Cyclists and groin pain are not supposed to go together. Your ride is meant to be free of pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, groin pain strikes cyclists frequently and can lead to serious physical conditions. Luckily, alleviating pain is usually just a matter of changing your cycling gear or your bike fit.
The Perineum
Cyclists usually suffer groin pain when there is too much pressure on the perineum, according to Dr. John M. Martinez. The perineum is the area between the ischial tuberosities -- the "sit" bones in your buttocks that make contact with your seat. The perineum is the junction of major arteries and veins that control your lower body. Dr. Martinez says too much pressure on the perineum can result in numbness, prostate problems, incontinence and sexual dysfunction. At the very least it leads to irritation of the soft tissue in the groin.
Saddle
A common cause of perineum pressure is the bike saddle. You may need a saddle specially designed to relieve pressure in the groin area. Manufacturers feature a wide variety of designs that can help. Some saddles have extra gel padding and deep grooves or channels down the center to relieve pressure on the groin. Others come in unusual but effective shapes such as horseshoes, crescent moons, bull nose, noseless and two-pad -- one pad for each sit bone. One study by researchers at University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany found that these special saddles can help prevent groin pain and sexual dysfunction.
Bike Fit
Another possible cause of your groin pain is bike fit. You may have to adjust your saddle height for this. When seated your leg should have just a small amount of bend at the bottom of a pedal stroke. This means you should barely be able to touch your toes to the ground. Also, your saddle should be parallel to the ground; however, you can tilt it forward slightly to help relieve more pressure.
Bike Shorts
The wrong bike shorts can also cause too much pressure on the groin. When you sit on regular clothing the seams press against your groin and cause pain and chafing. You can remedy this by wearing bike shorts. They are made of eight to 12 panels of high-tech fabric that supports you in a cycling position and lets your skin breathe. Best of all, they have flat seams to cut down on groin pressure and padded liners that cushion the crotch area, wick away moisture and prevent bacteria buildup. These shorts are meant to fit like a glove so you must not wear underwear beneath them.
References
- REI: How to Choose a Bike Saddle
- REI: Fitting Your Bike; T.D. Wood; September 2009
- Wheel and Sprocket: Buyer's Guide To Lycra Cycling Shorts
- Beginner Triathlete; Bicycle Seat Neuropathy; Dr. John M. Martinez,
- Wiley Online Library; Bicycle Riding and Erectile Dysfunction: A Review; Dr. Frank Sommer, et al; January 2010
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