I'm female and thinking about cycling to work. Will the bike seat damage my private parts?

Question

I've read that male cyclists sometimes lose feeling or experience erectile problems associated with the bike seat. I know that when I ride my beach cruiser for awhile I do feel sore in the groin area so I'm concerned about cycling regularly.

I expected more sincere answers than the current ones....gosh people can be rude. Or they're just idiots.

Answer 1

EEEK!!! Where did this bunch of idiots spring from???


The jury is out on the male erectile thing (not that it would bother you?) Provided you get out of the saddle occasionally to return blood flow, there shouldn't be a problem!

Finding a saddle is a tricky business and I wont go into too much detail here, but it's enough to say that big gel filled saddles are more problem than their worth!. It's the bones in your butt that matter! Try and keep your saddle flat too, this avoids 'hotspots' and unecessary pressure on sensitive areas.

Best of luck.

.

Answer 2

I use this link a lot for women's saddle questions. That is simply because I haven't found a better one (yet). It covers most of the problems that women face with their saddles. Have a read.

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/gear/features/bikesad2.htm

To answer your question, Yes it can happen. There have been quite a lot of questions from the girls about all sorts of nether pains (severe bruising common). Some have been to the stage where they can hardly move. (Which I would assume means severely restricted bedroom activities.)

Well meaning answerers commonly tell them to soldier on and things will get better. But if that saddle doesn’t fit, that bike won’t get used very long.

The two most common reasons why women don’t continue cycling are a badly fitting saddle and the wrong sized bike.

Reading through the link above is going to put you on the right track as far as choosing a saddle is concerned. The only thing I can add to this is to take a print of your ischium (sit) bones. Grab either a sheet of carbon paper or some rolled out play doh sit on it and wiggle. You should get two circular imprints. Take a copy of this imprint when you go shopping for a saddle. (It makes getting the right width a cinch). And get a good pair padded cycling knicks (shorts).

The wrong sized bike is usually a result of using the “stand over” method for frame sizing. Take an average women and an average man the same height, the women will have a significantly higher stand over height (inside leg measurement). This is because women have proportionally longer legs. This is problem when selecting a frame because it leaves less torso length to reach the handlebars. Stretching to reach the bars means that the pelvis tends to rock forward, placing weight on a spot that …. Um …. it would best not be.


For riding to work; I would suggest getting yourself used to riding the distance first. A few times in the afternoon or the weekend first. So you can get a better idea of how long and more importantly how you feel after. Plan your route to avoid high traffic areas, any hazards and include pleasant surroundings.

Think about things like a shower or a sponge down when you get to work, a change of clothes, and other options if you have a brake down or for bad weather.

If you get it right your going to love riding to work. I’ve been doing it for years and I still think it is the best part of the day.

Chances are you will be riding to a lot more places and further than you thought possible in pretty short order.

Enjoy and have fun

Oh and yes, I used to experience some numbness, if I rode for more than 8 hours at a time. I use a saddle with cut outs these days. (excellent)

Answer 3

Okay I read most of the answers so far and I must say they seem reasonable.First of all I would say make sure your bike is the Right size and the seat adjustment is set at the correct height so that when you pedal you are using the natural motion of your legs that feels comfortable to you. Also if you need a more comfortable seat there are many different types and sizes out there.And maybe you might want to consider the type of clothing to wear, as to fit and comfort while riding you might want to consider wearing Bike shorts you have seen them on professional racers for years like the Tour De France ect. If you haven't been riding for a long time and you just started recently you will find your using different muscles and they may become sore. In time they will become stronger and you will experience less pain. If you are having pain my suggestion is to take it easy for a day or so and don't ride then do some stretching exercises each time before you ride. There isn't any reason that I am aware of that there would be any risk of damage to your private parts. Do some stretching before a ride and walk around some afterward wear sensible and comfortable clothing.Enjoy the freedom of riding in the outdoors fresh air and the beauty of Gods creation.

Answer 4

Gosh, what a lot of rude people .... and some very good answers too.

Riding a bike should not hurt ... except for sore muscles and in case you fall ;-)

1) Your bike must fit you.

It sounds counterintuitive but a frame/seatpost adjustment that is too short for you can be just as or even more painful than too high. Get thee to your LBS (local bike shop) and have them fit your bike. Depending on your shop this may be free or inexpensive but even small cost is worth it. Small adjustment by a pro fitter, seat angle, stem length can make big difference.

If you're just plain riding the wrong size (I see many out there obviously riding poorly because it's just the wrong size) trade it in and test ride bikes in your size.

2) Now you have a bike that fits. Try different saddle. Like the few knowlegable folks here said you sit on your sitz bones.

The girly bits....don't....even....touch....the....saddle!!!! Same for our menfolk who are smart and get a frame and saddle that fits anyway.

Those who are not wise enough to do that probably should not be reproducing anyway ;-)


Cushier, padded saddles, springs, suspension seatposts ... all that is junk. Find the saddle that fits you.

Many LBS give a guarantee; buy the saddle if it is not comfortable bring it back within a month try another repeat till it's "love at first sit" ..... here are just a few saddles I like: Avocet Mountain O2 Gel, Terry Liberator and other Terry models, Sella Italia Lady Gel and Brooks....

3) Now you have a bike that fits and a saddle that you like. While on casual rides like store or errand I don't get suited up in bike gear but if you are having any discomfort .... there is a reason bike clothes are called bike clothes ;-)

Consider bike shorts, they are padded where they should be padded and more important no seams where seams should not be. If you don't like the look of lycra many companies make capris, pants, skorts that look like regular clothes yet have no seams to irritate and some are either padded or not padded.

Look at the Terry Bike catalog for examples of some great womens clothing, REI also ....

I'm a 5 time ALC rider; that's 7 days, 585 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles and let's just say that everything feels just fine thank you, nothing hurt!!!!!

Answer 5

Sorry, there's alot of rude idiots out there. And no, you should'nt damage your private parts by riding a bicycle. People who have problems usually don't have the seat adjusted properly, or they're riding alot of hours without moving their body as much as they should. They do have seats designed just for women. A beach cruiser isn't a good bike to ride to work though. Check out your local bike shop for a road or hybride bike. You can look at some seats at www.nashbar.com.

Answer 6

Your body is designed to support your weight on your "sit bones" while you are seated. Putting pressure elsewhere, especially sensitive elsewheres, creates discomfort or disfunction in both males and females. Big, wide, ulta-padded seats are not the answer. Seats that fit your shape, putting the weight where it belongs, are the answer.

My advice: Go to a local bike shop and look at seats specifically designed for women. Have the people at the bike shop help you. Start with the Terry brand of seats. They have been making male and female specific seats for a long time and have a good reputation.

Answer 7

Sounds like you may need a new saddle if you plan on doing more extended riding. The thing to look for in choosing a saddle is whether or not it allows your "sit-bones" to bear their share of the weight. If the soft tissue starts bearing the weight, that is when circulation gets cut off and you run into problems. Now I am not as familiar with female issues of bike saddles, but I assume that the main problems are of a similar nature to male saddle problems.

Sheldon Brown wrote a great article on how to choose a saddle. Although it's a bit lengthy, I highly recommend that you read it.

Answer 8

Not likely, if you use a decent saddle and adjust height and attitude (nose up, nose down) properly.

If you're riding a beach cruiser, your soreness problems are most likely due to a stock saddle that's too wide and soft. Friction is your enemy. Wide + soft = friction. Also, most people I see on cruisers have the seats way too low. Aside from groinicle issues, you're likely to blow a knee out that way.

See below to get an idea of what's available.

p.s. not dissing beach cruisers at all. I enjoy riding them myself when I'm not in a rush to get somewhere.

Answer 9

You are most likely sore because you do not ride on a regular basis. The proper seat in conjuction with cycling shorts will make a world of difference. I think women are at less risk than men for issues related to cycling.

Good Luck

P

Answer 10

Get a female specific saddle plus ask help from a local bike shop or DIY to adjust your position on the bike. Proper position will result to proper weight distribution. It will make you feel more comfortable when riding plus easier pedaling.