Perineal Injury & recovery - any experiences / thoughts?
Discussion
For the first time in 3 or 4 years of very regular riding this knocked me for six just after Christmas - To set the scene I probably made matters worse by not acknowledging the problem sooner, but combined with a few saddle issues and other 'mechanicals' I carried on riding before seeing the doctor.
Cycling has become a major part of my life, I'm sure I'm not alone in saying it keeps me fit in mind, body and soul. The thought of possibly not being able to enjoy it as frequently in future is a bleak thought right now.
I ride most MTB - cross country / trails, twice a week - usually 60 miles on a good week.
Where things possibly started:
Just after christmas I noticed I had snapped a saddle rail on the left hand side. I could'nt say exactly when it happened during the ride and I wouldn’t say it caused any immediate pain or discomfort, this was just the standard 'Scape' saddle supplied with the bike - nothing special, but it did the job with no issues for 3000+ miles. So I bought a new saddle straight away to get me back out that weekend - a really nice, light, leather Crank Bros. one that’s currently on clearance offer from Chain Reaction: Bargain http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/crank-brothers-...
Doesn’t look like anyone has a bad word to say about it. (its pretty much the same profile as my old one - just lighter)
In my haste I fitted the saddle and went straight out with friends, I even commented that it felt so good I couldn’t feel the saddle under me. On reflection, this was because everything downstairs had gone numb! (however we were riding at about freezing point so I couldn’t feel a vast amount anywhere else either)
The next few days I spent with a numb sensation / tingling but no real pain, I did a longer cross country stint and realised things were not quite as they should be, in the following days I was sat with a bottle of hot water between my legs and decided a trip to my GP was in order. My main concern at this point was possible problems with the family jewels...
After a good examination the Dr. wasn’t too worried but he sent me off for a Ultrasound just for complete peace of mind, thankfully everything was clear, god love the NHS, but my GP didn’t mention perineal damage at all even though I told him about how regularly I ride - he just assured me the numb / tingling sensation was probably due to cycling and the 'all clear' on anything else of a more sinister nature seemed to wrap the whole thing up for him.
Moving things forward 6 weeks (that’s how long the wait for the scan was due to it not being urgent) I had not been on the bike at all. The numbness / tingling faded away - other strange sensations came and went, but hot baths, ‘going commando’ and taking it easy just seemed to be the best medicine.
Back to the bike.
During the 6 weeks rest I gave the bike a good bit of TLC and I started to pay a bit more attention to the newly fitted saddle, when I put my leg back over it again (now the numbness had gone - and replaced with an ache on the left hand side, coincidently (the same side my old saddle rail snapped?) I instantly felt a pain in that area as I made contact with the saddle. On closer inspection the nose was higher than it should have been.
With the saddle re-adjusted I did a mild 15 miles yesterday and everything was great - I was over the moon to be back out.
However, 24 hours later I'm sat at my desk and the mild ache / slight numbness seems to be back (albeit no where near as bad as 6 weeks ago).
You'll have to excuse my rambling, I'm just wondering where things might go from here and if anyone has been through the same issue:
I've fished the old snapped saddle out of the bin and re-fitted just to see how different it felt to the replacement Crank Bros. The latter being a lot harder on the nose and the rear areas, but very similar profile – not noticeably wider.
I'm assuming the NHS won't be too fussed if symptoms persist as its only my hobby that might suffer and my health is fine.
Do I just carry on taking it easy but with the new saddle fitted (nose pointing downwards for minimal contact with the perineum)
Or is a complete recovery likely - just give it time? - If it was a pain in backside (literally) I'd be more than willing to Man-up and ride through it with the knowledge that your body will adapt etc. But from what I've heard - any discomfort in any area other than you butt-cheeks should be carefully addressed and won't improve if you try to ride-on-through. Also, having just suffered 6 weeks of pain in the balls – I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
I did think of maybe fitting a new version of the standard Scape saddle that I originally had just to see the effect.
Cycling has become a major part of my life, I'm sure I'm not alone in saying it keeps me fit in mind, body and soul. The thought of possibly not being able to enjoy it as frequently in future is a bleak thought right now.
I ride most MTB - cross country / trails, twice a week - usually 60 miles on a good week.
Where things possibly started:
Just after christmas I noticed I had snapped a saddle rail on the left hand side. I could'nt say exactly when it happened during the ride and I wouldn’t say it caused any immediate pain or discomfort, this was just the standard 'Scape' saddle supplied with the bike - nothing special, but it did the job with no issues for 3000+ miles. So I bought a new saddle straight away to get me back out that weekend - a really nice, light, leather Crank Bros. one that’s currently on clearance offer from Chain Reaction: Bargain http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/crank-brothers-...
Doesn’t look like anyone has a bad word to say about it. (its pretty much the same profile as my old one - just lighter)
In my haste I fitted the saddle and went straight out with friends, I even commented that it felt so good I couldn’t feel the saddle under me. On reflection, this was because everything downstairs had gone numb! (however we were riding at about freezing point so I couldn’t feel a vast amount anywhere else either)
The next few days I spent with a numb sensation / tingling but no real pain, I did a longer cross country stint and realised things were not quite as they should be, in the following days I was sat with a bottle of hot water between my legs and decided a trip to my GP was in order. My main concern at this point was possible problems with the family jewels...
After a good examination the Dr. wasn’t too worried but he sent me off for a Ultrasound just for complete peace of mind, thankfully everything was clear, god love the NHS, but my GP didn’t mention perineal damage at all even though I told him about how regularly I ride - he just assured me the numb / tingling sensation was probably due to cycling and the 'all clear' on anything else of a more sinister nature seemed to wrap the whole thing up for him.
Moving things forward 6 weeks (that’s how long the wait for the scan was due to it not being urgent) I had not been on the bike at all. The numbness / tingling faded away - other strange sensations came and went, but hot baths, ‘going commando’ and taking it easy just seemed to be the best medicine.
Back to the bike.
During the 6 weeks rest I gave the bike a good bit of TLC and I started to pay a bit more attention to the newly fitted saddle, when I put my leg back over it again (now the numbness had gone - and replaced with an ache on the left hand side, coincidently (the same side my old saddle rail snapped?) I instantly felt a pain in that area as I made contact with the saddle. On closer inspection the nose was higher than it should have been.
With the saddle re-adjusted I did a mild 15 miles yesterday and everything was great - I was over the moon to be back out.
However, 24 hours later I'm sat at my desk and the mild ache / slight numbness seems to be back (albeit no where near as bad as 6 weeks ago).
You'll have to excuse my rambling, I'm just wondering where things might go from here and if anyone has been through the same issue:
I've fished the old snapped saddle out of the bin and re-fitted just to see how different it felt to the replacement Crank Bros. The latter being a lot harder on the nose and the rear areas, but very similar profile – not noticeably wider.
I'm assuming the NHS won't be too fussed if symptoms persist as its only my hobby that might suffer and my health is fine.
Do I just carry on taking it easy but with the new saddle fitted (nose pointing downwards for minimal contact with the perineum)
Or is a complete recovery likely - just give it time? - If it was a pain in backside (literally) I'd be more than willing to Man-up and ride through it with the knowledge that your body will adapt etc. But from what I've heard - any discomfort in any area other than you butt-cheeks should be carefully addressed and won't improve if you try to ride-on-through. Also, having just suffered 6 weeks of pain in the balls – I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
I did think of maybe fitting a new version of the standard Scape saddle that I originally had just to see the effect.
"It could be anything" disclaimer out of the way...
If you're piling your body weight onto your barse, then your weight is not being distributed across the saddle correctly: it could be shape of the saddle (too high in the middle, too wide, too narrow, wrong shape etc, etc) or it could be your riding position (are you sitting "forwards" thanks to too long a reach). Or it could be a combination.
Whilst not as severe as yourself (a few day off the bike for me), I too was having problems. As weird as it feels to be talking about ones gooch with strangers on the net, having numb 'n' aching undercarriage was even weirder. And considerably more painful. Turns out it was both the saddle on the TT bike (flat, blunt thing that concentrated all your bodyweight, when in the TT position, right on the nose of it) and the riding position on my too-long-for-me road bike (pulled me forwards, which took the weight off my arse/sit bones and placed it firmly where it shouldn't have been). The road bike had a "cutout" saddle too (Selle Italia SLR).
For the TT bike I switched to an ISM Adamo Time Trial saddle. And it's bloody marvellous. If slightly sinister looking. Like something you'd get from the "specialist" section of Lovehoney.com or Anne Summers. God, that took some explaining when I opened the CRC box at work.
Whilst's it impossible to tell from a mere picture, that Crank Brothers saddle does look, well...rubbish. Being Crank Brothers too, you know it's going to be rubbish, as everything else they do is, so I assume their saddles are just as terrible.
For the road bike, there was nothing I could do beyond change frames/bikes, But hey-ho, you live 'n' learn. Going for a bike with a shorter/correct reach stopped me reaching too far forwards, and pulling myself forwards on the saddle unconsciously.
If you're piling your body weight onto your barse, then your weight is not being distributed across the saddle correctly: it could be shape of the saddle (too high in the middle, too wide, too narrow, wrong shape etc, etc) or it could be your riding position (are you sitting "forwards" thanks to too long a reach). Or it could be a combination.
Whilst not as severe as yourself (a few day off the bike for me), I too was having problems. As weird as it feels to be talking about ones gooch with strangers on the net, having numb 'n' aching undercarriage was even weirder. And considerably more painful. Turns out it was both the saddle on the TT bike (flat, blunt thing that concentrated all your bodyweight, when in the TT position, right on the nose of it) and the riding position on my too-long-for-me road bike (pulled me forwards, which took the weight off my arse/sit bones and placed it firmly where it shouldn't have been). The road bike had a "cutout" saddle too (Selle Italia SLR).
For the TT bike I switched to an ISM Adamo Time Trial saddle. And it's bloody marvellous. If slightly sinister looking. Like something you'd get from the "specialist" section of Lovehoney.com or Anne Summers. God, that took some explaining when I opened the CRC box at work.
Whilst's it impossible to tell from a mere picture, that Crank Brothers saddle does look, well...rubbish. Being Crank Brothers too, you know it's going to be rubbish, as everything else they do is, so I assume their saddles are just as terrible.
For the road bike, there was nothing I could do beyond change frames/bikes, But hey-ho, you live 'n' learn. Going for a bike with a shorter/correct reach stopped me reaching too far forwards, and pulling myself forwards on the saddle unconsciously.
^This is good advice.
A few years ago now I kept getting saddle sores on one side - turns out that my saddle was slightly too high so I wasn't sitting on it perfectly aligned with the centre- I was off to one side, and the sores were cropping up on the "tight" side as it were.
I'd book in with a decent bike-fit specialist and see what they say - I know that the Bike Whisperer has a big range of saddles that he can swap between during a fit session, including the Adamo range. He's also a lovely bloke and knows his onions.
A few years ago now I kept getting saddle sores on one side - turns out that my saddle was slightly too high so I wasn't sitting on it perfectly aligned with the centre- I was off to one side, and the sores were cropping up on the "tight" side as it were.
I'd book in with a decent bike-fit specialist and see what they say - I know that the Bike Whisperer has a big range of saddles that he can swap between during a fit session, including the Adamo range. He's also a lovely bloke and knows his onions.
Jimbo. said:
For the TT bike I switched to an ISM Adamo Time Trial saddle. And it's bloody marvellous. If slightly sinister looking.....
...Whilst's it impossible to tell from a mere picture, that Crank Brothers saddle does look, well...rubbish. Being Crank Brothers too, you know it's going to be rubbish, as everything else they do is, so I assume their saddles are just as terrible.
Blimey! That ISM Adamo does look like something Starwars forgot!...Whilst's it impossible to tell from a mere picture, that Crank Brothers saddle does look, well...rubbish. Being Crank Brothers too, you know it's going to be rubbish, as everything else they do is, so I assume their saddles are just as terrible.
Interesting comments on the Crank Bros. saddle I bought. I assumed due to its original price that it must be excellent - its very light and the material / finish seems great - but my friend sat on it and also commented that it was rock hard (due to my downstairs numbness I hadn't realised).
I've heard about bike fittings for road bikes - but not so much in MTB circles.
I'm due a visit to my LBS soon so I'll have word in there.
Thanks BTW for everyone that read my ramble! Probably the longest post I've made on PH - but it really was a weird sensation and something that I hope I can avoid in future.
Wow did'nt realise so many years had gone by since I first posted this.
Yes - I'm very happy to say!
I put one of these on all my mountain bikes and they have worked a treat. Its the cheapest in the range but I thought they might take a bit of a battering and I thought I'd be replacing them - only had one snap in all this time (probably 10,000 miles spread across three bikes).
The injury that caused me to post this did take a while to clear up, probably because I kept riding, so I was still getting a bit of pain and numbness for a while even with the Selle. But since then I've had more 'numb nuts'
Spend a bit of time getting the angle right, and I also take care to get the same angle on all the bikes if possible.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/selle-smp-trk-...
A few people have said it looks broken, but I think they look awesome - and anyone that rides one of my bikes comments on how comfortable it is.
60 Miles cross country - no problems downstairs.
Yes - I'm very happy to say!
I put one of these on all my mountain bikes and they have worked a treat. Its the cheapest in the range but I thought they might take a bit of a battering and I thought I'd be replacing them - only had one snap in all this time (probably 10,000 miles spread across three bikes).
The injury that caused me to post this did take a while to clear up, probably because I kept riding, so I was still getting a bit of pain and numbness for a while even with the Selle. But since then I've had more 'numb nuts'
Spend a bit of time getting the angle right, and I also take care to get the same angle on all the bikes if possible.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/selle-smp-trk-...
A few people have said it looks broken, but I think they look awesome - and anyone that rides one of my bikes comments on how comfortable it is.
60 Miles cross country - no problems downstairs.
Steamer said:
Wow did'nt realise so many years had gone by since I first posted this.
Yes - I'm very happy to say!
I put one of these on all my mountain bikes and they have worked a treat. Its the cheapest in the range but I thought they might take a bit of a battering and I thought I'd be replacing them - only had one snap in all this time (probably 10,000 miles spread across three bikes).
The injury that caused me to post this did take a while to clear up, probably because I kept riding, so I was still getting a bit of pain and numbness for a while even with the Selle. But since then I've had more 'numb nuts'
Spend a bit of time getting the angle right, and I also take care to get the same angle on all the bikes if possible.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/selle-smp-trk-...
A few people have said it looks broken, but I think they look awesome - and anyone that rides one of my bikes comments on how comfortable it is.
60 Miles cross country - no problems downstairs.
I have a feeling that Pedal Powered member E65Ross rates that saddle as the best one he's ever used. Yes - I'm very happy to say!
I put one of these on all my mountain bikes and they have worked a treat. Its the cheapest in the range but I thought they might take a bit of a battering and I thought I'd be replacing them - only had one snap in all this time (probably 10,000 miles spread across three bikes).
The injury that caused me to post this did take a while to clear up, probably because I kept riding, so I was still getting a bit of pain and numbness for a while even with the Selle. But since then I've had more 'numb nuts'
Spend a bit of time getting the angle right, and I also take care to get the same angle on all the bikes if possible.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/selle-smp-trk-...
A few people have said it looks broken, but I think they look awesome - and anyone that rides one of my bikes comments on how comfortable it is.
60 Miles cross country - no problems downstairs.
I remember a guy doing the same thing on a bike in a spin class.. stands to reason, if you are sitting on something at the wrong angle for a long period of time and cut off the circulation to vital organs, or bruise something internal.
Back when I had an issue I seem to remember I was pee'ing like a race horse - not quite sure if that was related. The main symptom was numbness downstairs - and having to sit with a bottle of warm water between my legs to ease the pain when the sensation came back.
It was a long recovery period too.
Back when I had an issue I seem to remember I was pee'ing like a race horse - not quite sure if that was related. The main symptom was numbness downstairs - and having to sit with a bottle of warm water between my legs to ease the pain when the sensation came back.
It was a long recovery period too.
BeirutTaxi said:
Steamer said:
Wow did'nt realise so many years had gone by since I first posted this.
Yes - I'm very happy to say!
I put one of these on all my mountain bikes and they have worked a treat. Its the cheapest in the range but I thought they might take a bit of a battering and I thought I'd be replacing them - only had one snap in all this time (probably 10,000 miles spread across three bikes).
The injury that caused me to post this did take a while to clear up, probably because I kept riding, so I was still getting a bit of pain and numbness for a while even with the Selle. But since then I've had more 'numb nuts'
Spend a bit of time getting the angle right, and I also take care to get the same angle on all the bikes if possible.
Selle SMP Stratos for me. Similar design but fantastic all the same (for me!).
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/selle-smp-trk-...
A few people have said it looks broken, but I think they look awesome - and anyone that rides one of my bikes comments on how comfortable it is.
60 Miles cross country - no problems downstairs.
I have a feeling that Pedal Powered member E65Ross rates that saddle as the best one he's ever used. Yes - I'm very happy to say!
I put one of these on all my mountain bikes and they have worked a treat. Its the cheapest in the range but I thought they might take a bit of a battering and I thought I'd be replacing them - only had one snap in all this time (probably 10,000 miles spread across three bikes).
The injury that caused me to post this did take a while to clear up, probably because I kept riding, so I was still getting a bit of pain and numbness for a while even with the Selle. But since then I've had more 'numb nuts'
Spend a bit of time getting the angle right, and I also take care to get the same angle on all the bikes if possible.
Selle SMP Stratos for me. Similar design but fantastic all the same (for me!).
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/selle-smp-trk-...
A few people have said it looks broken, but I think they look awesome - and anyone that rides one of my bikes comments on how comfortable it is.
60 Miles cross country - no problems downstairs.
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