crotch numbness remedy: standing on pedals?



K

Klaas Bil

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When doing a distance ride, crotch numbness is a well-known nuisance
caused by less blood circulation locally, and possibly by pinching
nerves. Taking a break is the received wisdom. And/or take part of
your weight on a handle but I don't like that very much on the
old-style KH handle I have on my Dikke Dame.

I recently developed a habit to take breaks WHILE RIDING. I will, each
20 minutes or so, slow down and ride for about half a minute while
fully standing on the pedals. Indeed this will render me bobbing up
and down on the seat, but I like to think that this constitutes extra
massage for the affected area, increasing the effectivity of the
procedure. I can ride longer now until I need a proper break.

Comments? Do other distance riders do something similar?

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
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I do this from time to time, although it's not my preferred treatment as
it lowers my average speed for the ride and I'm kind of metrics-obsessed
right now. What I've tried to do instead is just identify "leaning"
opportunities along the ride. Maybe it's a Stop sign, or mailbox, or
car, fencepost, brick wall, basically anything that I can pedal up to,
stop, and lean against using one of my hands. That allows me to get up
out of the saddle, crack my knee back into place, have a quick drink,
and re-rack as necessary before sitting down and getting a final
fine-tune on crotch and pedal positons before starting out again.

I've been trying to ride further and further using only this technique
for a break every 5 miles or so. Longest so far w/o dismount is about
15 miles.


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Klaas Bil wrote:
> *...but I like to think that this constitutes extra massage for the
> affected area, increasing the effectivity of the procedure. *


Whats next, massaging saddles? Every man will want one!


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yeah i tend to do the same klass bill

tomblack:
surely you actually *stopping* for a rest will lower your average speed
more than if you slow down and stand up out of the seat for a while?

i dont think you should take your average speed just from riding time it
should be from the total time out! it almost gives you a false sense of
being fast.

its almost like a sprinter saying they can do a 70minute marathon (i.e.
roughly 10 secs per 100m) but they couldnt keep this up for a marothon
distance

Just a thought thats all


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I end up doing about 5 revs standing per mile, plus take breaks, plus
push on the handle, plus move fore and aft in the saddle, plus change
the angle of my lower back. Others report that changing saddle height
also can help, and I'd imagine that even changing saddle tilt might help
too.

Think -- a five minute break every five miles. On a 60 mile ride, that
is 11 breaks for a total of 55 minutes. Not such a big deal.

In five minutes you can wipe your brow, adjust your crotch, stretch your
back, hamstrings, and neck, and clean your glasses. In addition, your
crotch has some time to evaporate and cool down. Heat and moisture are
the key ingredients in chafing.

After time that break shortens up to, say three minutes. For a 100 mile
ride, that is 19 breaks for a total of 57 minutes. Same amount of break
time as the 60 mile ride.

At 10 mph (10 hours riding), that's only 10% additional time for a
continuous investment in overall body comfort. Resulting overall speed
drops from 10 mph to 9.1 mph. Not such a big deal.

Obviously, being in a groove means that one doesn't want to stop.
However, by periodically getting off the uni, one can "invest" in
long-term sustainability.


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deadlydes wrote:
> *tomblack:
> surely you actually stopping* for a rest will lower your average
> speed more than if you slow down and stand up out of the seat for a
> while? i dont think you should take your average speed just from
> riding time it should be from the total time out! it almost gives you
> a false sense of being fast.
>

Yeah, mathmatically you're no doubt correct, but I'll stick with how my
mind works. Some people like yams for comfort food, some potatos.


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U-Turn wrote:
> *I end up doing about 5 revs standing per mile...*

I do this very thing. I don't have handles. I utilize the "massage".

First, I ride and ride. After about 6 or 7 miles things could be getting
uncomfortable so I slow down and stand up for about 5 revs. Ride 1/2
mile or so. Stand for 5 revs. Ride some more. Eventually I need to hop
off and walk around anyway. Helps to let the leg muscles do something
else for a bit.

I know I'll never do it until uncomfort forces the issue, but it occurs
to me that we could stave off the onset of this condition by "doing
about 5 revs standing per mile" beginning at the end of the very first
mile. Maybe this would mean less frequent standing breaks at the end of
the ride.


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I just get off and walk for a few minutes.

Not only does it instantly take all the weight off your seat, but it
allows you to stretch out your legs (and get to the muscles that are not
involved so much in distance unicycling)

The added energy and power I feel as soon as I remount would easily
catch up to where I had been if I had just stood and pedaled for a
while.

I'm a big fan of a 1 or 2 minute walk break each hour (or half hour as
the ride progresses)

My longest ride has been 6.5 hours, 85KM (and 85km the day before)


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I use the slow down, stand up technique on distance rides with large
groups where it is not clear who wants to stop and when. Tom Jackson and
I have frequently slowed down and bobbed up and down for some tens of
seconds when we ride the Iron Horse Trail with a group. Sometimes we
stop and, when Tom Blackwood is in the head, spin his wheel up to 25mph
so he is more satisfied with both his average and top speeds for the
ride.


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harper wrote:
> *Sometimes we stop and, when Tom Blackwood is in the head, spin his
> wheel up to 25mph so he is more satisfied with both his average and
> top speeds for the ride. *
Remember to spin it backwards to give him more riding time during the
1,000,000 mile warranty. :rolleyes:


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Walking is for me not only the best way to rest the crotch but also a
way to rejuvenate the whole body. After 50 metres of mindful walking I
am ready to swing myself into the saddle again. Walking is a remedy and
a prophylactic for all kind of ailments. To take a walk once in a while
actually adds quality to the uniriding I think. Besides, the GB-handles
give me a perfect grip to walk with the Coker in front of me.


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On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:32:23 -0500, "Catboy" wrote:

>Whats next, massaging saddles? Every man will want one!

Not to mention women :)

Glad to see that I'm not the only one doing this, although there are
apparently protagonists and antigonists (as always).

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
I ride like a princess. - john_childs
 
Yesterday, 3 MUC Cokerists took a very nice 20 mile ride thru the
country side. We used the regular bobbling massage technique and report
it is very effective.

We would tend to forget to do it, so I set my Ironman Triathlon watch to
beep every 3 minutes. Early in the ride we'd do every other beep cycle.
Later in the ride (miles 12+) we were slowing and bobbing on each 3.

I had to laugh several times when our peloton stood and bobbled in
unison for 10 or so seconds, then settled in and raced off again.

Funny looking as a group, but 100% effective against numbness. Prolongs
the onset of soreness too.


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U-Turn wrote:
> *In addition, your crotch has some time to evaporate and cool down. *


Egad! Or possibly, gadzooks! You rode so far and so fast that your
crotch evaporated?:eek:

The problem of resting is a psychological one. Those of us who like to
do long rides are probably all driven by the same demons and feel that
every dismount is a sign of weakness. Perhaps not, but I know I need to
discipline myself to stop and rest, otherwise I push on for "just
another mile", and end up suffering.

A five minute rest every few miles is good for morale, good for the legs
and crotch, and can even give you an opportunity to enjoy the scenery,
rather than riding for riding's sake.

On a long ride, I find the following help:
Padded shorts
Padded "longs"over the shorts.
Sit carefully, and position everything comfortably.
Keep up a pedalling rhythm.
Set goals (I''ll ride until the bridge, or for 20 minutes, or
whatever.)
Occasionally stand up to pedal for a few rotations.
Shift my weight about - lean on the handle for a while.
Change my posture - sit up straighter for a bit.
Grit my teeth.

A rest in good time does more good than a rest that's too late.


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Righto,

I used to ride in these really thin 3/4 pants, wearing only my
boxershorts under em, and I had saddle pain after like 20-30 mins. I now
wear boxer shorts, cycling shorts and a thicker 3/4 pants (it's summer
eh? not like you notice anything of it, raining all the time) I hardly
ever have saddle pain now... and nothing a 1 min break can't fix.

Don't be afraid to dismount, it's perfectly sane, take a drink, walk
around a bit and go on, that way you last longer and it's actually
better for your legs.

Oh, and Klaas, you might want to look at this:

http://tinyurl.com/8rn3l

I've heard it's 'okay', I imagine you're using a normal KH saddle now,
they're alright for muni/trials, but not really for long hours in the
saddle.

And what inch size is that dikke dame of yours? Diameter that is...
(Going to buy a 36" myself, just interested in my fellow dutchmen :p)


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This is my worst problem with distance unicycling. One problem, even
with the nice leather air seat, is that the air still gets stuck in one
place and presses there.

Here's my wish: Any hospital workers/visitors/bedridden patients out
there will realize that pressure sores are rare these days. It's
because they have air mattresses which have sections. The sections
inflate and deflate at variable periods. Because of this, even if the
patient does not change position, the pressure from the mattress moves
to another location. I'd like one on my seat that moved from left to
right, or across the diagonals of the seat: Inflate the right front and
left rear, then switch.


Is this the next upgrade for the air seat....

Billy


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This is my worst problem with distance unicycling. One problem, even
with the nice leather air seat, is that the air still gets stuck in one
place and presses there.

Here's my wish: Any hospital workers/visitors/bedridden patients out
there will realize that pressure sores are rare these days. It's
because they have air mattresses which have sections. The sections
inflate and deflate at variable periods. Because of this, even if the
patient does not change position, the pressure from the mattress moves
to another location. I'd like one on my seat that moved from left to
right, or across the diagonals of the seat: Inflate the right front and
left rear, then switch.


Is this the next upgrade for the air seat....

Billy


--
BillyTheMountain

Team YAMS member
I wish that I was born a thousand years ago
I wish that I'd sail the darkened seas on a great big clipper ship
Going from this land here to that in a sailor's suit and cap

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