Bike Seat Damage page

[johnnyq]

I read that bike seats cause damage to private parts.

I ride a stationary bike for my sprints and sometimes up to half an hour for my low intensity aerobics.

So far no problems but am I slowly damaging myself? Must I ditch my bike?

[Paleobird]

They make bike seats that have a split down the middle so as not to press on the family jewels. There are also seats that are wider and so keep most of the weight distributed more evenly.

The kind of seat that causes problems is the really narrow hard saddles used by some serious cyclists. They also are on those saddles a lot more hours than you are.

[Knifegill]

The family jewels are usually not the problem, it's the base of the "primary" organ that runs all the way through that area. If you keep the pressure off your organ, you're fine. I just ride standing.

[Paleobird]

"Family jewels " was just my euphemism for all those gentleman bits that I don't have collectively. I'm glad someone who does have those bits chimed in.

[mikebike]

Biggest mistake people make is thinking softer is better. A proper saddle should support your "sit bones" so your privates are elevated. Soft and cushy allows pressure on your privates. I've been riding, on average, 5k miles a year for the past fifteen years or so....no issues with me plumbing.

[namelesswonder]

^What he said. You could probably swap for a different seat if it's uncomfortable. That being said, some men are just not designed to handle it. I happen to be dating someone that cannot, for the life of them, adjust in any way that makes a bicycle seat not incredibly painful.

[SoccerGrok]

Biggest mistake people make is thinking softer is better. A proper saddle should support your "sit bones" so your privates are elevated. Soft and cushy allows pressure on your privates. I've been riding, on average, 5k miles a year for the past fifteen years or so....no issues with me plumbing.

+1

[sbhikes]

They make seats with a hole in the middle for those female jewels, too.

[mikebike]

For women, I highly recommend the Terry Liberator. Gets rave reviews from the gals in my cycle club.

[JeffC]

I don't ride stationary, just to the subway (about 2 miles one way) and to work (about 11 miles one way). I ride all the way to work 2-3 days per week and to the subway other days. So I do a lot of riding. I swear by the English leather saddles from Brooks, in particular the sprung ones. I have a wide sprung one (B67) on one of my bikes and a narrower one (Champion Flyer) on the other. I totally agree softer is not better.

What I have found from thousands of miles of riding (almost 10,000 miles in 5 years now) is that you really need to experiment to dial in your fit. Over time seat posts sag a bit which can impact fit as well. Literally a half inch down on your seat post or a slight tilt on your saddle can matter a lot for comfort. Also, sometimes my bike shorts bunch up and can be uncomfortable. In short, experiment a lot and find what works for you. Sometimes, no matter what I do, I cannot get comfortable. Other times, I feel like I could ride for hours in bliss. Also, sometimes a very short break, like 2 minutes can do wonders for your parts as well. Good luck.