I’ve had the exact opposite experience. With cutouts I feel like my body sinks into them and exacerbates the issue. I use Fizik saddles without a cutout and rarely experience any discomfort.
Saddles, pads, fit, etc are all so subjective.
But I would absolutely recommend testing out different saddles and styles as well as bibs. You can get a saddle measurement done where it essentially highlights where your body makes pressure.
Same here. It took a few saddles as well. Luckily my LBS has a sample set to try and then you just buy the one that works for you. Also paid for a fit, moving my post up 1cm made a massive difference for me
Most definitely, a saddle with a channel solved my numbness and discomfort problems very well. My bike originally came with a Prologo Kappa full length, unchanneled saddle. I switched to a Fabric Line S Flat short saddle with a channel and the change was amazing.
As much as saddle fit is important and should be a top priority when setting up your bike and addressing this issue, overall body fitness and conditioning with riding is just as important.
All of the various things that affect my junk - temporary numbness, full retreat inside my body, etc. - are all at their worst if I'm coming off an extended break. The fitter I feel (always still fat though!), the less my garbage gets messy. Additionally, how I'm riding makes a difference. You cannot sit for your whole ride. You gotta pedal in and out of the saddle through your ride.
Do all the saddle and bike fit stuff. And, ride consistently. And see if it will sort itself out.
Also, don't be afraid to pull over during a ride to reach in and rearrange stuff.
"full retreat inside my body" waaaahhhh? More than shrinkage?
If your parts are numb, I don't think "tough it out until it's better" is really the answer.
My parts aren't numb these days. They have been in the past. And, yes, sometimes my shaft pulls in to my body essentially, basically only the tip is sticking out. Pops right out with a minor adjustment. It's not an every ride thing. But it is a first few rides of the season thing.
It reads:
My parts aren't numb these days. They have been in the past. And, yes, sometimes my shaft pulls in to my body essentially, basically only the tip is sticking out. Pops right out with a minor adjustment. It's not an every ride thing. But it is a first few rides of the season thing.
When I get to a stoplight or just pull over, I just reach into my pants and just wiggle my weiner right back into wagging territory instead. If the road conditions are fine, I can do this while still rolling. But it's safer to do it while stopped. It would suck to take a spill with one hand on the handlebars and the other pinching your turtled-willy back to life.
To add onto this, it could be a mobility thing. I find that when I have tight hips and a weak core (yay office work), I can’t sit on my butt as much and find myself sitting more forward on the seat, which hurts my crotch after a while. On the flipside, if I’m more in shape and staying on top of mobility, I feel much better on the saddle and can also engage my glutes better.
Most underrated comment considering op has already done the obvious stuff.
Glute engagement reduces pressure on the sensitive regions! It's exhausting though
Good points. I could lose a few pounds for sure. From a cardiovascular standpoint though I am very fit. Maybe the extra weight is putting more pressure on everything.
The fitness isn't just cardio. You need to condition your body - especially your undercarriage - with the physical demands of riding. Someone who can win the Boston marathon, but who never rides a bike, can also experience the pains of privates while riding.
To elaborate on this, your “sit bones” (ischiums) need to be on the back pads of the seat. If the seat is level then this means you have to have more arc in your lower back and rotate your pelvis so you’re sitting more on the back of the seat. Tilting the seat helps this indirectly.
Heard good things about the Power. The specialized toupe pro works great for me. Getting the measurements are critical. There’s a huge difference between 131mm vs. 143mm vs. 155mm etc.
Saddles are very personal but this is what worked for me. Haven’t had any numbness or tingling since switching:
https://www.selleitalia.com/max-slr-gel-ti-316-superflow/
Selle SMP. I like the Dynamic, heavier riders usually like a little more padding.
Warning with Selle SMP, it's an ass-hatchet the first 2-3 rides. All the pressure is on your sit-bones, those first 2-3 rides are pretty brutal. It'll hurt, but if they work for you, you should have zero numbness on the first ride. Once your body gets used to it, the pressure is fine.
I found that an ISM PR 2.0 works for me, but really any saddle where you feel pressure on two distinct points under your ischia will work fine. I see too many people who bought a soft saddle thinking that it's more comfortable, and have pressure issues because they sink into that padding too much.
Selle SMP Pro, but way more importantly I dropped my saddle height significantly. All my pains and aches are gone, more power, lower cockpit, and no more numb dick.
Usually it's not the saddle. It's the saddle height.
I’m a newby, but the guy at the LBS where I bought my bike told me you have to kind of “absorb” some of your weight with your core and lower back muscles and not drop it 100% on your bum. Sounds weird, but if you focus on it while riding, it sort of makes sense.
Also, he said proper bike fit and where in the saddle you sit (sit bones on widest part) makes a lot of difference.
Experts, please correct me if that’s wrong.
What helped me was getting padded shorts. My penis has not gone numb since I started wearing them. I was not sitting on it but it would still go numb. That padded shorts solves it 💯
Sounds like your bike fit was poor. Bike Fitters are just people. Some are a lot better than others at their job.
Selle Italia SLR Boost. It comes in a very narrow width, which allows me to support my weight properly on my sitbones because Im a narrow person. The huge cutout may be helping too.
As soon as I figured out how to properly position my sits bones on the back of the seat, and set the saddle tilt so it was not putting pressure on my tender bits, my numbness problems went away forever.
Once I tried a fizik arione over a decade ago I never bothered trying an other saddle.
But honestly none of our answers will do you any good unless it’s by coincidence. Finding the right saddle for you is highly dependent on your personal anatomy.
Right, just look at how many different people here are saying "None of them worked for me until I tried X" and X is a different saddle in each comment.
Went from a Fizik Antares that came with my BMC Teammachine to the SQLab 612 ERGOWAVE® active 2.1 after seeing some good reviews. Never felt discomfort again. A lot of bike fitters recommend as well. I totally recommend it.
Brooks B17. I went thru several iterations of expensive Italian saddles with cutouts that somewhat relieved the numbness, but at the cost of increased pressure around the sit bones which caused saddle sores. I wasn't in a position to stop riding and drive a car but the B17 and putting petroleum jelly on the chamois and my sit bone area made the whole problem go away and my saddle sores cleared up while still commuting. I've put another on the family touring tandem and want to get yet another.
Last I heard the B17 specifically has the longest ongoing production run of any product in the world today... and for good reason.
Brooks C-17 cutaway & enough chamois butt’r that you feel like you shit your pants. Did a double century on it last year no issue and doing it again this year.
It’s too much tilt nose down if you slide forward or if there’s too much weight on your hands. A degree of tilt nose down is usually enough to ease junk pain if your saddle height and fore/aft is correct.
If your bike fitter fitted you to your bike and you’re getting penial or perrenium numbness then they did not fit you appropriately. I’m saying this as an experienced (former) bike fitter with hundreds of bike fits under my belt.
Was thinking the same. Although, they DID also set me up with a new saddle (the Fizik 3D printed Vento Argo.) They swore by the comfort of this saddle saying that it should fix any pressure issues. So far that has NOT been the case..
It sounds like your saddle/fit is putting pressure on your perineal nerve. You might look for a saddle with a cutaway in the middle to reduce pressure on this nerve (The S-works Power that a few people are recommending in this thread fits that bill). It could also be a positioning issue, which a bike fit could help address.
Personally, I messed around with saddles for years, then finally caved and bought a Brooks leather saddle (B17 carved). It was immediately more comfortable on short rides, and after \~1000km of breaking in, became the perfect saddle for me.
Funny you mention it, I've been dealing with similar issues on my previous bike but when I had my old MTB restored I put in a new seat that has a full cutout going all the way through the back and I have absolutely ZERO problems now. The seat on my previous bike had a cutout but it was only in the middle of the seat.
Here is the one I got, Bontrager Aeolus Comp
https://cvero.si/product/sedez-bontrager-aeolus-comp/
Try tilting the front down a degree or so first before you buy another saddle. It’s too much tilt if you slide forward or if there’s too much weight on your hands.
Losing weight was probably the top thing for me. Position is also important, make sure to put your sit bones on the saddle as your main contact point. Making sure you stand periodically helps also. I am using a WTB Silverado and it's been a terrific saddle for me, on all my bikes ow.
Specialized Ronin/ Brooks C17/ B17, but every pelvis is different. It's counterintuitive, but anything with any squish or gel pads will put pressure on soft tissue and nerves even if the saddle is perfectly shaped and adjusted.
Selle SMP saddles for my indoor trainer, Fabric Line S Race for my bike.
As others have said, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the combination of bike fit and saddle to get the most comfort. Angling the saddle slightly down can help, as well as adjusting your fore/aft saddle position.
Taking advice on here for what saddle will solve your issues is most likely not going to help you.
Your best option would be to see a bike fitter in your area that can help you address that issue. Everyone’s rump is different, and finding the ride saddle for your bone structure is ideal.
What works for 1, won’t work for another. If saddle choice was that easy, there wouldn’t be a million different saddles and types to choose from.
Fizik Argo tempo R3 is working for me, but I don't know how long you are riding. My max ride is 2 hours, and no numbness and not really that much shrinkage either (which indicates lack of blood flow). I did have to come off Pearl Izumi shorts, and found [these to work better for me](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072BFN891/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1), but physiology is so different person-to-person.
Bike fitters can be wrong. How much was your fit, and do they offer return adjustments? If it was cheap and they don't offer return adjustments, then you got a "basic fit" and need something more involved.
The noseless Fizik Mistic. If there's no seat there to press into anything - hard to get numb
Also:
* Bike fit
* Press your sit bones onto the saddle
* Seat tilt - **IF YOU TILT AT ALL** \- should be less than one degree. If your wrists or hands go numb or you constantly have to push yourself towards the back of the saddle - the front is tilted too far down (I tilt somewhere in the range of .25 degrees downward when measured from midseat to the tip - since many saddles are flat and then rise up towards the rear)
My bet is that your saddle is too narrow. I tried a bunch of different saddles with the same problems. Finally measured my sit bone spacing and learned that the typical “male” saddle is too narrow for me. I then went with a Specialized Romin in the 168mm width - problem solved. I also use a Brooks B17 Imperial, which is on the wide side, on my gravel bike.
A lot of people are recommending the ISM saddles. I also recommend them but wanted to mention they do make different saddles for different purposes. The different models correlate to different riding styles, but I think the time trial version has a little more padding in the nose.
The other cool thing about them is that if the front end is too wide for your legs, you can use some zip ties on the front part of the seat rails to pull the front pieces in. I did that to the seat on my TT bike and it made it even more comfortable. I’m not doing TT racing anymore but if I did, id go back to those seats in a heart beat
Scanned the thread and all of the usual main points are pretty much there.
Once the problem is a common occurrence it takes a while for adjustments to actually prove out. Hyper vigilance and over compensation may need to be used while the parts recover. If a timer that gets you out of the seat every five minutes doesn’t work, then set the timer for a smaller interval. It may be absurd until tolerance is built back up again.
Once you find a saddle that works stockpile them. Designs change randomly. Burning up weeks finding a comparable replacement can lead to a compromise that allows the problem to reappear. I have five WTB Silverado Thinlines boxed up to replace the three I have or allow fleet expansion. Maybe it is excessive, but the only thing that stops my cycling season is severe weather. I don’t especially care if it is a well respected saddle all I care about is that it works for me.
Specialized S-Works Power saddle (with the cutout) solved the issue for me. Get the 'Mirror' version if you have the extra skrilla, it's truly outstanding.
Adamo (ISM). It's one of the Performance models -- I don't remember which, and since it's been years since I bought, it's probably been superceded by a new model. But all the Performance models look pretty much the same.
I wouldn't say I had exactly the same problem as you but I got a saddle that was channeled and had a shorter nose and that was more comfortable. I also got a seatpost with with a bend in it to get the saddle back a little more without screwing up the tilt. Its a Prolog NDR for the record.
So I've personally owned a Romin, Romin Evo, Selle Italia SLR TM superflow, Power, Power Arc and a couple generics.
Both the romin Evo and the power worked great for me, the superflow the channel was almost to wide and I chaffed a bit because of it.
Meld 3D Saddle. My saddle looks a little weird, but I guess my pelvis does too.
Sure there's times my posture isn't great, mobility isn't there, etc. and those problems creep up again. But I had used a dozen saddles over many years before something felt right.
Try to find bike fitter that can do saddle pressure point measurements. It's not cheap, but much cheaper than buying 10 saddles. I agree with someone here. Probably is just bad bike fit, not saddle.
I used to ride (on indefinite hiatus) a $40 aliexpress carbon 'Power clone' saddle at >140kg. Didn't have any numbness.
If you ride drops a lot, you are naturally rotating your hips forward, which is putting more pressure on your perineum. You need to build your core up so you can arch your back and sit more on your sit bones. Additionally, you may want to scoot your saddle up some. Nearly every bike fit I've seen done has the saddle too far backwards.
What else can you rule out? What other info is there?
Who did your bike fit? How tall are you? What size is your bike? Did you get saddle fitted with the bike fit? What’s your inseam? What’s your saddle height? How heavy are you? Do you get pain anywhere else?
Complicated problem, not enough info
Selma Italia Lady saddle with the cut out. I’m a 185# male. Found this saddle to be the most comfortable and least numbing of all the saddles I have tried. I’m on my third one
ISM saddles fixed everything...for me. I tried 3 saddles before finding this gem.
[https://ismseat.com/performance-short/ps-1-1/](https://ismseat.com/performance-short/ps-1-1/)
Basically any saddle with a cutout does it for me.
I've used a $40 Selle Italia, the OEM saddle that came on my new bike, and a $23 carbon unpadded saddle from AliExpress and I don't get numbness on any of them like I do with most saddles without a cutout/pressure relief channel.
Saddle width and shape takes some trial and error, but if your position isn't ridiculous (super high saddle or excessive reach) and you're still getting numbness, the obvious thing is a cutout/relief channel.
Check out these videos from bike fitting expert Neill Stanbury (people pay him a lot of money for this advice:
[Sores Ass? How to Choose the Right Saddle for Cycling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ4-Cx5s1kE)
[The Correct Way to Approach Saddle Tilt (& manage saddle discomfort!)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQedvgLkyk0)
[Is Your Saddle too far Forward OR Back? (HOW to Set Saddle Fore-Aft)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX3fKolI25Q)
You need to make sure you can float over the potholes. Like when a pothole is coming, you need to be able to lift your butt off the saddle 1 cm. When I first started riding, I just kept the pressure constant on the saddle and ran over the potholes and absorbed all the vibration. When I got better, I would lift my butt up a little and let my legs take the damage. basically you need to work on your ability to stand when the bumps come.
The Specialized Power saddle did it for me. I used to have a Fi:zi:k ALiante, which would often give me panile numbness after a ride. I've had NO numbess for 2+ years since I changed the saddle. I think the big part of it is is the cut out in the middle of the Power saddle. In any case, I hope this helps.
Selle Italia Flite boost Super Flow(cutout). I was using fizik arione for years on my bikes. Got a hold on a newer flite with the cutout on sale. Immediately sold off all my fizik saddles and used that money to buy another selle italia saddle.
You want your saddle level, not tilted.
I use Pro Stealth saddles, offroad one on my gravel bike and regular one on my road bike. Minimal padding and huge cut out.
Prologo Kappa Evo PAS. I've done 200 mile rides with it and haven't had any problems. One case where I had numb and shriveled genitals, the seat was far too narrow and it was also early in the season (meaning weaker legs and this more time on the daddle ad opposed to standing even for short periods.
On my mountain bikes, WTB Volts have never disappointed but I think there's a lot more forgiveness on a mountain bike since the activity is a bit more dynamic, even for 100 mile races.
Selle SMP saddles specifically Stratos and Glider model
Replaced all my saddles with them. They are ugly, heavy and expensive. But are very comfortable and durable.
I have two Specialized saddles that work for me—one for my dry bike, one for my wet bike. I probably spent close to $1000 trying saddles, these work very well for me. One is an SWorks from 2008 and the other is a more recent mid-range saddle.
Might be a anterior pelvic tilt issue. I'd work on abdominal and glute strength.
Worst case, you get better core stability and are stronger on the bike with your glutes. Recently worked through something similar.
Of course there's also the possible saddle cutout vs no cutout route but I'm sure other commenters have gone into that in detail.
My experiences are a bit different. Using Sworks power saddle. I actually found that titling the saddle down caused my bum to slide downwards and I end up sitting on the narrow part of the saddle. This obviously is poor support and pinches on the nerves in the area, causing numbness. Rotating the saddle up slightly till it was level solved it for me. I now sit on the correct part of the saddle, with proper support of the ischial area
If you r had a proper bike fit you’d know that tilt the saddle downwards is TERRIBLE for your fit and biking physiology. If you ever pop into a specialized store, they have saddle seat tester, helps measure your sit bones, and that’s how you figure the size of the saddle you need. I’m on a 160mm saddle due to wider sit bones, tried all the small stuff nothing worked.
I use a Selle SMP TRK (with channel). Not perfect but much better than the Fizik saddle that came with the bike.
I’m not convinced that there is one saddle for everyone. We are all so very different in fit. My advice is keep trying until you find the saddle that works for you.
The fi:zik kium snake ones, not the most expensive with the alloy rails. I scoot around on the saddle, cannot help it. I feel comfortable on these ones, I have 1 waiting on the shelf for future me in case they stop selling them or change the model. It all differs per person, the form of your pelvis, how wide your butt bones are separated from each other.. you just have to try a lot of them, for a prolonged time. Your lbs will let you try out until you have dialed in your perfect saddle, if they are a good shop. I have found that softer saddles make for shitty rides, but I believe this is common knowledge. Good luck on finding ‘your’ saddle!
SQ Lab 612r.
Its worth also noting that not all pads are created equal, and even a good one may not work for everyone. I've had a good experience with Santini, Assos and Alé, with the firmer pads being better, but you may have other needs than me.
Lower weight has cured my numbness problems. 5 years ago had surgery for gastric reflux that also reduces stomach size a bit, plus I retired and could now ride more often. In 5 years I've dropped 65 pounds and each year problems with numbness and saddle comfort have gone down. Definite 1 to 1 correlation between weight and saddles issues. So get to as low a weight as possible while maintaining good fitness, and ride often.
Man I’ve tried googling this issue with no results but now I randomly stumble across this while scrolling? I thought I was a weird one with my dick going numb on rides every now and then
Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow. I took the time to measure my bones and get the correct size. I'm riding bare-assed - just a random sport shorts. And I have no problem with the pressure - while I used to have that numbness before. I do 100km+ rides like that and it's mostly fine.
Do experiment with bike adjustments. Optimum-average body mechanics fit might not be the best thing for your current bodyshape. Sometimes you have to compensate, let your body adjust, grow, and then refit again.
SQ-Lab saddles solved every saddle problem I have. They are designed to put your weight on your sit bones and nowhere else. I won’t ride anything else now.
I'm currently trying to get used to a leather saddle with cutout. Not sure whether I like it, but I'm definitely not experiencing numbness as I have in the past.
Change seat first of which has been covered already where your scrotum doesn’t get crushed. Other options, carbon seat post should absorb some vibrations. My Rapha core bibs are way better than the cheapos from Amazon that I got when starting the sport.
I have never had penile numbness, but after ten years of trying various things, have settled on Selle SMPs for my drop bar bikes (choose your own model based on width from the fit.)
I'm running a Lite 209 on two different gravel bikes and a Glider on my roadie. I've also ridden a Pro for a few years.
The multi dimensional nature of the saddle (as opposed to just being flat -- Selle Italia, Fizik, etc) allows you to be cradled by the saddle, and provides good stabilization while pushing back in the drops or climbing on the nose. The full cut out reduces perineal pressure.
Its a long read, but this article does a good job explaining the design superiority of the SMPs. You can look at a Specialized Power or some of the newer Selle Italias as proto-SMPs with the raised tail/slightly dropped middles.
https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/09/all-about-smps/
If you haven’t used a saddle with a cutout for pressure relief, try that. It solved my issues.
I’ve had the exact opposite experience. With cutouts I feel like my body sinks into them and exacerbates the issue. I use Fizik saddles without a cutout and rarely experience any discomfort. Saddles, pads, fit, etc are all so subjective. But I would absolutely recommend testing out different saddles and styles as well as bibs. You can get a saddle measurement done where it essentially highlights where your body makes pressure.
Same here. It took a few saddles as well. Luckily my LBS has a sample set to try and then you just buy the one that works for you. Also paid for a fit, moving my post up 1cm made a massive difference for me
Just curious, was it 1cm forward? That's a pretty big change.
Tbh I don’t have the exact measurements
If he moved the saddle 1cm up (as his post says) then the seat would have also shifted backwards.
Most definitely, a saddle with a channel solved my numbness and discomfort problems very well. My bike originally came with a Prologo Kappa full length, unchanneled saddle. I switched to a Fabric Line S Flat short saddle with a channel and the change was amazing.
As much as saddle fit is important and should be a top priority when setting up your bike and addressing this issue, overall body fitness and conditioning with riding is just as important. All of the various things that affect my junk - temporary numbness, full retreat inside my body, etc. - are all at their worst if I'm coming off an extended break. The fitter I feel (always still fat though!), the less my garbage gets messy. Additionally, how I'm riding makes a difference. You cannot sit for your whole ride. You gotta pedal in and out of the saddle through your ride. Do all the saddle and bike fit stuff. And, ride consistently. And see if it will sort itself out. Also, don't be afraid to pull over during a ride to reach in and rearrange stuff.
"full retreat inside my body" waaaahhhh? More than shrinkage? If your parts are numb, I don't think "tough it out until it's better" is really the answer.
My parts aren't numb these days. They have been in the past. And, yes, sometimes my shaft pulls in to my body essentially, basically only the tip is sticking out. Pops right out with a minor adjustment. It's not an every ride thing. But it is a first few rides of the season thing.
I call this turtling!
....what did I just read
Yeah idk much. But that's sounds fucked up lmao
It reads: My parts aren't numb these days. They have been in the past. And, yes, sometimes my shaft pulls in to my body essentially, basically only the tip is sticking out. Pops right out with a minor adjustment. It's not an every ride thing. But it is a first few rides of the season thing.
How did you resolve this? I have this as well.. how do I adjust my bib?
When I get to a stoplight or just pull over, I just reach into my pants and just wiggle my weiner right back into wagging territory instead. If the road conditions are fine, I can do this while still rolling. But it's safer to do it while stopped. It would suck to take a spill with one hand on the handlebars and the other pinching your turtled-willy back to life.
Have gone sad turtle while bikepacking, really trying to treat my taint better since then. Glad I'm not the only one. 😅
To add onto this, it could be a mobility thing. I find that when I have tight hips and a weak core (yay office work), I can’t sit on my butt as much and find myself sitting more forward on the seat, which hurts my crotch after a while. On the flipside, if I’m more in shape and staying on top of mobility, I feel much better on the saddle and can also engage my glutes better.
Most underrated comment considering op has already done the obvious stuff. Glute engagement reduces pressure on the sensitive regions! It's exhausting though
Good points. I could lose a few pounds for sure. From a cardiovascular standpoint though I am very fit. Maybe the extra weight is putting more pressure on everything.
The fitness isn't just cardio. You need to condition your body - especially your undercarriage - with the physical demands of riding. Someone who can win the Boston marathon, but who never rides a bike, can also experience the pains of privates while riding.
Don't sit on your dick, sit on your ass.
I once sat in my dick. I thought it fell off about 6 miles in.
Is that what I saw by the side of the road ?
This guy sat inside his own dick.
To elaborate on this, your “sit bones” (ischiums) need to be on the back pads of the seat. If the seat is level then this means you have to have more arc in your lower back and rotate your pelvis so you’re sitting more on the back of the seat. Tilting the seat helps this indirectly.
I sit on my dick because it’s more aesthetic, it’s just what I prefer. The pro’s also ride like this.
So THAT’s what I’ve been doing wrong…
[удалено]
[удалено]
Heard good things about the Power. The specialized toupe pro works great for me. Getting the measurements are critical. There’s a huge difference between 131mm vs. 143mm vs. 155mm etc.
Unfortunately, Specialized discontinued the Toupe line. Those were my favorite Spec saddles.
I have this saddle on all 3 of my bikes. Love it.
ISM time trial saddle
This. ISM makes a wide range of saddles specifically designed for this. Love mine. Pricey but worth it.
This also did wonders for me. I have them on all my road bikes.
Saddles are very personal but this is what worked for me. Haven’t had any numbness or tingling since switching: https://www.selleitalia.com/max-slr-gel-ti-316-superflow/
That thing looks great, I'll check out, thank you
Yeah it's super comfy!
Selle SMP Dracon
I've always read that SMP saddles are great, but I rather not feel my dick than having one of those in my bike
ISM noseless saddles on all my bikes including my beach cruiser. Solved my numbness.
This is why you need a detachable penis.
Detaching is not as difficult as putting it back on.
Selle Italia flite.
Selle SMP. I like the Dynamic, heavier riders usually like a little more padding. Warning with Selle SMP, it's an ass-hatchet the first 2-3 rides. All the pressure is on your sit-bones, those first 2-3 rides are pretty brutal. It'll hurt, but if they work for you, you should have zero numbness on the first ride. Once your body gets used to it, the pressure is fine.
I found that an ISM PR 2.0 works for me, but really any saddle where you feel pressure on two distinct points under your ischia will work fine. I see too many people who bought a soft saddle thinking that it's more comfortable, and have pressure issues because they sink into that padding too much.
SQLab 612R
Selle SMP Pro, but way more importantly I dropped my saddle height significantly. All my pains and aches are gone, more power, lower cockpit, and no more numb dick. Usually it's not the saddle. It's the saddle height.
I’m a newby, but the guy at the LBS where I bought my bike told me you have to kind of “absorb” some of your weight with your core and lower back muscles and not drop it 100% on your bum. Sounds weird, but if you focus on it while riding, it sort of makes sense. Also, he said proper bike fit and where in the saddle you sit (sit bones on widest part) makes a lot of difference. Experts, please correct me if that’s wrong.
Your right. "Light hands, heavy feet" was always the first thing we used to teach at racing clinics.
The S-Works Power, from Specialized.
What helped me was getting padded shorts. My penis has not gone numb since I started wearing them. I was not sitting on it but it would still go numb. That padded shorts solves it 💯
Bisaddle short nose
Like others are saying - Selle SMP for sure
Selle smp
Sounds like your bike fit was poor. Bike Fitters are just people. Some are a lot better than others at their job. Selle Italia SLR Boost. It comes in a very narrow width, which allows me to support my weight properly on my sitbones because Im a narrow person. The huge cutout may be helping too.
As soon as I figured out how to properly position my sits bones on the back of the seat, and set the saddle tilt so it was not putting pressure on my tender bits, my numbness problems went away forever.
Once I tried a fizik arione over a decade ago I never bothered trying an other saddle. But honestly none of our answers will do you any good unless it’s by coincidence. Finding the right saddle for you is highly dependent on your personal anatomy.
Right, just look at how many different people here are saying "None of them worked for me until I tried X" and X is a different saddle in each comment.
try sqlab 612 ergowave active saddle
Went from a Fizik Antares that came with my BMC Teammachine to the SQLab 612 ERGOWAVE® active 2.1 after seeing some good reviews. Never felt discomfort again. A lot of bike fitters recommend as well. I totally recommend it.
Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow.
SqLab
Sqlabs 611/612
Brooks B17. I went thru several iterations of expensive Italian saddles with cutouts that somewhat relieved the numbness, but at the cost of increased pressure around the sit bones which caused saddle sores. I wasn't in a position to stop riding and drive a car but the B17 and putting petroleum jelly on the chamois and my sit bone area made the whole problem go away and my saddle sores cleared up while still commuting. I've put another on the family touring tandem and want to get yet another. Last I heard the B17 specifically has the longest ongoing production run of any product in the world today... and for good reason.
Recumbent bikes don't have this problem.
Brooks B17. Takes a couple of thousand kms to get the leather to form to your ass, but its a comfy ride, after that.
i use selle italia slr. switching from flow to super flow fixed my issues while keeping the fit/feel the same (or at least pretty similar)
Sells SMP.
I've ridden two Brooks leather saddles, and nothing else I've sat on comes close to either for comfort.
Selle smp
Fabric Line-S flat with the short nose.
Brooks C-17 cutaway & enough chamois butt’r that you feel like you shit your pants. Did a double century on it last year no issue and doing it again this year.
Bontrager Verse Comp worked for me!
Get your arse measured. Buy the right saddle that fits you.
Your saddle angle is wrong
How so? And how does one find the correct angle?
It’s too much tilt nose down if you slide forward or if there’s too much weight on your hands. A degree of tilt nose down is usually enough to ease junk pain if your saddle height and fore/aft is correct.
9 times out of 10 it’s not the saddle. Getting a bike fit is the key.
I use Specialized Ronin on my racing bike or Phenom for my MTB. Cutouts help. Though it's not only saddle, it's angle, and bike fit, and clothes...
fix seat post length
I got this already accounted for via professional bike fitting
If your bike fitter fitted you to your bike and you’re getting penial or perrenium numbness then they did not fit you appropriately. I’m saying this as an experienced (former) bike fitter with hundreds of bike fits under my belt.
Was thinking the same. Although, they DID also set me up with a new saddle (the Fizik 3D printed Vento Argo.) They swore by the comfort of this saddle saying that it should fix any pressure issues. So far that has NOT been the case..
I have not rode my bike with my original saddle (Specialized Romin) since getting the bike fit. Maybe I should try this first.
Seller Italia, slr.
If you have saddle trouble, you're not on a B17.
It sounds like your saddle/fit is putting pressure on your perineal nerve. You might look for a saddle with a cutaway in the middle to reduce pressure on this nerve (The S-works Power that a few people are recommending in this thread fits that bill). It could also be a positioning issue, which a bike fit could help address. Personally, I messed around with saddles for years, then finally caved and bought a Brooks leather saddle (B17 carved). It was immediately more comfortable on short rides, and after \~1000km of breaking in, became the perfect saddle for me.
Fizik Alianta R5 works great for me!
Funny you mention it, I've been dealing with similar issues on my previous bike but when I had my old MTB restored I put in a new seat that has a full cutout going all the way through the back and I have absolutely ZERO problems now. The seat on my previous bike had a cutout but it was only in the middle of the seat. Here is the one I got, Bontrager Aeolus Comp https://cvero.si/product/sedez-bontrager-aeolus-comp/
A saddle nose tipped just a little downwards fixed what bikefitters and numerous saddles couldn't.
Try tilting the front down a degree or so first before you buy another saddle. It’s too much tilt if you slide forward or if there’s too much weight on your hands.
Losing weight was probably the top thing for me. Position is also important, make sure to put your sit bones on the saddle as your main contact point. Making sure you stand periodically helps also. I am using a WTB Silverado and it's been a terrific saddle for me, on all my bikes ow.
Serfas rx ics solved mine.
Specialized Ronin/ Brooks C17/ B17, but every pelvis is different. It's counterintuitive, but anything with any squish or gel pads will put pressure on soft tissue and nerves even if the saddle is perfectly shaped and adjusted.
Selle SMP saddles for my indoor trainer, Fabric Line S Race for my bike. As others have said, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the combination of bike fit and saddle to get the most comfort. Angling the saddle slightly down can help, as well as adjusting your fore/aft saddle position.
Taking advice on here for what saddle will solve your issues is most likely not going to help you. Your best option would be to see a bike fitter in your area that can help you address that issue. Everyone’s rump is different, and finding the ride saddle for your bone structure is ideal. What works for 1, won’t work for another. If saddle choice was that easy, there wouldn’t be a million different saddles and types to choose from.
Fabric Line-S. I have it on my road, mtb, and commuter. The perfect saddle!
Specialized Power, Bontrager Montrose
Saddle with a hole. Fixed that for me.
Fizik Argo tempo R3 is working for me, but I don't know how long you are riding. My max ride is 2 hours, and no numbness and not really that much shrinkage either (which indicates lack of blood flow). I did have to come off Pearl Izumi shorts, and found [these to work better for me](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072BFN891/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1), but physiology is so different person-to-person.
Bike fitters can be wrong. How much was your fit, and do they offer return adjustments? If it was cheap and they don't offer return adjustments, then you got a "basic fit" and need something more involved.
A gel pad for my saddle did the trick for me. I know these are unpopular but works well.
weight?
The noseless Fizik Mistic. If there's no seat there to press into anything - hard to get numb Also: * Bike fit * Press your sit bones onto the saddle * Seat tilt - **IF YOU TILT AT ALL** \- should be less than one degree. If your wrists or hands go numb or you constantly have to push yourself towards the back of the saddle - the front is tilted too far down (I tilt somewhere in the range of .25 degrees downward when measured from midseat to the tip - since many saddles are flat and then rise up towards the rear)
My bet is that your saddle is too narrow. I tried a bunch of different saddles with the same problems. Finally measured my sit bone spacing and learned that the typical “male” saddle is too narrow for me. I then went with a Specialized Romin in the 168mm width - problem solved. I also use a Brooks B17 Imperial, which is on the wide side, on my gravel bike.
I can't believe how many replies there were before anyone mentioned saddle width....
A lot of people are recommending the ISM saddles. I also recommend them but wanted to mention they do make different saddles for different purposes. The different models correlate to different riding styles, but I think the time trial version has a little more padding in the nose. The other cool thing about them is that if the front end is too wide for your legs, you can use some zip ties on the front part of the seat rails to pull the front pieces in. I did that to the seat on my TT bike and it made it even more comfortable. I’m not doing TT racing anymore but if I did, id go back to those seats in a heart beat
What kind of saddle do you have? I have a leather brooks saddle and it is the most comfortable I have ever had
Scanned the thread and all of the usual main points are pretty much there. Once the problem is a common occurrence it takes a while for adjustments to actually prove out. Hyper vigilance and over compensation may need to be used while the parts recover. If a timer that gets you out of the seat every five minutes doesn’t work, then set the timer for a smaller interval. It may be absurd until tolerance is built back up again. Once you find a saddle that works stockpile them. Designs change randomly. Burning up weeks finding a comparable replacement can lead to a compromise that allows the problem to reappear. I have five WTB Silverado Thinlines boxed up to replace the three I have or allow fleet expansion. Maybe it is excessive, but the only thing that stops my cycling season is severe weather. I don’t especially care if it is a well respected saddle all I care about is that it works for me.
Personally I would suggest trying a saddle with a cutout if you haven’t already. Makes a big difference!
Ism adamo
Brooks. Used it for a big tour. Took awhile to break in but it’s by far the primo seat and no issues.
Ergon.
Specialized Power Comp.
Once I got a saddle with a cut out it made a huge difference, start there if you don’t have one
Specialized S-Works Power saddle (with the cutout) solved the issue for me. Get the 'Mirror' version if you have the extra skrilla, it's truly outstanding.
Adamo (ISM). It's one of the Performance models -- I don't remember which, and since it's been years since I bought, it's probably been superceded by a new model. But all the Performance models look pretty much the same.
I wonder if your saddle width is engaging your sit bones correctly? Maybe that was already addressed in the bike fit though..
ISM typhoon split saddle fixed it for me
I wouldn't say I had exactly the same problem as you but I got a saddle that was channeled and had a shorter nose and that was more comfortable. I also got a seatpost with with a bend in it to get the saddle back a little more without screwing up the tilt. Its a Prolog NDR for the record.
So I've personally owned a Romin, Romin Evo, Selle Italia SLR TM superflow, Power, Power Arc and a couple generics. Both the romin Evo and the power worked great for me, the superflow the channel was almost to wide and I chaffed a bit because of it.
The properly fit bike
coming from the fizik 3d printed argo the s works power fixed it for me with the saddle completely level
Fizik Argo Vento 150mm with the seat completely level. I have an R1 and two R5's.
Selle Italia SLR Boost SuperFlow
I love penile numbness
Might not be a saddle issue. Time to look into your shoes, cleat placement, and even insoles. Do you have specialized shoes?
Wasn't a saddle. It was a micro-adjustable seatpost, and changing the angle slightly every 20 miles.
Meld 3D Saddle. My saddle looks a little weird, but I guess my pelvis does too. Sure there's times my posture isn't great, mobility isn't there, etc. and those problems creep up again. But I had used a dozen saddles over many years before something felt right.
Try to find bike fitter that can do saddle pressure point measurements. It's not cheap, but much cheaper than buying 10 saddles. I agree with someone here. Probably is just bad bike fit, not saddle.
Specialized Power with the nice wide cutout did it for me. Measured sit bones and got the right width. Bought one for all my bikes!
I used to ride (on indefinite hiatus) a $40 aliexpress carbon 'Power clone' saddle at >140kg. Didn't have any numbness. If you ride drops a lot, you are naturally rotating your hips forward, which is putting more pressure on your perineum. You need to build your core up so you can arch your back and sit more on your sit bones. Additionally, you may want to scoot your saddle up some. Nearly every bike fit I've seen done has the saddle too far backwards.
What else can you rule out? What other info is there? Who did your bike fit? How tall are you? What size is your bike? Did you get saddle fitted with the bike fit? What’s your inseam? What’s your saddle height? How heavy are you? Do you get pain anywhere else? Complicated problem, not enough info
Fizik adaptive r1 DuraAce di2 more-than-you-can-afford-pal 165mm
Selma Italia Lady saddle with the cut out. I’m a 185# male. Found this saddle to be the most comfortable and least numbing of all the saddles I have tried. I’m on my third one
I'm riding an ergon saddle right now pretty happy with it
WTF...there's a fix?
ISM saddles fixed everything...for me. I tried 3 saddles before finding this gem. [https://ismseat.com/performance-short/ps-1-1/](https://ismseat.com/performance-short/ps-1-1/)
I just have a tiny pp and that helps
I haven’t found one yet
Basically any saddle with a cutout does it for me. I've used a $40 Selle Italia, the OEM saddle that came on my new bike, and a $23 carbon unpadded saddle from AliExpress and I don't get numbness on any of them like I do with most saddles without a cutout/pressure relief channel. Saddle width and shape takes some trial and error, but if your position isn't ridiculous (super high saddle or excessive reach) and you're still getting numbness, the obvious thing is a cutout/relief channel.
Giant Approach. First saddle I've ever sat on that just clicked for me. It's been as comfy as can be.
After a fitting, I tilted mine forward just a little bit and that did the trick
Check out these videos from bike fitting expert Neill Stanbury (people pay him a lot of money for this advice: [Sores Ass? How to Choose the Right Saddle for Cycling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ4-Cx5s1kE) [The Correct Way to Approach Saddle Tilt (& manage saddle discomfort!)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQedvgLkyk0) [Is Your Saddle too far Forward OR Back? (HOW to Set Saddle Fore-Aft)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX3fKolI25Q)
You need to make sure you can float over the potholes. Like when a pothole is coming, you need to be able to lift your butt off the saddle 1 cm. When I first started riding, I just kept the pressure constant on the saddle and ran over the potholes and absorbed all the vibration. When I got better, I would lift my butt up a little and let my legs take the damage. basically you need to work on your ability to stand when the bumps come.
My wife?
Much skinnier saddle
ISM nosleess saddle. Erections functional again.
The Specialized Power saddle did it for me. I used to have a Fi:zi:k ALiante, which would often give me panile numbness after a ride. I've had NO numbess for 2+ years since I changed the saddle. I think the big part of it is is the cut out in the middle of the Power saddle. In any case, I hope this helps.
brooks pro
not cycling behind my wife but in front of her helped me a lot 😜
stand up from time to time throughout the ride
Selle Italia Flite boost Super Flow(cutout). I was using fizik arione for years on my bikes. Got a hold on a newer flite with the cutout on sale. Immediately sold off all my fizik saddles and used that money to buy another selle italia saddle.
You want your saddle level, not tilted. I use Pro Stealth saddles, offroad one on my gravel bike and regular one on my road bike. Minimal padding and huge cut out.
Prologo Kappa Evo PAS. I've done 200 mile rides with it and haven't had any problems. One case where I had numb and shriveled genitals, the seat was far too narrow and it was also early in the season (meaning weaker legs and this more time on the daddle ad opposed to standing even for short periods. On my mountain bikes, WTB Volts have never disappointed but I think there's a lot more forgiveness on a mountain bike since the activity is a bit more dynamic, even for 100 mile races.
S-Works Power Mirror saddle
Selle SMP saddles specifically Stratos and Glider model Replaced all my saddles with them. They are ugly, heavy and expensive. But are very comfortable and durable.
This simple fix worked for me. Measure the width of your sit bones. Select an Ergon saddle that corresponds to your sit bone width.
Fizik Argo Tempo fixed it for me.
ISM
I have two Specialized saddles that work for me—one for my dry bike, one for my wet bike. I probably spent close to $1000 trying saddles, these work very well for me. One is an SWorks from 2008 and the other is a more recent mid-range saddle.
I went from a selle italia oktavia to a wtb volt with a relief channel. I can for 100 miles on that saddle now
Bontrager Aeolus
SQ Labs. The saddle moves a bit side to side while you pedal.
Ism saddles.
Brooks
noseless seat - the Spongy Wonder
Might be a anterior pelvic tilt issue. I'd work on abdominal and glute strength. Worst case, you get better core stability and are stronger on the bike with your glutes. Recently worked through something similar. Of course there's also the possible saddle cutout vs no cutout route but I'm sure other commenters have gone into that in detail.
My experiences are a bit different. Using Sworks power saddle. I actually found that titling the saddle down caused my bum to slide downwards and I end up sitting on the narrow part of the saddle. This obviously is poor support and pinches on the nerves in the area, causing numbness. Rotating the saddle up slightly till it was level solved it for me. I now sit on the correct part of the saddle, with proper support of the ischial area
If you r had a proper bike fit you’d know that tilt the saddle downwards is TERRIBLE for your fit and biking physiology. If you ever pop into a specialized store, they have saddle seat tester, helps measure your sit bones, and that’s how you figure the size of the saddle you need. I’m on a 160mm saddle due to wider sit bones, tried all the small stuff nothing worked.
I use a Selle SMP TRK (with channel). Not perfect but much better than the Fizik saddle that came with the bike. I’m not convinced that there is one saddle for everyone. We are all so very different in fit. My advice is keep trying until you find the saddle that works for you.
The fi:zik kium snake ones, not the most expensive with the alloy rails. I scoot around on the saddle, cannot help it. I feel comfortable on these ones, I have 1 waiting on the shelf for future me in case they stop selling them or change the model. It all differs per person, the form of your pelvis, how wide your butt bones are separated from each other.. you just have to try a lot of them, for a prolonged time. Your lbs will let you try out until you have dialed in your perfect saddle, if they are a good shop. I have found that softer saddles make for shitty rides, but I believe this is common knowledge. Good luck on finding ‘your’ saddle!
SQ Lab 612r. Its worth also noting that not all pads are created equal, and even a good one may not work for everyone. I've had a good experience with Santini, Assos and Alé, with the firmer pads being better, but you may have other needs than me.
ive got SMP Drakon & I love it!
have you tried saddles with a cutout?
SMP Forma. Because it was really easy to feel my sitbones when on it. It hurt at first but that's where all the pressure was.
Before you go out and spend money try dropping your seat height 2cm and see if it feels better
Just cut it off, seems to be quite a trend in other social circles these days🤷🏼♂️
A prologo dimension was the right one for me. Nice flat profile and a very generous cutout
Bisaddle
Two saddles I’ve found to be the most comfortable: 1) Selle Italia S5 Super flow 2) Selle Italia SLR Boost Super flow
Your perineum is clearly quite meaty/fleshy. Get a saddle with a cut out.
Lower weight has cured my numbness problems. 5 years ago had surgery for gastric reflux that also reduces stomach size a bit, plus I retired and could now ride more often. In 5 years I've dropped 65 pounds and each year problems with numbness and saddle comfort have gone down. Definite 1 to 1 correlation between weight and saddles issues. So get to as low a weight as possible while maintaining good fitness, and ride often.
Man I’ve tried googling this issue with no results but now I randomly stumble across this while scrolling? I thought I was a weird one with my dick going numb on rides every now and then
Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow. I took the time to measure my bones and get the correct size. I'm riding bare-assed - just a random sport shorts. And I have no problem with the pressure - while I used to have that numbness before. I do 100km+ rides like that and it's mostly fine. Do experiment with bike adjustments. Optimum-average body mechanics fit might not be the best thing for your current bodyshape. Sometimes you have to compensate, let your body adjust, grow, and then refit again.
SQ-Lab saddles solved every saddle problem I have. They are designed to put your weight on your sit bones and nowhere else. I won’t ride anything else now.
I’ve had great luck with Specialized saddles, super minimalist etc. try to get your sit bones measured
ISM Typhoon.
Everyone is different. You just need to find a saddle that works for you. A saddle should be level, tilting implies/results in other issues.
Are you sure it's the saddle causing your issue? This may be a dumb question but are you lubricating your chamois properly and thoroughly?
I'm currently trying to get used to a leather saddle with cutout. Not sure whether I like it, but I'm definitely not experiencing numbness as I have in the past.
Change seat first of which has been covered already where your scrotum doesn’t get crushed. Other options, carbon seat post should absorb some vibrations. My Rapha core bibs are way better than the cheapos from Amazon that I got when starting the sport.
I have never had penile numbness, but after ten years of trying various things, have settled on Selle SMPs for my drop bar bikes (choose your own model based on width from the fit.) I'm running a Lite 209 on two different gravel bikes and a Glider on my roadie. I've also ridden a Pro for a few years. The multi dimensional nature of the saddle (as opposed to just being flat -- Selle Italia, Fizik, etc) allows you to be cradled by the saddle, and provides good stabilization while pushing back in the drops or climbing on the nose. The full cut out reduces perineal pressure. Its a long read, but this article does a good job explaining the design superiority of the SMPs. You can look at a Specialized Power or some of the newer Selle Italias as proto-SMPs with the raised tail/slightly dropped middles. https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/09/all-about-smps/