Thread: Seat angle
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Old 02-25-05 | 06:56 PM
  #14  
sbromwich
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 35
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From: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Bikes: Mountain Bike rebuilt for commuting

Originally Posted by Bigmikepowell
I see people riding with the saddle tilted back. Doesn't it give you a numb penis? I've often wondered if this is the cause of impotence, tempory and otherwise that is asociated with cycling. This is why I pay a lot of attention to position on the bike, I didn't used to until one day in my mid 30's I started thinking maybe a numb penis from cycling and impotence might be connected.
I ride with the saddle tilted back, as if I don't, I tend to slide down the saddle, which puts my weight on my arms and causes wrist pain (which I've already had from too many years working on computers). The trick (for me, anyway) is to have the saddle tilted back far enough to not slide, but not far enough to cause numbness. This is such a delicate balance that wearing rain pants and cycling tights in the winter was enough to throw it off andI had to readjust. Here's a pic my wife took this afternoon to give you an idea (yes, this is my beater bike, and technically it's too small, but it works well for me):



For the original poster, I came to this position through pure trial and error. The stem is maxed out, but ideally I'd like to get a bit more height out of it. The best summation I've seen is to set up the bike so that you can ride comfortably with your hands hovering over the handlebars - if it's too much of a strain the handlebars are too low or the seat is too high, if it feels too wobbly it's the opposite, if it feels comfortable then you've got a good starting point. Generally speaking, I've found if I'm getting a stabbing or shooting pain somewhere it's a pointer that the adjustment is out, whereas if it's more of an ache then it means I just need to "ride in" to wear in the muscles to the new position.
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