Bicycles and Genitalia

[ice]

I just saw this article and immediately thought of the MMM website:

http://medicaldaily.com/news/20120515/9894/relationship-exercise-cycling-bicycle-women.htm

What do you guys think?  Anecdotal evidence?  And what about ED?

Here's the reddit discussion for those who are interested:
http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/tou14/cycling_may_diminish_sexual_pleasure_in_women/

[Matt K]

Specifically in the article they make a connection to handlebar height versus damage. Lower handle bars = forward rolled pevlis = more weight on important bits. The key to the study was that the women used their own bikes, and very very few bikes come with quality saddles that fit the individual rider.

Get a female (or male) specific seat that has a cut out for the important bits (and their nerves), and supports you from your sits bones. Problem solved.

There has long been discussions of links to bicycle use and male sexual dysfunction. A bad seat puts pressure on nerves that should not have pressure applied to them. Get a seat that doesn't apply that pressure (and wear cycling shorts that pad and distribute vibration) and the problem is solved.

[ShavenLlama]

If your seat is cutting off circulation to your junk, you may want to get your tools out and make an adjustment.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/sport/a/bikefit.htm


My seat hurt my inner butt when I was getting used to it, but now I don't even feel it. I have one of those gel seats because the one that came on my bike literally felt like a stick up my ass.

And if you're really concerned, they make seats with the middle cut out.

But then, I am only a casual rider of a mountain bike on the streets and river trail, and my commute to work is 5 miles. And I haven't been very consistent on the bike commute.

It seems like half the articles regarding health that are out there are saying, "That thing you're doing to be healthy? Well, you're doing it wrong." It's enough to make you go mad. :)

[grantmeaname]

I ride a few hundred miles a month on a thin saddle with minimal padding. If your bike fits you, you shouldn't have any weight anywhere but your hands, your feet, and your sit bones. If you're getting numb anywhere else in your pelvis I see two possible reasons. First, you don't have a reasonable seat (something ridiculously plush), and when you sit you displace much of the padding from underneath the sit bones to the soft parts, which hurts circulation there. Or second, your fit is off and you are leaning forward or something like that because you aren't putting the right amount of weight on the right contact points. I'm with Matt. I think much of it is explained by the participants using their own bikes.

[bogart]

I don't have the research in front of me, but there seems also to be reasonable evidence that cycling on inappropriately (and possibly appropriately) fitted/styled seats can negatively affect male fertility.  Of course, depending on your objectives, this could be a plus or a minus, but if it's a concern it's something to be aware of.

[Rich M]

fertility and ED are two different things.

I ride daily and don't have ED.  As far as fertility, I don't know, kids are not part of our plan and I take precautions so they aren't.

If anything, if I have ED on a particular day, it's because I find biking so much fun! ;)

[gooki]

I've cycled to work nearly everyday for the past 7 years. And trust me, no fertility problems here.

So at least for the men in the world I wouldn't count this as an excuse to not cycle.

[masont]

ED comes from compression of the soft tissue in the perineum.  If you've got a big squishy saddle, you're basically guaranteed to compress your soft tissue.  If you compress the soft tissue in the perineum 1cm, you cut off all blood flow to your penis.  If you do this long enough, eventually you develop scar tissue, and thank goodness for the little blue pill.  You want (as was mentioned earlier) all of your weight supported by your sit bones, which will be unpleasant at first, but with the amount mustachians ride, you'll get over it in a week and you'll be fine. 

The same thing happens in women, though the effects are less. . .obvious.  The solution, fortunately, is really easy.  Get a good, firm saddle.  Specialized is the only company I know of that does blood flow testing on guy's saddles, and pressure mapping for women's saddles.  I've been riding their saddles for most of my cycling career, and couldn't be happier. . They also come in different widths, because people's sit bones come in different widths. 

[Moose]

My solution to this has always been to only use a very sturdy bike, and only ride standing up. One isn't going to ride 5 miles like this, but it works great for 2-3.

[zoltani]

My solution to this has always been to only use a very sturdy bike, and only ride standing up. One isn't going to ride 5 miles like this, but it works great for 2-3.

That is your solution?  What a terrible solution!  How about properly setting up the fit of the bike so you don't put pressure on the perennial gland?

[happy]

BTW, Lance Armstrong in his book, says he ignored the warning discomfort in his nether regions, thinking it was from  his training, when actually he had testicular cancer. 

Not trying to scare anyone, but if you find any lumps in the ball bag see a doctor sooner rather than later.

[mindaugas]

So I didn't ride my bike for over a week and sex drive increased. One ride on my bike and sex drive decreased. Study concludes that some men are willing to give up sex for more bike.

[ultrarunner]

N=1 examples are mostly useless, but that said:  Been riding and racing bikes for 25 years, well over 100,000 miles on the bike.  No issues with ED and I have two kids...  YMMV.   

Good bike fit is the key to avoiding sleepy peepee. :-)