larie2

I recently starting cycling (beginning of the summer) and I have noticed that after about an hour of riding the area under my scrotum starts to be extremely uncomfortable. It is similar to a burning sensation. I also notice soreness on my sitting bones when I get on my bike the next day (but not so much during a ride). I am using the stock saddle that the bike came with, but after researching I'm not sure that my saddle is the issue. What steps can I take to help make my ride more comfortable?

Thanks!

FBinNY 

There's no real answer here. It's somewhere between"you'll get used to it" and a long slow hunt for the right saddle.

Things to consider are saddle tilt and exactly where you sit on it. The actual shape and give are also critical, which is why finding the right one can be a slow painful process.
Ironically, a padded saddle can also be worse than a harder one (to a limit) as can too much padding in your shorts. Excess padding allow the "sit bones" to settle spreading the load to places that don't handle it well.

Some also report greater comfort with addles with relief where your tender parts sit, but I've done better by focusing on solid support at the sit bones, with minimal (zero) chafing or friction.

Aubergine 

The height of the saddle could be at issue as well.

AnthonyG

Its broadly called Saddle Soreness. Rest assured that its common and even the fittest cyclist suffer from it from time to time.

There are so many causes.

Firstly. Are you wearing cycling knicks (lycra shorts with a chamois insert)?
These make a HUGE difference.

Anthony

larie2

Yeah I have a pair of cycling shorts that did help my sitting bones a lot, but I'm more concerned with the other issue. After about 20 miles I can hardly ride without standing. I know that everything takes time to get adjusted, but I don't know if there's anything I can do to help ease the pain. I'm thinking my saddle may be too high or too far from my handlebars. I think that I may be leaning too far forward and putting more pressure on the area under the scrotum rather than my sitting bones. Does this sound plausible?

Thanks again for the help!!

eastbay71

I don't think this is a fit problem because an improper seat height usually results in lower back pain or knee pain

Could you post a picture of your bike or maybe tell us what saddle you're using?

Do you know how to measure your sit bone spacing and do you have the proper width seat?

You may need a saddle with a perineal cutout to relieve the pressure on your sensitive bits. Everyone on here could tell you what saddle they love but that will not help you, You need to find which type of saddle works best for you.

Some bike shops offer test saddles that you can try out before you buy them. Several brands like Fizik, Prologo, San Marco and Astute make them available. test saddle | eBay

For what it's worth I've found that a saddle with a wider rear (143mm) and narrow front with very little padding works best for me with the Astute Skylite being my favorite. Astute Skylite SR Saddle | Chain Reaction Cycles I got my Astute test saddle for 80% the retail price from The Pro's Closet.

chasm54

Probably the wrong saddle, possibly the saddle being wrongly positioned. The problem here is that your perineum is bearing weight. It shouldn't be. Your sitbones should be bearing your weight with your perineum perched over and just restin on, rather than pressing into, the saddle.

You may be sitting too far forward on the saddle, so that your weight is being borne by the nose. If you think this is happening, try moving the saddle forward. I also tend to ride with the nose of my saddle fractionally (very fractionally) up, as this prevents me sliding forward and keeps my sitbones on the wide part of the saddle where they should be. If neither of these work, and your saddle is the right height, you need to experiment with new saddles.

Don't just persevere and hope the pain will resolve itself. Sitbone ache resolves itself. Pressure on the perineum does not.

d4devilx

Possible causes listed but not in order of priority:

1. Saddle is not level: I use an app called bubble indicator which is available on andriod and maybe on ios as well, use it to check if you saddle is completely level. Alternatively use a horizontal line reference available, say a wooden barrier for example.

2. You setback is too much: You need to reduce your setback (move saddle forward) such that your arms do bear some weight but "not too much weight" (you can refer here for more details on this topic: https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...or-road-bikes/) . This would allow to distribute some of your weight from the bum to your hands. I prefer distribution of 60/40 which is ratio of rear weight to front weight on the frame of the bike.

3. Saddle issues: I changed my saddle from stock to "Madison Prime" which is very comfortable road saddle. This helped me cure my bum pain. But this is one of the last things I would, personally, consider.

4. You saddle height is not optimal. Your saddle shouldn't bear the entire weight. Reduce your saddle height in small increments. I would suggest using small segment of road to test and adjust your saddle height.

5. You should stand on your pedals sometimes if not frequently to change muscle set and allow some blood into your resting region. Possibly you could be sitting too much!

6. Lastly, it could be you're not used to the saddle. The saddle sores initial but slowly the body gets adapted to the position. So you may need to allow some recovery so you can be stronger in your saddle.

7. Using anti chafing cream when you go for a ride. It could be the friction between clothes and your skin.

I hope all of this helps because this is from experience.

Happy riding mate.

berner

As listed above, there could be any one of a number of reasons and possibly several reasons together causing your discomfort. For myself, I've found a wide saddle at the sit bones is best and with a cutout down the center. There are many saddles that might be fine but involves a long and expensive search. Specialized saddles work for me because the all have the necessary center cutout and each model cones in a range of widths. https://www.google.com/search?q=spec...a&channel=fflb

fietsbob

Consult your Urologist . A Medical Specialty.

xlbs

Depending on your willingness to spend the time and money, I would say that you need to see a good fitter, not just a friend who eye-balls your position, and not this forum...!

All of the above suggestions are just that, suggestions. A good fitter will spend the time to find the correct correlation for all of your points of contact with your bike.

Discomfort in the nether regions is almost always caused by a series of factors, and is rarely solved by a simple "one-shot" change: if your setback is off, if your saddle-to-bar-drop is off, if your saddle tilt is off (and with due respect to an earlier post above, a saddle nose should be tilted UP a bit to move your weight to your sits bones---level saddles often lead to a "push back" reaction because the rider will lean too far forward trying to find the "sweet spot". Then your arms, shoulders and nether regions are all compromised...) , or if your cleats are poorly positioned, or your saddle height is off these will all contribute to a series of compensatory reactions that you may not be aware of at all, but your body will tell you! A good fitter will examine each and every point of contact and your position(s) resulting from those interactive details. You can easily spend years and years trying to get it right, but a good fitter can do it all for you in a matter of a few hours or less. And, if they are good, they will have some saddles to try...!

noglider 

I once had a severely chafed scrotum from riding 30-some miles on a brand new pair of shorts. It was red, and it stung. I figured out that the padding was so thick that it pinched my skin and chafed it. This is a long shot, but maybe it helps. Among the various changes to try, a change in clothing is worth considering.

Have you had your local bike shop or some other knowledgeable person check your position on the bike? If not try to do that. Failing that, post pictures and videos of yourself.

Leisesturm

I can't speak for anyone else, but the only thing below my scrotum is my knees (and the distance between them is getting shorter but that's for another thread) and I don't think the o.p.'s knees are the problem. I for one cannot even begin to answer the question without more information. What I will say is that it would appear that the o.p. is doing way too much too soon and they should back off immediately or the consequences might be permanent. Did anyone ask the o.p. for details of type of bike, how much seat is extended, rider dimensions, type of saddle, etc? If a gun was to my head I would suggest a too far rearward saddle leading to a placement too far forward on the saddle. Too long a stem can cause the same "reach" issue. Issues with sit-bones and saddle soreness can bee annoying but won't leave you impotent. I don't think that's what this is. Burning pain in the center of the perineum is more serious and if ignored can lead to chronic neuropathy. Not good. Get back to us with more detailed fit information or take yourself and your bike to someone that can tell you whats going on. And take it easy. Someone who started riding this summer should not, I don't think, be doing hour long rides. But I don't know that for sure. I've forgotten how long it takes to acclimate to cycling.