Calling all gentlemen

I AM WORRIED- I’m new to unicycling, and so know little about the possible adverse physical side effects of the sport. This is a serious question.
Has any reader heard of or experienced any kind of genital/undercarriage pain/ permenant damage as a result of unicycling.
I hate to scare u by asking this, but is it not possible that it could cause impotence? Bicycle riders have long been warned of the hazards of setting their seat up incorrectly to avoid putting pressure on veins etc that could lead to lowered sperm counts or penile numbness.
So, i was thinking, doesn’t a unicycle put even more pressure on delicate areas?
Any medical advice or peoples acounts of such trouble would be useful, as i am concerned that this new found sport of mine could be more damaging than at first it seems. Do unicyclists tend to have families? ARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH
Thanx

well…

the only undercarrige problems ive had have been when ive tried a kick up mount with the seat to high and hit my self in the wrong place.

when riding a uni your mostly sitting on your pubic bone, not your genitals, so as long as your carefull you shouldnt have any probs!

James

Get an air seat! NOW. Why are you still reading this? Go… come on… go and get one. Also, I always wear gel bike shorts when I ride.
-David Kaplan

A lot of cyclist get cancer from sitting for long periods of time… something that doesnt happen much unless you’re making 60 mile trips on a Coker.

not so far, never wear boxers, umm, what does John Foss have to say? Also i appears to me that there are more male riders than female riders so that has to say something about it, or that we’re just stupid.

Tim

I worship Jesus

i wear boxer’s

i certainly would not wear briefs

i have 2 kids already, any lower sperm count would be fine by me.

Anyone who has been reading RSU with in the last 6 months should remember the thread back in June or jUly that was on how to avoid smashing your junk. Try a search if you really want a hoot.

However, it did offer one suggestion

go to http://www.internationaljock.com/suspensories.html

This website sells suspensory jockstraps, in that they hold up the stuff so they won’t get smushed. They are made for medical uses following operations or for whatever. Some of the responses to the above mentioned thread praised it highly.

I had the same concern you had regarding that nerve that lies underneath the groin. It’s the same one that gives you numb crotch.

I almost purchased one of the suspensories, but never got around to it. As time went on, experience allowed me to settle into the seat and adjust as I sat down. Hot days are still a pain, but I now have more control. I have been riding for almost 7 months and have done very few long rides. When I did, my butt hurt me more than any notice of numb crotch.

If you are starting out, you will spend more time off the Uni than on it and if your learning tricks, then I wouldn’t worry about it. You won’t be in contact with the saddle long enough.

However, if you plan on doing long rides then, this may become an issue. Everyone touts the airseat. The suspensories are cheaper, but it won’t stop your butt from hurting irregardless if you keep the sack up off the saddle.

Ride a while and see where your skills take you and then get an air seat. It will work best if you get into Muni or rides of 20 minutes or longer.

Work the maze.

I will venture out into unexplored territory and use the term “numb penis” to avoid any vagueness. Using cute terms often doesn’t address a question directly or completely but they are much more entertaining.

As Rod says, you have to stay in the saddle for a long time to get a numb penis which is, to say the least, a disturbing sensation. There is a 3 mile ride that I used to take without learning new skills or hopping curbs and I often became the victim of penis numbness. If I take the same ride and hop curbs or practice one-foot riding, I am off of the saddle for a substantial fraction of the total time and do not fall victim to the malady.

I would think that penis numbness in and of itself would not be so much a concern as pressure on the prostate which may actually have some medical repercussions, although I don’t know. The airseat should alleviate this threat.

I have tried both suspensories (two varieties, no less) and briefs made
for athletic endeavors. Let me say that the former were quite a pain, esp
when your ‘caveman’ slips back into the cave and has to be fished
out…generally not a problem with briefs. Since I usu wear bike shorts
(padded, tight), there is little need for any other support, so I usu go
with any old underwear I can grab, including boxers.

But don’t ever try to freemount a giraffe when you are wearing boxers –
what a mistake that was!

forum.member@unicyclist.com writes:
>Anyone who has been reading RSU with in the last 6 months should remember
>the thread back in June or jUly that was on how to avoid smashing your
>junk. Try a search if you really want a hoot.
>
>However, it did offer one suggestion
>
>go to http://www.internationaljock.com/suspensories.html
>
>This website sells suspensory jockstraps, in that they hold up the stuff
>so they won’t get smushed. They are made for medical uses following
>operations or for whatever. Some of the responses to the above mentioned
>thread praised it highly.
>
>I had the same concern you had regarding that nerve that lies underneath
>the groin. It’s the same one that gives you numb crotch.
>
>I almost purchased one of the suspensories, but never got around to
>it. As time went on, experience allowed me to settle into the seat and
> adjust as I sat down. Hot days are still a pain, but I now have more
> control. I have been riding for almost 7 months and have done very
> few long rides. When I did, my butt hurt me more than any notice of
> numb crotch.
>
>If you are starting out, you will spend more time off the Uni than on it
>and if your learning tricks, then I wouldn’t worry about it. You won’t be
>in contact with the saddle long enough.
>
>However, if you plan on doing long rides then, this may become an
>issue. Everyone touts the airseat. The suspensories are cheaper, but it
>won’t stop your butt from hurting irregardless if you keep the sack up
>off the saddle.
<snip>
>
>–
>teachndad

David Stone Co-founder, Unatics of NY

forum.member@unicyclist.com writes:
>I will venture out into unexplored territory and use the term "numb
>penis" to avoid any vagueness. Using cute terms often doesn’t address a
>question directly or completely but they are much more entertaining.
This post is pretty entertaining, actually.
>
>As Rod says, you have to stay in the saddle for a long time to get a numb
>penis which is, to say the least, a disturbing sensation. There is a 3
>mile ride that I used to take without learning new skills or hopping
>curbs and I often became the victim of penis numbness. If I take the same
>ride and hop curbs or practice one-foot riding, I am off of the saddle
>for a substantial fraction of the total time and do not fall victim to
>the malady.
OK, let me just guess that if you suffer from numb penis, or ‘sleeping
Thomas,’ then there is possibly sth wrong with your seat angle or the way
you are sitting (do not tuck Thomas under). Then again, it could also just
be an anatomical (anaThomical) difference in sth as simple as a major vein
being in a slightly different place in different gentlemen.

In my case, the only time I encounter any crotch problems is when
something finds itself in a tucked under position (by accident). When I
get set for a long ride, I always encourage my privates (and the sergeant)
to move into a forward position where no one is being sat upon. Since they
don’t often cooperate on their own, I give them a hand in this matter.
Then I typically ride for an hour straight on my Coker with no problems. I
rode over 6 hours one day with little difficulty.
>
>
>I would think that penis numbness in and of itself would not be so much
>a concern as pressure on the prostate which may actually have some
>medical repercussions, although I don’t know. The airseat should
>alleviate this threat.
This is a serious matter, and I can tell you that one of the members of my
uni club DID NOT shift himself into the correct position and ended up
having to see a urologist and found that he had a nasty cyst which
precluded any uni for several months!
>

Ride on! (but not ON your privates).

David Stone Co-founder, Unatics of NY

I always shift the penis into the upright position, a more unusual position for it at age 49, and I wear briefs or cycling shorts to hold that position. I have not tried support jocks. Some time ago I tilted all of my saddles forward as far as they would go as per recommendations by Kris Holm and others, which I thought counter-intuitive. What with the saddle shifting and the airseat and the practicing of skills, who knows what made this problem go away. I have not tried to reproduce it out of scientific interest.

> question. Has any reader heard of or experienced any kind of
> genital/undercarriage pain/ permenant damage as a result of unicycling.

Nothing permanent. In my early days, doing long rides on hard old Schwinn
seats, I would sometimes get numb as well as sore. This was before I
discovered cycling shorts, and new foam/better seats.

> I hate to scare u by asking this, but is it not possible that it could
> cause impotence? Bicycle riders have long been warned of the hazards of
> setting their seat up incorrectly to avoid putting pressure on veins etc

The impotence problem among cyclists is a problem for a small percentage
of hardcore roadies. I don’t think it becomes an issue unless you put in
at least 10+ hours a week of solid saddle time. This means straight-ahead
riding, not practicing tricks, getting on and off, riding trails (where
you stand up a lot), etc.

Also I believe this problem is less of an issue for unicyclists because
unicycle seats tend to be wider, and perhaps a little flatter across the
top. Road bike seats are very narrow, and tend to be rounder in the cross
section, which can put more pressure along your centerline.

If you are concerned about this problem on a unicycle, your best bet is
an air seat. This is where you replace the saddle foam with an innertube,
and run just enough pressure in it to keep you from bottoming out on your
seat base. If you do this, you generally have two sections of tube
running through the “danger zone” of your seat, with a gap in between.
There is more pressure on the sit bones where you want it, and somewhat
less in the center.

> Do unicyclists tend to have families? ARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH Thanx

I’ve never heard of someone’s plumbing being damaged by unicycling.
However I have heard of bad seats. A comfortable seat is a very personal
choice, but if your seat has metal bumpers, it’s one of a type that only a
handful of people I’ve ever heard of find comfortable.

DISCLAIMER: I’m just a rider who has been around other unicyclists for 22
years, not a doctor. There have been no scientific studies on this. I’m
aware of magazine articles about this problem in the bicycling world, but
I’m not aware of any studies there either.

Shop for seats at unicycle.com (or the Unicycle Factory: 765-452-2692)

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com

“455 newsgroup messages in a year is only 1.24 per day…” - John Foss,
trying to explain to his wife

If you’re desperate to snatch up a Miyata seat and convert it to a an air, then you can get the seat from the Unicycle Factory and the rest from unicycle.com (who’s out of stock of Miyata seats for just a bit longer)

Personal answers to all of your personal questions:

Genital pain - only at the moment when genitals are squeezed, in which
case I reposition them. With experience, I apparently freemount more
effectively, or the genitals themselves have learned how to behave.

Permanent damage - not that I know of.

Impotence - maybe while riding, I don’t aspire level 11 yet. Afterwards,
business as usual.

Lower sperm count - I may need glasses but I can’t see them. Seriously, I
don’t think so but my family is complete anyway.

Penile numbness - yes on longer rides, also penile smallness. Both effects
have fully recovered on all occasions, thank God.

Klaas Bil

On Tue, 15 Jan 2002 01:35:08 +0000 (UTC), Ando
<forum.member@unicyclist.com> wrote:

>I AM WORRIED- I’m new to unicycling, and so know little about the
>possible adverse physical side effects of the sport. This is a serious
>question. Has any reader heard of or experienced any kind of
>genital/undercarriage pain/ permenant damage as a result of unicycling. I
>hate to scare u by asking this, but is it not possible that it could
>cause impotence? Bicycle riders have long been warned of the hazards of
>setting their seat up incorrectly to avoid putting pressure on veins etc
>that could lead to lowered sperm counts or penile numbness. So, i was
>thinking, doesn’t a unicycle put even more pressure on delicate areas?
>Any medical advice or peoples acounts of such trouble would be useful, as
>i am concerned that this new found sport of mine could be more damaging
>than at first it seems. Do unicyclists tend to have families?
>ARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH Thanx
>
>
>
>
>–
>Ando Posted via the Unicyclist Community - http://unicyclist.com/forums


“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked
automagically from a database:” “veggie, LEETAC, ATF”

what if you want to order an air seat and they are all out of stock where can I get one?
-JonnyW-

Try re-reading this thread…
“Shop for seats at unicycle.com (or the Unicycle Factory: 765-452-2692)”

Yes- make sure to uh… rearrange yourself when you sit down. Looks foolish, but you will be thankful when you hit a bump.

This is great! I have been muni-ing for two years now in a near complete vacuum. Had not idea there were so many of you out there!

Now on the topic of reproductive health…

I had a bit of a scare a couple weeks ago. I had been riding a little more than usual, say about 7 times in about 10 days, about an hour each ride, 95% of that saddle time, off road. After the last ride, I for the first time understood what people meant by penile numbness (I have mountain biked for years and heard of it in that context). I literally felt like my penis had been disconnected from my body, or unwired or something. No feeling whatsoever. This persisted for about 3 days and as you males can imagine it was quite scary. For reference, I’m 29, was wearing bike shorts underneath overshorts, on a comfy (but non-air) saddle, with the nose tipped up as much as possible without a wilder bracket or washers. I promptly did about as much web research as I could on the topic of ‘erectile dysfunction.’

Here’s what I found. I’m not a doctor or anything…these or only my humble opinions based on reading stuff on the web for a few hours.

First, some people are more predisposed to encounter this than others. Some of you are lucky! So I imagine hearing that someone else has had no trouble, even with a steel-plated seat, doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t need to be aware of this.

Second, in my opinion, I would bet that unicyclists are at as least as much risk for erectile dysfunction as cyclists. Apparently there was one study in 1976 which specifically reported a unicyclist suffering permanent damage (couldn’t find it though, anyone else heard of it?). Yes, there is not a hard nose to our seats as with a bike, and we do not tend to spend several hours in the saddle at once, which both work to our advantage. But there are other disadvantages. We cannot reposition our weight as easily (more or less one way to sit on the seat for a given adjustment). Bike seats have a wider rear end which allow you to sit on your ‘sit bones’ while cruising, whereas a unicycle seat is pressing up against your perineal area (where the relevant arteries and nerves are located) all the time you are sitting on the seat. Unicyclists might also tend to have a greater percentage of body weight on the seat. In addition, many people who suffered permanent damage had also suffered a noteworthy fall onto a hard object such as a bicycle top tube, even if much earlier in life. From my experience I get more hard hits while muni-ing than I do mountain biking.

Third, some things you can do to minimize your risk (somewhat obvious, but good to confirm your intuition…). Get off the saddle once in a while. Get a more ergonomic seat. Try to shift your weight around regularly while riding. Try to adjust your seat to minimize pressure on your perineal area. Avoid hard impacts. If you notice penile numbness while riding, stop riding immediately.

I don’t mean to stir up any controversy, and I hope I’m not presenting anything new. But I admit that I thought about this issue in an entirely different light after I had experienced this awful sensation for several days, wondering if it would get better! So my objective is to encourage people to get over any social graces and get more comfortable talking about this issue. Someone suggested being specific, which I think would help as well (although I do appreciate lots of new pub terminology from previous posts).

At the least, if this awareness saves one person’s reproductive health, it’s worth bringing it up. And perhaps if those who are lucky enough to have this problem speak up, we will all have more comfortable seats someday. I read a thread from John Foss who suggested that unicycle seats aren’t even designed by unicyclists! (until the KH velo, which is a great step in the right direction!).

Needless to say I am awaiting an air saddle via 2-day air, which I thank you all for recommending! I’ll write back with a report at some point since I’m now proven to be one of the lucky ones.

Steve

we have too many people on this planet
we are running out of food, air and water at an alarming rate
i thought we’d welcome something that could lower the birth rate?!?

well, all i can say is that i’ve felt this horrible sensation. but… i was on a torker crap seat, and after about 3-ish miles i could feel it. then i got a kris holm seat. which made it stay away COMPLETELY for 5 miles, not even a trace of it. so, all i could say is that get a good seat, that is the key to a happy life, for you and your family.

spokelerlarue