Numbness in my special area while riding??

vermontcycleguy said:

So here's the deal, I've been cycling for a good year now and I've noticed that whenever I go for a long ride (over 40 miles) my "special area" goes num. After getting off the bike and showering everything is back to normal, thank god. Is this a normal thing for long rides.

-have you been professionally fitted to your bike?
-are your riding/training regularly, ie. every day or second day?

vermontcycleguy said:

So here's the deal, I've been cycling for a good year now and I've noticed that whenever I go for a long ride (over 40 miles) my "special area" goes num. After getting off the bike and showering everything is back to normal, thank god. Is this a normal thing for long rides.

[font=Times New Roman]> Is this a normal thing for long rides?[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]No. Nothing should be numb, or hurt after any ride.[/font][font=Times New Roman] [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Is your saddle level? It should be. Some people tilt the saddle nose down expecting that they will be more comfortable, but all that happens is you slide forward a bit, and then you are sitting on a thinner part of the saddle, and soft tissues (not your sit bones) are supporting your weight. So that could be the cause of your problems.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]peterwhitecycles.comfitting.htmOpen ↗[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]sheldonbrown.comsaddles.htmlOpen ↗[/font]

[font=Times New Roman][/font]

I've found that I'm fine until I get off the saddle. At that point, I get numb "down there" for about a minute. In fact, I wouldn't even call it numb, but maybe hypersensitive. It's a strange feeling, but it goes away very fast.

I had this problem when I first got on my bike, it was especially pronounced when I would go on longer climbs. I got a new seat and made sure to stand up periodically. I haven't had any problems since.

menglish6 said:

I had this problem when I first got on my bike, it was especially pronounced when I would go on longer climbs. I got a new seat and made sure to stand up periodically. I haven't had any problems since.

I had that problem recently, too. I realized that I was sitting on a Specialized saddle designed for women. I bought a Fizi:k Arlone and LOVE it! No numbness, and finally a feeling of "support" when riding.