Erectile Dysfunction from Bicycling?

Controversy and Confusion About Bicycle Saddles and Erectile Dysfunction

This topic always generates a LOT of controversy and confusion and it wasn't helped when urologist Dr Irwin Goldstein was quoted, in a Bicycling Magazine article, that “there are two kinds of cyclists: those who are impotent and those who will be.”

Now, to most it is obvious that this is simply an incorrect and in my opinion, a very irresponsible quote from someone who holds a medical degree.  I have ridden bicycles for over 20 years on a very regular basis and spoken with hundreds of other cyclists that have no issue.

I am very confident that our good friend the doctor is quite incorrect in his statement.  I will say though that my experience has found that bicycle seats that are improperly fitted or improperly adjusted can definitely lead to issues.  The good news is, they are usually quite simple to correct, so if you love cycling then you do not have to give it  up.

Three Preventable Causes of Numbness

The first problem that we will discuss is the most common and that is proper bike fit.  The good news is that you can remedy a "fit" issue with the quick visit to a quality bicycle shop for some advice.  Proper "fit" is more than simply getting the height right, the width of the seat, the angle of the nose, the relationship of the saddle to the bars and many other factors can all contribute to a poorly fitting bicycle that can cause a host of issues.  Many newer riders suffer through pain because they think of that wise old saying...."no pain, no gain."  That's definitely not advice you want to listen to when it comes to bicycle fit.  If you are unsure what I am talking about then please, I implore you, visit a qualified bike shop.  It can make a TREMENDOUS difference in both your health and comfort level.

The second issue is a bit more complex as it requires some experience on the bike.   Many people have the wrong seat installed on their bicycle to begin with.  The first thing you need to do is consult this article on selecting the right seat and make sure that you have the proper type of seat for your type of riding.  If you are wrong out of the gate then no amount of adjustment will make it work.  You see, people think of a bike seat as a seat.....but it's not meant to function like a traditional seat, meaning it isn't designed to bear the entire weight of the rider for long periods of time.   An experienced cyclist will distribute his weight across all of the contact points, the pedals, the handlebars and the seat.  This will minimize the pressure on any of the 3 contact points and relieve pressure on the perineum.   Experienced cyclists will also move around on the seat alot as well as stand and pedal quite regularly.

[ad#ad-1]If you look at the saddles used by the top racers, who log hour after hour in the saddle, they are hard and flat because they allow the rider to lean far forward and to move around a lot on the saddle.   Many inexperienced riders resort to heavily padded saddles in order to try and cure numbness or a sore butt but the padding actually works in reverse, and creates as many problems as you think it might cure.

Finally, it should be mentioned that on very long bike rides, some numbness is probably going to be inevitable but it can be minimized by stopping occasionally or learning to ride out of the saddle by standing on the pedals.   Once you master some of these basic techniques, it is easy to minimize the pain and issues.  I have yet to meet or talk to a pro-rider that experiences persistent numbness or genital issues despite riding on tiny, hard saddles.  They've mastered HOW to ride on a saddle.

People Still Worry About Erectile Dysfunction

In spite of all of this information, I am sure that the media hysteria and all of the articles you can read all over the internet will still give many people pause about riding a bicycle.  Who could blame them.  For these people there are still alternatives available to give you an extra level of comfort when it comes to this very sensitive topic.

One of the seats that you will read a LOT about on the internet is the noseless bicycle saddles.  I have done a fair amount of research on this topic and it seems to be that most of the people who promote the noseless saddle, are the ones SELLING the noseless saddle.  In my opinion, the noseless saddle will create as many issues as it solves as the nose of the saddle is a critical part of the ride that experienced cyclists employ.  I would not recommend a noseless saddle myself.

My own solution, and the saddle that I personally use, is an anatomically correct type saddle.  These saddles have a "groove" cut out of the middle where the perineum experiences the most presssure.  These saddles retain the nose and still allow full function of the entire seat, but they also relieve pressure on the perineum that might still exist after you have exhausted the remedies above.  The saddle I personally ride is the Specialized Alias, but there are a number of quality alternatives available including many from Terry saddles.

What you should definitely avoid is bad advice that convinces you that cycling is going to somehow ruin your sex lives and avoid riding.  It is simply NOT true and you should remember a few key points:

1)  Exercise is good for sexual health!
2)  Proper bike fit will often allow you to ride with no numbness and be pain free.
3)  Experiment with different saddles.  Everyone's physiology is different and that's why there are so many choices on the market.  Whatever you do, don't fall for that soft and squishy saddle that looks like it is going to be comfortable....it isn't!  The only type of bike that type of saddle belongs on is one where you are sitting almost upright on the bike.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, I have included some examples of some high quality seats that have the anatomical cutout just below.