Numbness in the front! (embarrassing)

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by neilkod
I've been actively mountain biking and riding (500 miles over the last 3 months) plus 2 spinning classes a week, and I have this terrible problem with...uhh...parts becoming numb.

I wear LG and Pearl Izumi shorts with boxer briefs. Is there a 'preferred' underpants that one should wear while cycling?

I have to stop periodically and 'correct myself' which is sometimes terribly embarrassing!!

Has anyone experienced similar numbness or other situations?

Stop wearing the underpants/boxers or whatever it is.
Bikeshorts are meant to be worn with nothing underneath and this may be the source of your problem.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Sidi
Bikeshorts are meant to be worn with nothing underneath and this may be the source of your problem.

Is this true? I never knew that!!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by neilkod
Is this true? I never knew that!!

If i got into a wreck and rip my shorts i might be riding home naked. I wear nothing but the shorts.
Yes, get rid of the underwear and i am sure if this is the source of your discomfort you will feel it no more.
Get some bibs/shorts

Yes, Sidi is right... NO underpants - applies to gals or guys...

Another probable cause of the numbness could be your saddle and the tilt. My hubby experienced numbness until he adjusted the tilt of his saddle...

Yes, and make sure the shorts are good and snug, not loose fitting, or "Mr. Johnson" will just go into a daze...WHEW! thought I was the only one who ever experienced this!!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by neilkod
I've been actively mountain biking and riding (500 miles over the last 3 months) plus 2 spinning classes a week, and I have this terrible problem with...uhh...parts becoming numb.

I wear LG and Pearl Izumi shorts with boxer briefs. Is there a 'preferred' underpants that one should wear while cycling?

I have to stop periodically and 'correct myself' which is sometimes terribly embarrassing!!

Has anyone experienced similar numbness or other situations?

the numbness is caused by the saddle cutting off the circulation - underneath your equipment!!!! (think of supply line to equipment)
Lose the boxer shorts, then look at the tilt on your saddle...you may need to tilt the nose of the saddle down abit....if it continues....you may need a new saddle, one that is not as narrow or hard edged) if you get the problem again, try sitting across the saddle slightly and you will notice things improve....scared the life out of me the first time it happened!!!!

Hi there

Could not agree more lose the underware. But go with Sidi's idea of the bibs/shorts.
But for the ladies out there do carry a spare set of panties or similar. As Sidi said if you crash could be riding home butt naked as I nearly had to once. It's amazing how one can make your top into a pair of make shift shorts LOL

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by pekingese
Yes, Sidi is right... NO underpants - applies to gals or guys...

I appreciate all of the advice and especially all of the anecdotes! I rode sans underpants this morning and noticed the difference!

Would a better pair of shorts help? Has anyone noticed big differences in the bike shorts with the gel inserts verses a standard chamois? Is thicker better - or just thicker?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricktoon
Would a better pair of shorts help? Has anyone noticed big differences in the bike shorts with the gel inserts verses a standard chamois? Is thicker better - or just thicker?

I haven't tried any with gel inserts. However, the opinion of my not-very-cycling-hardened bum is that thicker is just thicker.

I've never had numbness, but my butt starts feeling very bruised after a few hours (actually was very bruised after my first few 2+ hour rides; and yes, I looked :p). I've got shorts in 5 different styles from 4 different manufacturers, and the 2 with the thickest chamois are actually noticeably worse in the feeling-bruised department.

It is definately the tilt of the saddle. I have this problem every time i try out a new saddle and am in the process of adjusting it. Usually i take an allen wrench with me and adjust it, ever so slightly on the road. Try tilting the front of the saddle down by just a degree, ride it about 10 miles or so. if the problem is still there, tilt it down one more degree, until it goes away. Its really very simple.

Re: Numbness
I am a newcomer to this forum, and I haven't cycled seriously in a while. But when I was doing serious riding we were always told, (I think in the Lemond book) to tilt the saddle nose up rather than down to alleviate numbness. Although it might seem wrong, it tips the pelvis back so you ride more on the hip bones. I have ridden on an old saddle hundreds of kilo's and had no numbness, with a saddle level or just slightly up at the front, hope this helps.

Just a couple of points:

Get the BEST shorts/bib shorts you can possibly bear to spend the money on (I like Castelli's bib shorts, but others have also sworn by Assos shorts). The cost will seem prohibitive at first, but the difference in quality not only makes them much more comfortable, they also last longer so need to be replaced less frequently (just make sure you don't throw them into the dryer after washing).

Rutamike is right about the saddle tilt - it should be just ever so slightly tilted upward in front. You may find after experimenting that a different position works better for you, but at least start out in that position.

I've also found some of the cut-out saddles help by relieving pressure in the center. Saddles, of course, are a very personal thing, but I've found the SLR Trans-Am to have just the right amount of padding around the cut-out to be comfortable without being too cushy (which allows the 'edge' of the cut-out to cause pressure, thus defeating the purpose).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by neilkod
I've been actively mountain biking and riding (500 miles over the last 3 months) plus 2 spinning classes a week, and I have this terrible problem with...uhh...parts becoming numb.

I wear LG and Pearl Izumi shorts with boxer briefs. Is there a 'preferred' underpants that one should wear while cycling?

I have to stop periodically and 'correct myself' which is sometimes terribly embarrassing!!

Has anyone experienced similar numbness or other situations?

I had the same problem and got myself one of those "cutout" saddles. Problem solved !

Leon

Nashbar and performance sell underpants designed for biking if you insist, but they are really just cycling shorts with shorter legs.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by neilkod
I've been actively mountain biking and riding (500 miles over the last 3 months) plus 2 spinning classes a week, and I have this terrible problem with...uhh...parts becoming numb.

I wear LG and Pearl Izumi shorts with boxer briefs. Is there a 'preferred' underpants that one should wear while cycling?

I have to stop periodically and 'correct myself' which is sometimes terribly embarrassing!!

Has anyone experienced similar numbness or other situations?

From the sounds of things I believe the problem is more - loose fitting nicks allowing too much movement and rubbing of loose appendages. I suffered from this when I lost weight and my nicks no longer secured my package firmly. Very embarrasing riding along trying to readjust yourself.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by davehenri
It is definately the tilt of the saddle. I have this problem every time i try out a new saddle and am in the process of adjusting it. Usually i take an allen wrench with me and adjust it, ever so slightly on the road. Try tilting the front of the saddle down by just a degree, ride it about 10 miles or so. if the problem is still there, tilt it down one more degree, until it goes away. Its really very simple.

It may not be the 'tilt" of the saddle OR the boxer shorts (though I'd leave the boxers at home and check the tilt). What's happening is your saddle is putting pressure on a vein that supplies (what else) blood flow to your nether regions.

This can be due to a number of issues including but not limited to: overall bike fit, riding style (sliding too far aft on the horn), poor fore or aft saddle position, saddle too soft (believe it or not), or the saddle being too wide or narrow and not properly supporting the bones of the pelvis which would otherwise rest on the saddle and prevent the horn from creating too much pressure on the soft tissues in question.

If your numbness persists you need to check all of these things and make adjustments. Visit a shop with a qualified fitter. Additionally as you likely know there are saddles with Vform cutouts these days that have a channel that runs the length of the saddle designed to relieve some of the pressure on the key area. These too must properly support your pelvic bones however and should not be considered as replacement for improper fit.

Prometheus

Try adjusting your saddle(tilt and height). As far as the spinning class goes try relieving the pressure every few minutes by getting up out of the saddle. Now for the underwear issue....1) It can perpetuate into saddle sores....this can be a bad thing. Try using a pear of cycling shorts with padding(i.e. pearlizumi attacks) A good pair of cycling shorts could also possibly help with the numbness issue. Good luck

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by neilkod
I've been actively mountain biking and riding (500 miles over the last 3 months) plus 2 spinning classes a week, and I have this terrible problem with...uhh...parts becoming numb.

Has anyone experienced similar numbness or other situations?

In my case the problem occurred when I switched to a well-padded road saddle. Very comfy for a while, then it caused numbness all the way down my legs even. Switched back to my old slimmer saddle and the problem disappeared. That one is equally uncomfortable throughout the ride and doesn't cause any numbness at all.