Saddles!!??

You might have read the NY Times article on saddles recently. It's been posted a couple times now on their website and we thought we should weigh in on the great debate. The article talks about the issues with impotence and injury to the perineum in men along with a variety of other issues in both men and women.

Although there is some truth to the article and the science is real enough, the study itself was not broad enough to have such a definitive finding. The study was concentrated mostly on police bike patrol officers and very few "cyclists". Police patrol officers don't wear bike shorts for one. They wear wool pants with a gun belt that weighs quite a bit. The belt itself restricts movement and circulation and the shorts they are given in warmer climates aren't much better. Their position on the bike is typically very upright and they are "cruising" around as opposed to riding with any intensity. There is simply more weight on the saddle.

Yes, some saddles can cause symptoms and issues for some people. That said, if you are experiencing a symptom, address it. Saddles with cut outs are a great option for a lot of people and we sell tons of different ones. Noseless saddles on the other hand may not be the best option for serious recreational cyclists. An exception to this is the ISM saddle mentioned in the article. The ISM is a saddle designed specifically for forward positioning like you see in triathlon and time trial positions. In this application, the saddle works and it works out OK for some others as well. It does have a nose though, it's a weird split half nose for lack of a better description but it technically does have a nose. .

The nose on the saddle helps with control of the bike. While descending, using the nose of the saddle to help maneuver allows for greater stability. It helps on bumpy roads as well. We sometimes need to scoot forward on a saddle during hard efforts or just to change position to stretch out and be more comfortable. We like the nose.

A saddle should be comfortable but it should also support your pelvis. Your weight should be more on your sit bones and that in turn should elevate you off of the soft tissue that is of concern in men or women. You should be able to rotate your pelvis forward enough to maintain as neutral a spine position as possible. You should also be able to pedal with stability, meaning you shouldn't be rocking on the saddle excessively. Your saddle width should allow for good sit bone support but without any chafing. You should not experience numbing, tingling or pain. Keep in mind that a bike saddle is hardly a couch and that it's common to have mild discomfort after long rides. Discomfort, NOT PAIN. Discomfort goes away right when you get off your saddle, pain lingers.

All this means is that choosing a saddle is very important. Sometimes it takes a couple tries. We're always trying out new saddles here just to see how they ride. We have our personal favorites but there's no holy grail for all cyclists. We are all anatomically different and that's why there are so many saddles. I know a few pro cyclists who have spent countless thousands of hours in the saddle with no cut out and they are fine, they have kids and they are healthy people. I've been riding a saddle without a cut out for years and years. I spent a few years as a messenger and I've raced about every type of bike out there (although not very successfully, that's another story) and I'm healthy. I have spent the time to find what works for me, maybe not everyone else, but for me.

If you are concerned about saddle issues we can help, give us a shout. We stock a wide variety of saddles from the likes of Selle Italia, Fizik, Specialized, Selle SMP, ISM, Brooks, Terry and more.