I saw that article, and skimmed it, and like most of the studies of this ilk, it's mostly bunk.
I don't doubt that there are some male cyclists out there who have issues, but I don't think the shape of their saddles is the only, or even the most important, factor. What none of the studies I've seen ever seem to control for is what is probabably the biggest factor: poorly fitted bikes. I'm 43 years old. I ride thousands of miles a year, and have ridden thousands of miles a year for the last 25 years (when I discovered that you could, in fact, get places without a car, though maybe not so much in Atlanta). And I've mostly ridden on seats that look like this: http://www.roadbikereview.com/Channels/RoadBikeReview/images/products/Product _131548.jpg With these caveats: 1) the bike has to fit. Back in 1999 I spent the equivalent of three full days of take-home pay to get a professional fit by a local bike shop whose owners/fitters happened to have pioneered the best methods of fitting a bike. At that time, the result only required changes to components of my existing road bike - crank length, stem length, handlebar width, my shoe's cleats especially, and the height and fore/aft adjustment of my existing saddle, which back then was this: http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/33281748/Selle_Italia_Turbo_White_ New.jpg In short, many people do NOT require custom bikes. They merely need their existing (or perhaps an inexpensive stock production bike in a different size from their existing bike) with appropriately sized components adjusted properly. I have spoken with people who spent $150 getting a professional fit done on a hybrid bicycle that they spent far less than $150 to acquire, and been very happy with the results (and why not? Cycling was painful before the fit, and a pleasure afterwards, what difference did it make to them that the $200 they put into their bike was mostly professional labor?) Unfortunately, most cyclists don't get a professional fit done well, even when they buy a very expensive bike from an independent bicycle store, to say nothing of what happens when one goes to the big boxes. 2) Saddles that are made by putting a layer of foam padding over a plastic (or carbon, or whatever) shell and slapping a p/leather cover over it are consumable items. The foam breaks down eventually and the saddle needs to be replaced. You don't necessarily need to get a different SHAPED saddle. But you do need to get a new one when your old one wears out. 3) the more aerodynamic your position on the bike (or the more aerodynamic you attempt to make your position), the more important fit is. Look at the tractor seats installed on most beach cruisers. There's no holes there, and there is certainly a nose. But there's no pressure because you're sitting bolt upright on your pelvic bones. -----Original Message----- From: S. Morris Rose Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 9:42 AM Subject: [Bikies] A Release Valve for Cyclists' Unrelenting Pressure The New York Times again visits the issue of the effects of conventional bicycle seats on genital health in this article in the Science section of the 28 June paper. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/science/28tier.html In summary, should you lack the resolve or means to mount the Great Paywall of NYT, the news isn't great particularly for male riders that spend more than a few hours a week in the saddle, though controversial and somewhat expensive noseless designs are reported to provide a solution. Also discussed is how market perception concerns have kept the science from driving popular adoption of better designs. A strikingly similar article was published in the Times six years ago. Happy half-New Year. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
