Bicycle Seat Adjustment & Crotch Pain

Adjusting to a new bike seat normally takes weeks, but poor adjustment of the seat could make discomfort a permanent part of the ride. Bicycle seat neuropathy results from improper pressure on some of the body's most tender areas. Symptoms include pain, numbness and sexual dysfunction. Though men suffer the most severe problems, women also experience some symptoms of bicycle seat neuropathy. Incorrect seating also causes minor problems like skin abrasion.

History

Early upright bicycles placed most of the body weight on the seat. More efficient designs shifted body weight partially forward onto the pedals. As bikes became faster the nose of the seat narrowed to allow faster pedaling and a lower body stance. Pressure on the perineum between the anus and sexual organs increased as the nose took more weight. Seat designers from the 1800s compensated with new types of padding, cutaway seats, and nose-less designs. Today's manufacturers use many of those same ideas combined with new materials, including gel foam.

Function

Touring bicycles ridden in an upright posture place most weight on the bones at the bottom of the pelvis, so touring seats typically widen in the rear and include a nose that's broad and short. Seats of mountain bikes and road bikes designed for speed and control feature narrow seats and long thin noses. Less weight transmits through the pelvic bones and more weight shifts to the pedals. The long nose provides leverage for controlling the bike but also supports weight.

Prevention

Choosing a seat that fits your riding style and body structure prevents abnormal crotch pain. Touring seats don't fit riders who lean forward and pedal fast. Racing bike seats provide poor support for leisurely riders who cruise upright. Manufacturers also offer men's and women's seats built to fit male and female pelvic bones. Trying out several different models of seats in a bike shop gives a new rider a rough idea of what fits. Using a seat for several weeks proves whether it's right. If after a break-in the seat causes problems, consider other designs.

Adjustment

Adjust the seat perfectly with the frame of the bike. Balancing a carpenter's level on the seat gives an accurate level reading. Tipping the nose of the saddle down eases pressure on the perineum, but also shifts body weight forward. More than three degrees tilt increases trouble. Adjust seat height so the leg fully extends at the bottom of the revolution, measured with the heel on the pedal. Adjust seats forward or backward so that when the foot reaches the three o'clock position, the front of the knee sits directly over the pedal's axle.

Warning

Riding in spite of pain or numbness caused by poorly fitting equipment could lead to long-term impotence. The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety suggests choosing no-nose bicycle saddles if you ride many hours daily. Cut-away racing designs only relieve some of the critical pressure, but do so without lessening control of the bike. Ordinary chafing and soreness often accompany a new seat and might be due to something as simple as a pants seam rubbing on a tender area.