THE FOLLOWING APPEARED ON P. D7 OF THE N.Y. TIMES ON APRIL 3, 2012-FYI

April 2, 2012, 12:01 am
Can Bicycling Affect a Woman’s Sexual Health?
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Ryan Lane/Getty ImagesResearchers are studying whether cycling poses risks to women’s sexual health.
Spending time on a bicycle seat, which has been linked to erectile dysfunction in men, may also be a hazard to a woman’s sexual health, a new study shows.

Many women who cycle or take spin classes are familiar with the numbness that sometimes can occur from sitting on a traditional bike seat. Bike seats are designed in such a way that body weight typically rests on the nose of the seat, which can compress nerves and blood vessels in the genital area. In men, this raises the risk of erectile dysfunction, something that has been documented in studies of male police officers on bicycle patrol.

But female cyclists have not been studied as closely. A study by Yale researchers in 2006 found that female cyclists had less genital sensation compared with a control group of female runners. As a result, some scientists believe that female cyclists probably are at similar risk for sexual problems as male riders.

In the latest study, the Yale researchers tried to determine whether there are specific factors that influence soreness and numbness among female riders. Forty-eight women took part in the study, each a consistent rider who cycled a minimum of 10 miles a week, but typically much more.

The women took their personal bikes and saddles into the lab. The researchers mounted the bikes on a stationary machine, and had the riders position their seats and handlebars according to their preference. As the women pedaled, they reported whether they felt soreness, numbness or tingling as a result of sitting on the bike seat, and a device was used to measure sensation in the pelvic floor.

Notably, it was the position of the handlebars that seemed to have the most effect. Women on bikes with handlebars positioned lower than their seats experienced more pressure in an area of soft tissue called the perineum, and had decreased sensation in the pelvic floor.

The researchers found that the lower the handlebars in relation to the saddle, the more a woman has to lean forward, forcing her to put a greater percentage of her body weight on the perineum. This problem is particularly likely to occur when a rider leans forward, flattens her back and puts her hands on the “drop bars” of a road or track bicycle for a more aerodynamic position.

“We’re basically showing that there may be modifiable risk factors associated with female riders,” said Dr. Marsha K. Guess, an author of the study and an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine. “This better positions us to educate riders on safe riding practices that may actually be beneficial to reduction of pressure and lost sensation in the pelvic floor.”

The findings, published online in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, help shed further light on the problems faced by female riders, something that needs more long-term study, said Steven M. Schrader, a scientist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health whose early research helped identify bike seat risks for male police officers on bicycle patrol.

Dr. Schrader said that over the years he has given speeches about his findings to groups of police officers who do bicycle patrol. Afterward, he said, women from the audience sometimes approach him and say, “It’s not just a men’s thing.”

“Women are having issues as well,” Dr. Schrader said.

Dr. Schrader’s research on officers showed that one of the best ways to eliminate or reduce pressure on the perineum is to use a bicycle saddle without a nose. The findings led the institute to recommend that police officers and other workers on bicycles use “no-nose” saddles, which put pressure on the sit bones, rather than the soft tissue of the perineum. Although he hasn’t studied use of the noseless saddles in women, he said he believes women would benefit as well.

“If you don’t put weight there,” he said, “there’s no pressure.”

If this was generally true, then the Uniballer wouldn't have so many kids.

Riding a bicycle that does not fit you well will hurt you. Riding a bicycle that does not fit you well for long periods of time or distances will hurt you a lot. It's pretty much like what happens when you wear a pair of shoes that don't fit: your feet will hurt and potentially take serious damage. So while I love the look of women in stilettos, I won't make them *walk* much in them.

The contact points for a bicycle are your feet, your butt, and your hands. If your bike doesn't fit well, any or all of these contact points will take damage. Most people ride bikes that are inappropriate for their relatively poor levels of flexibility, so instead of sitting on their sit bones on the bike saddle, they sit on their crotches on the saddle. And yes, in these cases, bad things can happen, sometimes very bad things. If you're riding a bike that fits you, you'll be way better-off as a result, in bed and out of it.

I particularly love women with strong legs, especially when they're wrapped around my head or my waist.

And for those of you who are normal, healthy people who don't follow professional bicycle racing, the Uniballer is Lance Armstrong.

And how pathetic is it that the New York Board has this for discussion, or that I'm responding to post by SEXEGENERIAN.

BTW, small bit of TER trivia: in the old old days, user IDs were only in CAPS. It's the only thing I really have in common with the OP.

I really need to get laid...

Differnt schools of thought on bicycle seats and inury to males

I agree that if you're riding an improperly fitting bicycle (whether you're male or female) it can certainly cause damage. But beyond the damage that might be cause by a wrong fitting bike, you've got to be really considerate of the kind of seat you're using. I think if you're spending anything above $500 for a bike, than you should invest a few extra bucks in getting a good saddle. There are so many great ergonomic saddle designs that are very sensitive to the perineum area. So that's a must if you're getting a mid level or higher bicycle. Also there's great cycling shorts out there to protect that area.

As far as the Uniballer goes, Armstrong is simply an amazing example of the body's ability to overcome and conquer adversity. If I'm not mistaken, like Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong has an abnormally large heart that allows him to pump blood through his body at a higher rate than mere mortals or even high end athletes. Truly an amazing individual. And on top of his amazing ability on the road bike, he's also taken to competitive mountain biking. He's an incredible athlete and from what I here he likes his YingLing beer too! LOL!

nycad