New study shows benefits of “no-nose” saddles for male nether-regions
By Tyler Cooper | In Cycling Gear, Cycling Safety, Saddles | 1 comment | permalink
Treehugger.com does a great job of breaking down a new study which shows a few major benefits of new no-nose saddles (pictured). They are quick to point out that saddles are not seats, you aren’t meant to sit on them (which we explain in our newbie tip: picking the right saddle). This generally works for people who are continuously on the move, but for cyclists like bike police who spend much of the time biking slowly, a saddle turns into a seat.
New no-nose saddles are starting to become popular amongst bike police. From the study:
…use of the noseless saddle resulted in a reduction in saddle contact pressure in the perineal region. There was a significant improvement in penile tactile sensation, and the number of men indicating they had not experienced genital numbness while cycling for the preceding 6 months rose from 27 percent to 82 percent using no-nose saddle…
Treehugger also put together a great set of points for those of you who are worried about causing problems with your sex lives.
…my concern is that people will think cycling is going to somehow ruin their sex lives and avoid riding. If you are one of those people, remember a few key points:
1)exercise is good for sexual health! Sitting in a car and cubicle every day is not a recipe for studliness.
2)with proper bike fit cycling should be numbness and pain free
3)experiment with different saddles–nose as well as no-nose. Everyone’s physiology is different and there are myriad saddle styles to choose from. Here’s a little tip, though: don’t go with the saddle that feels softest to the touch, and do a reasonably-long ride on a saddle before making a decision!Regardless of if you agree with this study or not, the fact of the matter is that there are numerous ways to ensure that cycling is comfortable, safe and fun for all.
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I wonder where tree hugger got his medical degree. The scientific paper and over 50 others clearly show that the bicycle nose is putting pressure on the groin causing numbness and in several cases sexual dysfunction. I am always bothered by someone who has not read the medical papers to come up with their “off the cuff” simple solutions. There is not a single scientific publication showing that bike fit can solve this problem. There is only one paper looking at exercise in general and changes in quality of erections. Many sports - swimming, running etc were looked at. Bicycling was the only exercise that did not improve penial erections. Why?
The new published study does not suggest that one stop cycling or that cycling is bad; instead it offers a healthy alternative to the saddles causing the health problems (NUMNESS IS A HEALTH WARNING SIGN). 87 0f 90 bicycle police officers were using the no-nose saddles at the end of the 6 month study. Bicycle police units understand and have been trained in bicycle fit, this is not and was not the issue.
These problems are based cumulative trauma to an area of the body that was not meant to bear your body weigh. Blood vessels supplying the penis (labia and clitoris in women) are being flattened and restricting blood flow to the genitals. With time, numbness does not completely subside and sexual dysfunction develops. This is not about a single bicycle ride or an immediate effect. Biomedical research also indicates that the saddles with cutouts are not beneficial and in some cases may be worse for the cyclist.
Research science is not someone’s whim. This is the culmination of years of research building on their scientific knowledge and the scientific data published around the world. The study protocol underwent stringent peer review as did the publication of the journal article.
The bottom line is to believe others opinions or believe medical science. The choice is yours – it’s your penis (or clitoris)!