[Typetwelve]

Crotch pain while cycling, need some advice.

Now...before some of you jump my case...let me explain.

I've been road riding since June of last year. In that time, I've rode different bikes, and different saddles. I've also had different kits. I've managed to fix knee problems, back problems, neck problems, sit bone issues...you name it. Save this one problem...

I've been fit to my current bike and save one nagging issue, I feel great on the saddle. My problem is pain in the "taint" area (not my sit area, not my genitals). It's nothing severe and ends shortly when I finish riding but after an hour or so on the saddle, it begins to worsen and become a serious morale kill after 2 hrs on the saddle. Every time it gets to the point where I can no longer take it.

Like I said above, I've tried darn near everything I can think of...saddles, kit, fit...although its better...it's still there. I don't have rubbing, numbness or sit bone pain so everything else is fine. After my fit, the pain was really extreme so i nosed the saddle down a bit and that helped a ton...bunt didn't remove it completely. While riding, I try to get off the saddle every 15 min or so to relieve some pressure (standing while riding).

At this point, I'm out of ideas. I don't have access to a shop that has all kinds of saddles to try and I really don't want to drop huge $$ randomly trying out different brands.

The only thing I can think of at this point is core strength...but even then, that is just a guess. I'm trying to get to the bottom of it because at this point, it's really the one thing holding me back from longer rides. It just gets to the point where the pain is so nagging...I stop out of frustration. The funny thing is...within 30 min of quitting, the pain is gone.

Any advice would be great!

 

[Data_God]

Confused. You said that you feel great on the saddle but then the fact that it hurts. So assumptions will have to be made. Also you didn't specify the exact saddle. Also your weight would be a good thing to know. If you are heavy enough it could result in slight bruising. But here is where I would start.

Level the saddle. Do not make it slightly nose down. Doing that will lead to other issues. Note that it can be tricky to determine the exact point of level depending on the shape.

Wear good fitting Bib Shorts (probably a FAQ on this) with a quality anatomical pad and do not wear anything underneath it,

Be certain that the width of the saddle is correct for you. Your LBS should be able to help with this.

Saddle height ...... Check and recheck this. If too high it can lead to extra friction in the middle

Hope this helps

Bill

 

[Donn12]

What saddle do you have? It is counterintuitive but go with one with little padding like a specialized romin so you have weight only on your sit bones. This and a professional fit and you will be fine provided you ride a fee hours a week or more.

 

[DaFlake]

Are you actually sitting on your sit bones, or are you sitting on your crotch. I have seen new folks not properly sitting on the saddle and this will cause the pain you are having.

 

[Typetwelve]

Sorry guys...6' tall, 170 lbs. rode a 143 Spec toupe last season, 143 Romin this year. When I said "feel great" I mean everything but that one area.

 

[horvatht]

Selle SMP evolution has really helped me. Make sure like the other posted have said. Level the seat. "No nose up or down". Make sure you are sitting in the cradle.

 

[Typetwelve]

Are you actually sitting on your sit bones, or are you sitting on your crotch. I have seen new folks not properly sitting on the saddle and this will cause the pain you are having.

Good question. I try to make a strong effort to sit back on the saddle. That Romin has a pronounced rear so I can definitely tell when I'm sitting at the rear of the saddle.

 

[Typetwelve]

Selle SMP evolution has really helped me. Make sure like the other posted have said. Level the seat. "No nose up or down". Make sure you are sitting in the cradle.

I'll look at that saddle. Post fit, my saddle was a bit nose up and the pain was bad. I leveled it out and took it slightly nose down and it helped quite a bit. Still painful after a few hrs but nowhere near as bad as it was after the fit.

 

[Cyclin Dan]

Good question. I try to make a strong effort to sit back on the saddle. That Romin has a pronounced rear so I can definitely tell when I'm sitting at the rear of the saddle.

That part of your body shouldn't be touching the saddle...my guess is your sitting to far forward on the saddle or that the saddle is too narrow.

 

[Lewis]

Good question. I try to make a strong effort to sit back on the saddle. That Romin has a pronounced rear so I can definitely tell when I'm sitting at the rear of the saddle.

Surely a saddle with a V cut out the centre would remove pressure from that area?

I get a sore left cheek bone, always the left. Can't think what that is but I do adjust myself frequently on a ride. Eventually it kinda goes away but it is a point I need to address.

 

[horvatht]

Here's a pic of a evolution. View attachment 283002 View attachment 283003
This seat is narrow but I'm tall 6 foot and on the heavy side 200lbs. I can ride very long distances w this set up.

 

[PTJ]

Sorry guys...6' tall, 170 lbs. rode a 143 Spec toupe last season, 143 Romin this year. When I said "feel great" I mean everything but that one area.

Specialized changed there width recommendations according to the fit guy at my lbs. I've been on the same saddle (Romin)as you in a 155 and have had better comfort than usual.

BTW my sit bones measured at 130.

 

[cale262]

Level the saddle and drop it 3mm...or lower to match the amount of nose down you had.

Without seeing you on the actual bike while riding that's my best interweb fitter guess.:aureola:

 

[bike981]

Probably obvious, but make sure you stand up for maybe 30 secs or so from time to time while you're riding to ease the pressure on that area and allow more blood to flow.

 

[woodys737]

Try lowering the saddle and moving forward a touch. Maybe 5mm each way. I ride the same saddle fwiw...too high and too far back are a killer combo for contributing to pain in the area of the perineum.

 

[c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n]

Get them on ebay and so if it does not work, you could still sell them on for less of a loss.

Every body has a different shape below and the idea is to distribute the weight around so that you do not have too much weight in one single area. Getting a saddle with a cut-out means there will be no weight on the area above the cut-out but that means the weight elsewhere will be higher.

Try a saddle without a cut-out and a bit more 'meat'. One with about 10-20mm outside your sit bones. Or even go with something other than a Specialized.

My perineum can get a bit sore on long rides with my Selle Italia SLR, but bearable and disappears after I change positions or stand up.

View attachment 283009

My MTB saddle is much more comfortable. Profile shape is slightly different.

View attachment 283010

 

[GbrNole]

i have a romin expert sl 143 - hated that damn thing fir several reasons, killed my sit bones, too wide at the nose, still got taint pain even with the cutout but it was a pretty looking saddle!

switched to a ritchey wcs streem - instantly better comfort for me but only for about 35 to 40 miles then the sit bones would start kicking but the taint was doing much better and the nose width was fine.

cousin had a spare fizik arione that was causing him all kinds of taint problems but i wanted to give it a go to see if i could knock out at least 50 miles without the sit bones acting up. threw it on the bike, adjusted for height and knee over and went for 56 miles the next day with no problems whatsoever.

his hell was my heaven!

i have since bought another slightly nicer version of the arione and was on it for 6 hours on saturday for a 108 mile jaunt. the rest of my body is pi$$ed but the nether regions feel great - never could have done that on my romin or streem.

one aside to this story is that i live in hot and sticky florida. while the arione is my match made in heaven i would never even contemplate a century at this time of year without slathering on a ton of chammy cream. not sure i would have taint pressure if i didn't lube up but i would be calling the fire department to douse the ridiculous heat buildup!

 

[Kerry Irons]

Sorry guys...6' tall, 170 lbs. rode a 143 Spec toupe last season, 143 Romin this year. When I said "feel great" I mean everything but that one area.

There are 7 factors in preventing saddle numbness and pain:

1) saddle adjustment - tilt angle is very important

2) sitting properly - a lot of people ride too far forward on the saddle. Your "sit bones" should be perched on the rear, wide part of the saddle

3) standing up - you should never let things go numb or get painful. At the first sign of any lack of feeling or pain, pedal standing up for a short distance and repeat as necessary to bring the feeling back and prevent further numbness

4) easing up - you want to lift your rear end off the saddle any time you are going to hit a bump or sharp edge. It's easier on your anatomy, your wheels, your tires, and the rest of your bike.

5) bike fit: in addition to saddle height and tilt, there is fore/aft adjustment, reach and drop to the bars, and cleat position.

6) tires: proper width with the right PSI for your weight and roads so you don't feel every single road imperfection.

7) saddle - there are some people who can ride most any saddle if it is properly adjusted (see #1) and there are some people who have problems with nearly any saddle. It's hard to predict which type you are. Work on 1-6 and if that doesn't help, THEN consider a new saddle.

When choosing a new saddle, width is important but so are a number of other things and it really is not possible to recommend a saddle that works based on width alone. The shape of the saddle butt, width of the nose, thickness and density of padding, etc. all factor in.

The standard advice to cure numbness is to tip the nose down, but having discussed this topic many times, it seems that some people do not sit properly on their saddles. You need to have a saddle and saddle position that has your sit bones on the butt of the saddle. If your saddle nose is tipped down too far, it may cause you to slide forward. If it is tipped up too far, it may be causing pressure. And if you can't get things right in between these points, it may be that you are not sitting in the right spot or that the saddle doesn't fit you. In my experience, the range of saddle tilt goes from "nose level" to saddle level. Nose level means that for most saddles, the butt of the saddle is slightly elevated (this is how I ride). Saddle level means that a level placed on the saddle would have the nose and butt level, which may create a hammock effect in the middle. If your saddle is "flat" and doesn't have a raised butt relative to the nose, then the "level" concept applies to the entire length of the saddle, not just the nose. Your personal comfort has to rule on where to place things in this range. Also, fore/aft position can influence comfort - it is a trade-off between pedaling style and the how much you lean on the bars vs. sit on the saddle.

 

[Kerry Irons]

Surely a saddle with a V cut out the centre would remove pressure from that area?

Actually not surely. Some people love cutout saddles. Others hate them and tell you that the edges of the cutouts are worse than what came before. There is no universally comfortable saddle. We each have to find our own.

I get a sore left cheek bone, always the left. Can't think what that is but I do adjust myself frequently on a ride. Eventually it kinda goes away but it is a point I need to address.

Often, twisting the saddle just a bit off dead straight will help with this. Many of us are not symmetric and so it should come as no surprise that having a saddle a bit "off center" can help.

 

[digdeep]

Had the same problem OP. Taint would go numb and had to get off the bike. Tried fitting adjusting, you name it. Tried a lot of saddles and ended up with this: Adamo Prologue | Ideal Saddle Modification

Problem solved.

Hope that helps.