched to a hard one in a different shape and that cured it.

if your choosing a saddle, the best shape saddle or the saddle that will make you comfortable, stand on the floor then spread your legs like 12 inches, then try walking then place the saddle on you crouch the saddle should not hinder or irritake your inner thight, it should be narrow, even if you walk, you will not feel the saddle being there, then your on your way to having a good saddle, as for the position of your ducky and balls the ducky should be pointed upwards and don't sit on your balls.....and you can ride for miles and miles away...:beer: :D :beer: :D

at my local bike club here in Munich we had a presentation a few months ago from a doctor who's specializing in this area of Sports Medicine... anyway, he presented a lot of research from some major studies (i think one in the US, one in Germany and one in Holland)...

and the results are not overwhelming (some of the studies only looked at racing cyclists, some compared cyclists to non-cyclists, some looked at mountain bikers, some road, etc)... but the data showed a trend of increasing male problems mostly because of age (duh, that's clear) but also with a slight correlation to cycling... from what the doctor said, some of the problems seem to be from long-time sitting on that area, but more of the problems seem to be from crashes where the seat or the top-tube traumitizes the privates (i think the study of pro mountain bikers seemed to indicate this more strongly)

anyway, from what this guy said and what i think, IF you get your saddle and bike set up right you should be OK unless you're riding more than 2 hours every day... if you're riding that much you're probably a pro so you've probably got a special sports doctor anyway... and obviously you should try and avoid any ball-crushing crashes if possible.

i think the major indicator is if you have numbness or experience any changes in your "male" performance... i have had some numbness in the past on long rides, so after the seminar since i ride a lot of miles (10-20k miles per year) i took a good look at my saddle and seat position (i had a professional bike-fit 2 years ago)... i found that my seat was too far back and all these years i have been sitting my privates on the nose of the saddle instead of sitting my sit-bones on the wider part of the saddle further back. i didn't even have to buy a new saddle, but just moved it a little and made an effort to adjust where i sit in the saddle and i am very happy with the improvement - it's more comfortable and i never have even the slightest numbness now...

anyway, i think most of the impotence issue is overblown, but if you ride a lot, it is worth evaluating your sitting position (as well as your overall bike fit) and looking at the seat tilt (make sure it's not pointed too much up - should be flat or slightly down-slanted) as well as making sure that your weight is supported by your 'sit-bones' and that your saddle matches your rear...

In reply to JohnE's post:

I think a much bigger problem than any direct mechanical damage would be overexertion-triggered weakening of the immune system, as evidenced by Steve Scott's and Lance Armstrong's testicular cancers.

Suggesting that "overexertion" weakens the immune system and leads to testicular cancer is ridiculous. There are thousands of professional athletes out there who "overexert" themselves on a regular basis and do not have weakened immunity. Overtraining can weaken your immune system, which can lead to minor diseases such as the common cold, but I challenge you to show me one scientific study which supports your claim.

Originally posted by vovk25
Is cycling bad for testicles and how bad?

No. The most common problem is that some men suffer from penile numbness after long rides (nothing to do w/testicles).

FWIW, here're some excerpts about the numbness problem from Bicycling Medicine, by Arnie Baker, MD.:
Lots of men find that the penis feels numb or has a pins and needles sensation after riding. [...]

The cause is pressure on the pedundal nerve.[...]

[...]The usual cause is riding bent over for too long. ... Stretch, and get pressure off your genitals every five minutes by standing or otherwise changing your position. Use a seat position that points the nose of the saddle down a little bit more or lower the height of the seat. A padded or different saddle may be helpful...

[...]Some small but real risk does exist for permanent damage unless you correct the problem.

Here is a website where you can ask a urologist:

http://www.urologychannel.com/hcforum/index.php3

Get that pressure away from your perineum (crotch) whatever you do....... if only during your training or practice sessions!! For more info go to www.bikesaddles.co.uk, or www.cyclesaddles.co.uk. The medical research and statistics relating to cycle saddle induced problems is mounting. Numbness in the crotch and penis comes about as a result of a problem... it's not a sign that evrything's okay! JK

if you have the large testicles as described above and have to let them hang off the sides of your saddle, i think that creates a aerodynamic drag surface and could slow you down. i would definitely go with the duct tape approach(but only if you are clean shaven).

In the latest issue of Bicycling they pretty much retracted anything they had ever published about the correlation btwn. cycling and impotence. It seems there really is no correlation, or a very, very small one. There was basically ONE study that got overblown, and nothing since (that I have seen) has been able to support the initial study.

as pointed out above, you want to be putting the pressure on your "sit-bones", not on any soft tissue.

also, this is why we wear tight shorts. look at any detailed picture of pro racers and you'll see shorts tight enough to hold your junk up and out of the way.

Your weight should be on your "sit bones", not on your crotch or privates. The height of the saddle relative to the height of the part of the bars where you rest your hands is the controlling factor in how you sit on the saddle. Bike books, and bike owner's manuals from the 1950's until the 1980's suggested making sure your hands were as high, or higher than the saddle. That permits keeping the pelvis upright, and your weight on your sitbones.

Then Greg LeMond won the Tour de France. It became "stylish" to ride in a professional racing position, even while "racing" to the coffee shop, or commuting to work. Saddles wide enough to support the sit bones of a 200 pound man were replaced by racing saddles designed for a 150 pro who rides with his weight "forward", primarily on the pedals and bars. Great for a pro on a closed course, during a race. Wrong for riding around in city traffic.

After you get the "bars to saddle" height ratio adjusted properly, any good saddle will work, if it is wide enough for YOUR rear (not a pro rider's skinny behind), and it provides a firm, stable platform for the sit bones. Oddly, the soft, cushy saddles that new riders find so attactive can be the worst saddles for a four hour or six hour ride. The sit bones sink down into the foam, putting pressure on the crotch area. After a few hours, numbness can occur in places where you really would prefer not to be numb.

I hear neutering helps :D

Probably want to get neutered anyway after a round of yanking that double sticy duct tape off the boys :eek:

if you have the large testicles as described above and have to let them hang off the sides of your saddle, i think that creates a aerodynamic drag surface and could slow you down. i would definitely go with the duct tape approach(but only if you are clean shaven).
I think they would probably flap around at speed, like when a bassett hound sticks his head out a car window. I think this could be painful. As for anyone following this cyclist, well that is sure to give this sport a bad name.

I think a much bigger problem than any direct mechanical damage would be overexertion-triggered weakening of the immune system, as evidenced by Steve Scott's and Lance Armstrong's testicular cancers.

So let me get this straight - the people with the same amount of "saddle time" on the couch as LA does on the bike would have almost no chance of developing cancer because they are not exerting themselves? What a load of garbage. As a previous poster said, you won't find a single article in a reputable medical journal that will support you on that one.

Here's a thought maybe it would not be a stretch to think that repeated damage and rebuilding of tissue of that area could lead to problems, where scar cells could continue to grow out of control. And anything that crushes or cuts off blood supply to cells, tissues and vital organs will causse O2 deprivation which could also lead to problems.

Mostly I just wear a cup when I'm riding.

Not much to add to this discussion other than the fact that the thread title reminds me of Gonads and Strife (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/weeee.php).

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! :D

I put around 4000 kms on a selle Italia SLR and me ain't got no problems. When numbness starts adjust or stand for a second.

...bonefide...
He he, nice pun...
RT

If you get them cut off, you can save weight.

iM learning how to use a CNC machine next semester, maybe to solve the problem of aerodynamic drag with cargo hanging over the sides i can CNC an aerodynamic cup frm 7005 AL for weight savings :)

Is cycling bad for testicles and how bad?

Which saddle is the best for our family jewels?

What to watch out for when riding to stress the testicles as little as possible? :rolleyes:

I always use a lubricant like Body Glide to keep friction to a minimum. I did rub a spot on one of mine on a long ride, so don't be afraid to keep trying different saddles until you find one that's completely comfortable for you. If you get a saddle with a cutout in the center, make sure it's not too big. If one of the "boys" gets stuck in there, you could have big problems when dismounting.