Cyclists: Let's Talk About What Happens to Your Crotch
Updated: Sep 17
by Harry de Haas
Saddle soreness isn't just part of the ride!
Cyclists will spend thousands on bikes, professional fittings, specially designed saddles, cutouts, chamois creams and expensive bib shorts.
And yet there's one part of cycling we still don't talk about nearly enough:
What happens to your crotch after hours in the saddle.
For women especially, this can be much more than a little discomfort.
One study of female club cyclists found that after riding for two hours or more, 40% experienced vulvar discomfort, 35% genital numbness and 35% vulvar swelling. Even more strikingly, 40% reported pain with penetration following cycling.
That's not something cyclists should simply be expected to “tough out.”
Pressure + Friction + Sweat
Your body meets the bicycle at a very small contact point, and mile after mile can mean sustained pressure, friction, heat and moisture around some extremely sensitive tissue.
Women can experience chafing, swelling of the labia, numbness and saddle sores. Men aren't exempt: prolonged perineal pressure can cause numbness and has been associated with sexual and urinary problems as well.
For some women, it becomes severe enough that riding, and even intimacy afterward can become painful or impossible.
Recent research involving competitive female cyclists found that saddle sores frequently affected their enjoyment and training. Finding the right saddle and bike setup was often described as a long and expensive process of trial and error.
Your Crotch Is Telling You Something
A good bike fit matters. So does the right saddle, and more padding isn't necessarily better. Saddle shape, width, cutouts, riding position, quality bib shorts and reducing friction can all make a difference. But there's another part of crotch care that deserves attention:
What you do after you get off the bike.
If the area is sore or swollen after a long ride, giving it time to recover matters. Getting out of sweaty cycling clothes, keeping irritated skin clean and dry, taking pressure off the area and using cold therapy can be reasonable ways of dealing with post-ride soreness and swelling. Never place extreme cold directly against genital skin.
Persistent numbness, significant swelling, broken or infected skin, a lump, worsening pain or symptoms that don't settle deserve medical attention, not another 100 kilometers in the saddle.
The Crotch Doctor Verdict
Cyclists obsess over taking care of their bikes.
Maybe we should spend a little more time taking care of the part sitting on them.
The right saddle. The right fit. The right shorts. Less friction. And when a long ride leaves your crotch sore, swollen and begging for mercy - give it the cold soothing comfort it needs and Ride On!
This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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