

by Fred Matheny
PROBLEM: Endurance on the bike is limited by your crotch, not your legs. Your expensive saddle is comfortable in the first hour of a ride, but at 2 hours it’s painful and at 3 hours it feels like a medieval torture instrument. What’s worse, you sometimes experience numbness in your nether regions.
The human body is supported on the bike by only 3 contact points—hands, feet and crotch. Of the 3, pain from the saddle is often the most debilitating. Along with excessive pressure and abrasion, cyclists can suffer genital numbness and, in rare cases among men, erectile dysfunction.
But there’s no reason for cycling to be a pain in the butt. It won’t be with good bike fit, an appropriate saddle and correct riding techniques.
Bike Saddle Solutions
Find a saddle that’s compatible with your anatomy. This is highly individual, of course. Some riders swear by narrow, lightly padded seats and can ride centuries on them without flinching. Other riders wouldn’t make it around the block. Because of this, specific brand/model saddle recommendations are all but useless. Despite how comfortable a saddle might look or how highly praised it might be by a riding buddy, there’s no guarantee that it will suit you. You need to ride it to tell for sure. First, narrow the field with these guidelines.
Width. Squat and sit on a low stool or curb. What you feel supporting your weight is your ischial tuberosities, the points of the pelvis that are commonly called the “sit bones.” These are what should support your weight on a saddle, too. However, the lower your handlebars in relation to your saddle, the more you’ll tend to sit rotated forward on your pubic arch rather than the sit bones. This isn’t necessarily a problem if you have the right saddle for you and you practice good riding habits.
A seat that’s too narrow will place your weight on the soft tissue between your sit bones—for men, on the perineum where the penile nerves and blood vessels are located. Women also need to put a high priority on width because, on average, they have wider sit bones than men. Anatomically designed women’s saddles are a bit wider in the main sitting area.
Curvature. Looked at from the rear at eye level, a seat should be flat or only slightly domed. A significant curve causes your sit bones to be lower than the saddle’s center, contributing to crotch pressure.
Dip. Looked at from the side at eye level, a seat should be nearly flat from nose to tail. A slight dip (say 6 degrees or less) is helpful to give you a feeling for the saddle’s center while riding. More dip creates positioning problems. That is, when the nose is set level, the tail sticks up and may be uncomfortable to sit on; when the tail is set level, the nose goes up and exerts pressure right where you don’t want it.
Padding. Some is good, more is not better. You want enough foam or gel to cushion your sit bones for comfort. But thick padding can actually increase crotch pressure. As your sit bones sink in, this has the effect of making the center press upward.
Special sections. These are what set the new generation of saddles apart. These sections range from gel-padded areas, to wedge-shaped cutouts, to holes through the top. Rider reactions to these innovations are all over the board. Do they lessen contact or pressure? No doubt. Do they absolutely, positively prevent numbness or worse problems? No saddle can guarantee that. Are they comfortable? It depends on whom you ask.
The innovative saddle that one rider swears by will be the same saddle the next rider swears at. Again, there’s simply no way of knowing until you ride on a given design. Some bike shops have a test ride program or will allow you to return a saddle that you simply can’t stand.
Saddle position. Even your “perfect saddle” will be uncomfortable if it isn’t positioned correctly or if your riding position is out of bounds. Riding position, as we’ve seen, starts with correct saddle height. If your seat is too high, you’ll rock your hips as you ride, sawing your tender tissue across its nose. If the seat is too far to the rear, you’ll tend to sit on the narrow nose.
Same goes if the handlebar is too low or too far away. So, once saddle height is established, you need to deal with tilt and fore/aft location. There’s no secret about the best way to get these things right in the context of an overall sound riding position—have a professional bike fit. But for you do-it-yourselfers, here are the rules of thumb:
Tilt: The saddle should be level, which you can check by laying a yardstick along its length and comparing it to something horizontal like a tabletop or windowsill. A slight downward tilt may be more comfortable, but be careful. More than a degree or so could cause you to continually slide forward, put- ting pressure on your arms and hands.
Fore/Aft: Sit comfortably in the center of the saddle, click into the pedals, and set the crankarms horizontal. Hold a weighted string to the front of your forward kneecap. For most of us, the string should touch the end of the crankarm. This is known as the neutral position. Loosen the seatpost clamp so you can slide the saddle to get it right. Seated climbers, time trialists, and some road racers may like the line to fall 1-2 centimeters behind the end of the crankarm to increase pedaling leverage.
On the other hand, track and criterium racers may like a more forward position that breeds leg speed. Remember, if your reach to the handlebar is wrong, use stem length to correct it, not fore/aft saddle position. Of course, don’t stop at the saddle. Go though all of the fit steps to get an overall well- balanced riding position. If your saddle position is right but your handlebar position isn’t, you still might run into problems. In general, most road riders do well with a handlebar no more than 1-2 inches below the top of the saddle.
Tip! For some guys, a saddle that’s slightly off center (compared to the top tube) feels more comfortable. If the nose keeps pressing you in the wrong spot, try a bit of left or right angle. Always remember Andy Pruitt’s advice: “Make the bike fit your body. Don’t make your body fit the bike.”
Riding Techniques
The rule is simple: Don’t sit statically in one place for more than a few minutes. When you keep moving on the saddle, as well as on and off the saddle, you avoid constant pressure and compression. Blood keeps circulating, nerve transmissions keep flowing, and the risk of sore spots or numbness is greatly reduced.
Moving is pretty easy to do off-road, where terrain changes and body English keep your crotch from locking into a set position. It’s harder on a road bike unless you cultivate some good habits. For example, get out of the saddle for at least part of every hill. Stand when exiting every turn or any other time you need to accelerate. Even just a few seconds is helpful when repeated often.
On a ride in flat terrain, shift to a higher gear so you can stand and pedal out of the saddle for at least 30 seconds every 15 minutes. When sitting, keep your butt far enough back for your sit bones to be supported by the seat’s wide rear section. Beware of the tendency to creep forward onto the nose and dwell there, especially when pushing hard or riding in a low position.
Other Saddle Pointers
- If you use aero bars, you’ll tend to lock into a low, forward position for minutes on end. It’s a nuisance, and it takes effort, to break this position to stand. But it’s risky if you don’t. Also, try to stay back on the wide area of the saddle. Tilting the nose down 1 or 2 degrees can reduce crotch pressure, but more will tend to make you slide forward onto the skinny nose.
- Ride like a jockey when you come to anything rough. By leveling the pedals, flexing your knees and holding your butt an inch above the saddle, you’ll avoid impacts that can cause bruising and pain. A shock-absorbing seatpost is another way to reduce the risk, but don’t let it lull you into remaining seated all the time.
- Carry stuff on your bike, not on your body. This isn’t always possible, but realize that when you ride with a backpack, fanny pack or back-mounted hydration system, you are adding weight to your seat. This makes a wide, supportive saddle even more important. The same goes if you’re overweight.
- Be smart when riding indoors. With no terrain changes or other natural opportunities to move your butt, you need to invent some. Pedal out of the saddle for 1 minute in every 5. Consciously move to a different sitting area every couple of minutes. Keep sessions short and varied rather than long and steady. Using bigger gears lightens saddle pressure because your feet must push harder, levitating your butt a bit.
- Consider an all-leather saddle. These are relatively heavy and won’t win you many style points, but saddles such as the venerable Brooks B17 from England are a favorite among tourists and other long-distance riders. The B17 is wide in the rear (17 cm) for ample sit-bone support. It and other Brooks leather saddles break in to adapt to your unique shape, with slight depressions for your sit bones. This lets the saddle fit your butt like your old ball glove fits your hand. It does take a few hundred miles for this to happen, though, so initial rides aren’t likely to be nearly as comfortable as later ones. Stick with it.
- Wear high-quality, lightly padded cycling shorts. These, plus a skin/shorts lubricant such as Chamois BUTT’r, Bag Balm, Assos and others, increase comfort and reduce the risk of developing raw or tender spots. These can stop you from shifting position to all parts of your crotch and the saddle.
- Consult your doctor, or even a urologist or gynecologist who has an understanding of cycling, if these ideas don’t help enough. Never ignore genital problems that seem to be saddle related.
Don’t forget that lots of miles also helps with toughing-up the old derrière. Funny you mention the man parts. I always thought it was just me! when I help a male set up his saddle I always ask which side he naturally “aligns” and tell it it may be more comfortable with the saddle nose angled just a bit to one side. Like my hands I constant shift my bum on the saddle to help ease the soreness. When it is my turn to pull I push hard on the pedals which also slightly eases the pressure on the tushy. Please, if you have to stand to relive pressure, shift to a bigger gear or move out of the paceline. The sudden standing causing the bike to stop for a split second and as we know, it only take a spilt second to hit the tarmac.
I have two saddles that I like, Brooks B17 Imperial and, the saddle it replaced, Fizik Antares R3 Open.
The Fizik saw about 6 months of good, comfortable, use before I started developing what was best described as a callous, at the crease of my left Glute and hamstring. This brought me to the Brooks. That one, after about nine months of very comfortable seating, starting showing rust on the rivets, rust that intern caused additional irritation. Brooks is replacing the steel rivets with Copper, and I am waiting its return.
Once gain, the Fizik has been put back on the bike. All saddle changes were accompanied by saddle adjustments for a proper fit. Now, I’m good on the Fizik for up to 100 km, but the callouses are staring to form again. That 100 km limit is due to the Summer temps where I live, not any fatigue factor or sitting discomfort.
Now we finally get to the question: with two saddles that seem comfortable, how to decide between them? I like the fit and feel of the Fizik, but I develop callouses, and the Brooks gives good support, but I am prone to more intense sweating with that saddle.
Au contraire Fred. A Brooks saddle on a good steel bike is exactly the perfect style! A friend even rode a B-17 on a Trek carbon fiber Postal for years. That got conversations started at the very least.
What I would like to see is an article on wearing bike shorts. The only advice I’ve seen is to get good ones. I’ve never seen anything on how to wear them. Pull them way up so they are tight in the crotch? Leave a bit loose so things can hang? How tight should they fit?
I’ve shifted the padding while on bike when I get a hot spot. Sometimes as soon as I mount, my rear hurts and I have to shift the pad.
I’m sure there’s something about proper fit since I can ride for 3 hours pain free and sometimes I’m in pain after an hour – both with the same shorts after coming out of the wash!
Just wondering if there’s a proper way to position the shorts that make them comfortable from the start.
“an article on wearing bike shorts.” I agree that would be really useful. eg is the answer to some problems for men to buy shorts that are super-tight to elevate soft tissues off the saddle?
I have a friend who has been an avid cyclist his whole life and is now off the bike due to prostate problems and the saddle. Can you write an article about this as I’m sure it impacts many people.
I have ridden Bontrager, Specialized, Fizik, Sella Italia. None were ideal for my 190 pound frame and led to saddle sores and soreness in my soft tissues. A fellow cyclist convinced me to try Sella Anatomica, similar to Brooks but with a slightly different design. My first was a model X2 that I rode about 12,000 miles. I recently bought an H2 for my new bike – it’s lighter and for heavier riders. Both saddles were comfortable from day one. They carry a weight penalty, but my saddle sores and crotch pain were eliminated. That’s worth it to me. I am happy in the saddle. I did try Selle Anatomica’s very light weight carbon saddle before buying the H2. It did not work for me.
I was the first. In my area to go Selle Anatomica. Now all my friends, the whole bike club, and friends of friends in distant locales have come on board. I have “sold” more than 50.that I’m aware of and I hear of new believers almost every week.
There are several strategies to avoid numbness while riding, the most obvious of which is to wear the appropriate footwear for your feet. . You should also know the appropriate position of your hand when it comes to creating wrists extension. The biker should also check the handlebar reach to determine the transfer weight of the perineum to make him comfortable while preventing numbness.
I recently bought a Cloud-9. I took a 20-mile ride right after installing the seat and found the seat to be very supportive and firm as compared to other seats that I have looked at in person. By the end of the ride, my bottom did not feel soar or tired from the ride. I think the new seat is a good addition to my new bike and will make for many comfortable riding trips.
The left side of my upper tigh lower butt gets a beating from the saddle. Reading the above article has made me realise I can also turn the saddle to accommodate any problem I might have with body alignment. I can’t wait to try this out. Hopefully no more pain!!