Seat recommendations?
 

Well, how to put this? For the last several months my Viagra hasn't been working too well and the doctor says all my "numbers" are great for my 61 years. I have tried everything and today, while riding, I realized something. I retired in February and, since then, have increased my riding from 2 days a week to 6 days a week. I was wondering if the increased time and pressure on the saddle had anything to do with it. I have been riding a Fizik Alliante for over 5 years because it's the most comfortable for my anatomy (of those I have tried over the years).
I have never ridden any of those saddles with the cut-a-way because they look so uncomfortable.
I am now open to any suggestions. Thanks.

First not everyone has the same problems with saddles. But from everything I have read the problems you mention are quite often associated with perineum pressure. Saddles like the Selle SMP are designed specifically to deal with that pressure. The wisdon being if there is nothing pushing against your Perineum area there is nothing to numb the area. I am not trying to push SMP even if I have one. Two of my other saddles have cut out likes the Selle Gel Flow Max and the Specialized BG Riva. My old Selle San Marcos doesn't have a cut out but it does have a channel but I don't use it much.

Even the old school Brooks has come around and they offer the Imperial for those that insist on addressing some complaints about saddles.

This is not like medical advice and it is only a guess but the most common reason for problems like you describe may be pressure where people don't need pressure. Sometimes that can be addressed by changing the saddle nose up or down. sometimes it is simply addressed by switching to bike shorts or bibs with no seams running between you and the saddle. But one thing that can eliminate the problem is if there is "nothing" to cause that pressure in the first place. It may not be the onkly solution but it worked for me and so I don't even look at a saddle that doesn't have some kind of relief for the perineum area. (called the "Taint" by some.)

If you have an LBS that allows for trial periods for seat purchases, you may just want to go forth and experiment.

When I was still riding diamond frame bikes the problem for me was "numb manhood". For me the solution was a Brooks. YMMV.

It might also be the increased physical activity, ie fatigue. Try using that viagra-based activity in the morning or during the day, when your er legs are fresher.

First, I would take this up with you physician. If it is determined that the saddle is the problem, because of increased ride time, start looking for a saddle with a cut out to relieve pressure in your vital area. I recently purchased an ISM Adamo Prologue saddle and it's the best saddle I have tried. It was love at first sit and even after riding 50 miles, it feels as if you haven't started riding yet.

I would try either a Euromesh seat or the Recurve seat. I have the Euromesh but I wish I had the Recurve.

Silly goose. :D That would take a whole new bicycle.:eek:

Thanks, Mobile, for the detailed response. I've been all over the Selle SMP site and I think that is the route I'm going to take. I just need to decide on the particular model. Thanks also to the rest of the responses. I've already been to the doctor where no other problems were found. I have 4 Brooks saddles in my closet that will go on ebay once I figure out how to go that route. For my anatomy, they were the worse.

My urologist is Dr. Burnett of Johns Hopkins Univ Hospital, at the Brady Urological Center, an authority in this subject area. According to my visits to him, there is little substantiated (peer reviewed, published scientific) evidence that the problem you describe is attributable to bike riding, if all other indicators are negative.

So, what about stresses, distractions, or other psychological things that may be interfering with you? These may be causal factors, too. This is far beyond my expertise, but maybe bike riding isn't the issue?

Good luck, and I hope that you get over this season.

PG

Thank you for making this post! I'm not having the "exact" same problem as you but as my riding distances increase so does the pain in the taint area. I'm finally able to eclipse the 20 mile mark with no rest period and then am only getting off because I can no longer find a comfortable position to sit. I even put bar ends on the hybrid so I could sit up a little at different times and that helped some.

I am shopping for a saddle and was going to look at Brooks first. The owner of my LBS has one that he switches from bike to bike and he loves it. And, they're an easy resell if it doesn't work. So, if and when you decide to put yours on ebay let me know what you have first. I'll probably buy one from you.

I had a similar situation.

I started back riding a little over a year ago at age 59 after a 35 year hiatus. I found that after I found one that suite me and broke it in, I was plagued by 'numbness'. It started little at first but got worse. Clearly, I didn't need to see peer reviewed research to tell me something was wrong. When I was off the bike for a period feeling returned, but I knew that even temporary numbness was not a good thing, particularly at my age.

After some research, I looked into noseless saddles. NIOSH recommends them for people who are on their bike all day. I ended up with a ISM Adamo saddle. It took a bit to break in, my sits bones needed to toughen up, but the numbness issues are essentially gone. If I ride Century, I'm a little numb, but other than that, all systems go. I'm sure there are other saddle options, but I think the best bet is to try a few and see.

Here is the link to the NIOSH study.

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2009-131/

Good luck.

I ride SMPs, and I also ride Brooks. With the SMPs you have to get the right model/size, and picking one off the website requires a lot of knowledge about your fit...it's too much to expect. Don't assume the cheaper, low-end SMPs are the way to go to get started. Find a store that demos SMPs before your drop your cash, try 2 or 3 models.

Back in the day...my last saddle was a Bontrager Carbon "ass-hatchet". It was as comfortable as anything else I've ridden. The key is to make sure it is wide enough so that your ischial tuberosities (aka sit-bones) rest on the saddle, but little else comes in contact with it. No pain in the taint, no prostate pressure, and no effect on the arterial supply to the boys.

3 Bikes and two have the cutout on them and no problems. However the Stock saddle that is still on my latest bike has no cutout and a certain amount of numbness comes in after 50 miles. Don't get that on the Other saddles so it may just be the saddle that I have not yet tried swopping for one with a cutout.

But sound like a doc's visit is in order.

I had the same problem as you did that is the only reason I responded. No one saddle works for everyone but the cut out saddles are working for many people. The SMP saddles work for a lot of club riders in my group and that was one reason I ended up with one. The thing I didn't like about it was the cost. The Strike Glider was the one I ended up with. The Pro is another some of our riders like. Like many I studied all the reports from medical experts and found them clear as mud. When we have the the "numbness" we know we have it. When we aren't on the bike we don't have it is easy to attribute the cause. People that don't suffer the numbness seem the think it is all in our head (not the area that is effected however.:D) And as you can see several of us know just what you are talking about so it is a real issue.

It is also true that not everyone has a problem with numbness and so the sit bone issue is what they most often talk about. But then not everyone is shaped the same. My theory, not to be confused with fact, is that if there is nothing there to press against the perineum area then there is nothing to make it numb. The fact is the numbness comes from prolonged pressure on that area decreasing blood flow.

Try the cut out saddles see if they work for you. Like I have said the SMP works for me and worked from the first test ride. There was no break in period and I was relieved of the numbness that very first day. The other cut out saddles mentioned have worked well for the people that use them. You might also look at Cobb. I have a friend that has the V flow and loves it.:love: http://cobbcycling.com/

how did it go this morning?

I ordered the SMP Lite 209 designed for the medium to large pelvis. It has almost as much padding as the Pro model. We'll see how that goes when I get it and ride it a while. (There is no LBS within 200 miles of me that carries the SMP in stock).

Good luck. If indeed perineum pressure was your problem it should be solved. One piece of advice from one SMP owner to another, start with the saddle as level as you can get it. The are designed to give you a better pelvic tilt. Please let us know how it works out.

Good choice. Going with SMP, and standing periodically, solved my similar issues.

My experience is that any saddle can cause numbness if it is placed too far back for your riding position. Numbness is caused by pressure on the perineum, and saddles should be placed so your weight is supported by your sitbones to minimize perineal pressure. Saddle selection is also critical, but you can ruin the experience of a fine saddle by not finding the best installation for you.

Those saddles [other than the selle anatomica, and Brooks Imperial ]
have to have to be wider like a double nose to make the hole between them.

NY Times article sold a couple 2 pad noseless saddles that the LBS had .

EZ solution : more off the bike breaks , stand on the pedals more often, riding,
and So, get off the saddle.

You may want to look at the Kontact anatomical bicycle saddle. The saddle has a decreased angle between the nose of the saddle and the rear support surface, as well as a flatter rear surface to support the sit bones instead of pressing into the soft tissues. I have one on both of my road bikes.

http://www.kontactbike.com/

Ride On!
-Spoke