aaronmichael

I'm a 21 year old, 160 pound rider, 5"5' tall. I had a saddle on my road bike and it served me well for a good amount of time - a little over a year. Started giving me problems recently, specifically going numb in the crotch region. Got a new saddle for my birthday that has a cutout in the middle (a fairly small cutout) and there might have been a slight improvement but problem is still occurring. Still occurs when I wear biking shorts with padding (Pearl Izumi Quest Shorts). Anyone have tips for this? I've never been fitted before - would that be my best option? Or would a saddle/cleat/seat height adjustment be a solution? Or any advice on saddles that are great at relieving pressure down there would be great. Any advice would be greatly appreciated - it's really starting to get annoying.

kenji666

Have you had a professional fitting on your bike?

DropDeadFred

have you ever been fitted...or just ride..and adjust your saddle every other mile until youre comfortable...it took me a few days to get mine "perfect". I can't imagine how you could go over a year like that.

danvuquoc

Hold old are your bibs, various pairs?

aaronmichael

No, I've never been fitted before. Also, it hasn't been going on for a year. In my original post I said that the previous saddle that I had on there I had one for a year. Only within the past month or two did it start giving me problems and then it was replaced. As far as adjusting goes - does that include the angle (tilt) and forward and backward movements? My shorts are pretty new - maybe 6 months? Possibly less than that. I just have that one pair.

pablosnazzy

you should be on a seat that fits your sit bones, too large, too small, no good. your seat should not be tilted at a crazy angle. yes, adjusting your seat means tilt and forward and backward so you are centered.

Dilberto

Your saddle nose needs to point down about 3mm. Done...

aaronmichael

3mm seems like such a small amount. The problem is, I don't want to go just buy a new saddle because it may very well be how I'm sitting or my saddle height. At the same time I don't want to drop the money for a fit because technically my bike is too tall for me. Decisions decisions. I think I'll just got to a LBS and ask their opinion on what I should do. Maybe they can give me a few pointers without charging me.

androidtt

For me, the saddle had to point upward. And go forward. Millimeters at a time.

OP, you're going to have to tweak it a bunch. And it's always better to get a smaller bike than a bigger one from what I've read since I started cycling. It would be easier to lengthen the seatpost and add spacers versus having no stem/seatpost to cut off anymore~!

Don't sacrifice that region of your body!

Looigi

A bit upward at the front for me too. However, the saddle needs to be wide enough and more flat side to side. Your sit bones should be mainly on top of it. If it's too narrow, or arched side to side, it can put pressure on your crotch, which is NG.