OMGosh is this true

[rambler1au]

URL:http://www.cleo.com.au/the-surprising-l ... hereof.htm

no wonder female cyclists never smile when they ride past me

[LittleWheelsandBig]

"...at least 16km a week..." Do you think this is really a useful study?

[rkelsen]

Wedding rings seem to have the same effect...

[cp123]

a one way trip to work for me is further than that.... so that 30-35 mins is enough to block the big O?


pull the other one... 16 kms on a bike seat is hardly overuse....

[simonr23]

see, it's not our(mens) fault...

[ldrcycles]

Way to encourage women to take up cycling Cleo .

Since when is having the handlebars level with or lower than the seat 'incorrect'!? I'm sure Victoria Pendleton, Anna Meares, Marianne Vos etc would have something to say about that.

[AndrewBurns]

Cleo is drawing conclusions that don't appear to be made in the study. They mention the study deals with reduced sensitivity to pressure in the groin region of 'regular' cyclists which is normal I'd imagine. But it's not accurate to extrapolate that out to mean reduced sexual satisfaction...

In any case with the correct saddle and position there should be no pressure on the soft tissues in that area for men or women, if there is you damn well know about it fast enough.

[Mulger bill]

Moved to a more appropriate location.
Let's all remember to be more than somewhat respectful of the topic and the members it may or may not directly affect.
Thanks.

Shaun

[Mulger bill]

I find the reference to spin bikes to be rather interesting. Are these things ever adjusted properly for fit?, and are the generic saddles installed on them likely to be part of the problem?

[CommuRider]

Moved to a more appropriate location.
Let's all remember to be more than somewhat respectful of the topic and the members it may or may not directly affect.
Thanks.

Shaun

Thanks MB though I don't understand why this should be under Women's cycling. Could be more useful for Halfway Cafe.

The generalisation from one silly article is idiotic. Rambler, nobody smiles at you because you aren't visually appealing. What would happen if a bloke smiled at you?



PS, the demographic market for Cleo is 13yos. So why you're quoting an article from a 13yo girl's mag is beyond me. When I was in Year 10, a friend got to do work experience at Cleo and she was totally appalled about how the quizzes were made up and the Q&A were written by staffers. She was totally disillusioned after a week.

[Mulger bill]

Moved to a more appropriate location.
Let's all remember to be more than somewhat respectful of the topic and the members it may or may not directly affect.
Thanks.

Shaun

Thanks MB though I don't understand why this should be under Women's cycling. Could be more useful for Halfway Cafe.

Ummm, 'cos the article linked was in a ladies mag, but going by your description maybe it should be lining the budgie cage. Can I get some feedback from other ladies too please?

Shaun

[grasshopper]

The generalisation from one silly article is idiotic. Rambler, nobody smiles at you because you aren't visually appealing. What would happen if a bloke smiled at you?

Can I get some feedback from other ladies too please?

It does sound like a silly little piece but they do get to 'fix your setup' in the end. It looks like they ad libbed from pressure to orgasm, but even the abstract seems to pull up short on the erectile issues. And there's something screwy when they're using data from a study of 48 competitive cyclists (who are far more likely to have big saddle-to-bar drops than the average commuter; worse, they could be triathletes) and then talk about a minimum 10 miles a week. It found low bars increase perineum saddle pressure and tweaking your setup may fix it. Well, yeah Sherlock.

That said, given the OP asked, a lot of women do have issues. No doubt some quit cycling. But some buy knicks, some continue and harden up the bum and some get the fit right (maybe not at the LBS that sold them a badly-fitted bike) and a saddle that suits them. And live happily ever after.

Introduction.  Cycling is associated with genital neuropathies and erectile dysfunction in males. Women riders also have decreased genital sensation; however, sparse information exists addressing the effects of modifiable risks on neurological injuries in females.

Aim.  This study assesses the effects of bicycle setup and cyclists' attributes on GS and saddle pressures among female cyclists.

Methods.  Previously, we compared genital sensation in competitive female cyclists (N = 48) to that of female runners (N = 22). The current study is a subanalysis of the 48 cyclists from the original study group. Nonpregnant, premenopausal women who rode at least 10 miles per week, 4 weeks per month were eligible for participation.

Main Outcome Measures.  Genital sensation was measured in microns using biosthesiometry measures of vibratory thresholds (VTs). Perineal and total saddle pressures were determined using a specialized pressure map and recorded in kilopascals (kPA).

Results.  Handlebars positioned lower than the saddle correlated with increased perineum saddle pressures and decreased anterior vaginal and left labial genital sensation (P < 0.05, P < 0.02, P < 0.03, respectively). Low handlebars were not associated with total saddle pressures or altered genital sensation in other areas. After adjusting for age and saddle type, low handlebars were associated with a 3.47-kPA increase in mean perineum saddle pressures (P < 0.04) and a 0.86-micron increase in anterior vagina VT (P < 0.01).

Conclusion.  Handlebars positioned lower than the saddle were significantly associated with increased perineum saddle pressures and decreased genital sensation in female cyclists. Modifying bicycle setup may help alleviate neuropathies in females. Additional research is warranted to further assess the extent of the associations [isn't it always?]. ...Partin SN, Connell KA, Schrader S, LaCombe J, Lowe B, Sweeney A, Reutman S, Wang A, Toennis C, Melman A, Mikhail M, and Guess MK. The bar sinister: Does handlebar level damage the pelvic floor in female cyclists? J Sex Med 2012;9:1367–1373.

[CommuRider]

My pelvic floor took a beating after giving birth. Cycling is nothing to the damage caused by the reproductive system and its functions.

[trailgumby]

The generalisation from one silly article is idiotic. Rambler, nobody smiles at you because you aren't visually appealing. What would happen if a bloke smiled at you?

I believe nobody is a bloke.

[CommuRider]

The generalisation from one silly article is idiotic. Rambler, nobody smiles at you because you aren't visually appealing. What would happen if a bloke smiled at you?

I believe nobody is a bloke.

We really need a facepalm icon.

[grasshopper]

My pelvic floor took a beating after giving birth. Cycling is nothing to the damage caused by the reproductive system and its functions.

Yeah, there seems little correlation between the title and what they actually did. I don't think they should be waiting for the call from the Nobel committee.

[Nobody]

The generalisation from one silly article is idiotic. Rambler, nobody smiles at you because you aren't visually appealing. What would happen if a bloke smiled at you?

I believe nobody is a bloke.

Last time I looked. But I spell it with capital N for a reason.

[rambler1au]

Well Cummurider its obvious that your handlebars have been below your saddle for quite a few years.

If a a bloke smiles at me well at least Ive doubled my chance of a date on Saturday night

[CommuRider]

Rambler, I am sure Freud has a spare couch somewhere for you.

[find_bruce]

I believe nobody is a bloke.

Last time I looked. But I spell it with capital N for a reason.

glad you clarified that cause they also say nobody's perfect & surely that can't be right

If somebody was looking for info on women & bike fit, I would have thought Steve Hogg's article would be more useful than Cleo