# Riding my bike has caused temporary ED



## IndyTMI (Oct 26, 2012)

So, since I have been separated from my STBXW since February, I spent a good amount of time focusing on myself and have become more physically fit than I have in a long time.

I have been bike riding weekly, exercising on my Bowflex and overall eating more healthy. When I ride my bike, I normally go at least 20 miles per outing.

Well, I recently met a beautiful woman and we have since become sexually involved. The first two times engaging in sex resulted in my inability to maintain an erection for the duration.
I felt at a total loss and confused, as I am very HD and have never had a problem before.
Granted I am now 44 years old, but am in better physical condition than I have been in years.
She was worried it was her...I was worried it was the fact that age was finally catching up with me.
I scheduled an appointment with an Urologist to get a complete physical, but it is for two weeks out.
After riding last night, I noticed how sore and sensitive my perineum region was and did a quick search online about it. I found all of the info I needed that reinforced the fact that my bike riding had caused my ED.
The nose of my seat has been pressing too much pressure into my perineum, causing temporary tissue damage and bruising that has led to my whole ED issue.
I have since read of a couple of different solutions, one being to angle the nose of the seat downward so the pressure is not directed so intensely into that region as well as seeing that they manufacture nose-less seats for men.
I am so thankful to have found this information because I was seriously starting to worry about my health, but was so puzzled due to how healthy I am overall.

I told my girlfriend about this and she was happy as well, but doesn't want me to bike anymore for a long time.
I already have a 100 mile trip planned for Sunday and don't want to cancel, so I will be purchasing a nose-less seat before then.
Now, all I can do is hope this heals fast so I can enjoy my girlfriend as I had hoped to.


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## Faithful Wife (Oct 31, 2012)

What a bummer! Hope it gets better.


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## Kaboom (Feb 6, 2013)

please tell me you wear "approved" bike shorts, and also no underwear beneath them (yeah, commando). The are specially padded to prevent the exact problem you are having.. I'm surprised if that wasn't the first thing out of the docs mouth.

A good pair will run you about $75, and the higher end will run you up to $165, but can you really put a price on the family jewels? Also note: this is one of the few items you go and pay full price at the bike shop for. Don't buy online, and don't go to sears or target for them.. you will get knock-off's that don't pad properly.


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## Plan 9 from OS (Jul 13, 2012)

A seat like this should help you out.


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## WorkingOnMe (Mar 17, 2012)

I ride bikes every week. I'm 42. My rides are typically 30-60 miles, sometimes longer (up to 120 miles). I've never experienced anything like that. I would strongly suspect it's something different. New partner, nerves, guilt, too much masturbation. Could be a lot of things. But ya, what kind of seat do you have?


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## I'mInLoveWithMyHubby (Nov 7, 2011)

WorkingOnMe said:


> I ride bikes every week. I'm 42. My rides are typically 30-60 miles, sometimes longer (up to 120 miles). I've never experienced anything like that. I would strongly suspect it's something different. New partner, nerves, guilt, too much masturbation. Could be a lot of things. But ya, what kind of seat do you have?


My husband rides like this too, especially if he's training for an ironman. Nothing like this ever happened before and he's in his late 40's.


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## Kaboom (Feb 6, 2013)

I ride 40+ mi per ride at least once a week and do charity rides 60+ regularly. I strongly stand by the bike shorts statement, it's truth.


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## WorkingOnMe (Mar 17, 2012)

Kaboom said:


> I ride 40+ mi per ride at least once a week and do charity rides 60+ regularly. I strongly stand by the bike shorts statement, it's truth.


I agree. I was assuming you wear decent bike shorts. I don't ride more than 5 miles without them. Ever.

Also, the expensive ones are WELL worth the money. I have a dozen pair of bike shorts, but only 2 that I wear on a regular basis. They're both bib shorts and they both cost over $125. I only wear non-bibs for mountain biking. Bibs are just so much more comfortable. Ya, they're not sexy. Oh well.


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## doubletrouble (Apr 23, 2013)

When I was totally into it, I rode every single day, till I was about 52. But a mountain bike, mostly on city streets, and a big ole seat also with the padded shorts. I could often feel there was pressure down there, and sometimes it would tingle, so I would adjust the angle of the seat down. It never got to the point where I had ED problems. It took an unfaithful wife to accomplish that.


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## Air Texas (May 30, 2013)

I'd throw my bike in the trash and start swimming or jogging.


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## IndyTMI (Oct 26, 2012)

Thanks for all the info...

First off, I was simply wearing cargo shorts.
I also looked at the seat and realized how much it actually angles up in the front. Being that it is a cheap bike, the seat isn't even adjustable at the post to angle downward.
It's a Mongoose Blackcomb (Probably a cheap Chinese knockoff)
Yesterday, I went to a bike shop and purchase a pair of Specialized RBX Sport Shorts with very nice padding in them.
I have only rode around the neighborhood so far, putting in an average of 10 - 15 miles. The last couple of rides I have put in over 20 and that is when I noticed the pain in my perineum.
I suppose that if I am going to get into some serious miles, I need to invest in some serious equipment.
Up til now I am nothing but a novice dipping my toes into the real world of biking.


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## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

Mr H cycles and doesn't have any problems with ED. My ex cycled and also no issues in that area.

I cycle as well and it is important to have good shorts/longs and no underwear. 

But yeah get yourself a good bike it will make a huge difference. Enjoy


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## Maneo (Dec 4, 2012)

well, just stop biking for a while and see if the ED remains or disappears. It could be the biking. It could be something else.


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## Vorlon (Sep 13, 2012)

I am 51 and ride and do Triathlons. I have dealt with pressure and tingling down there. Fix is good bike shorts, good bike seat and remembering to shift positions regularly. 

My wife got into cycling with me a few years back and she did have a very bad reaction to the seat that came on her bike. 

She was doing damage and had severe numbness. We were both distraught. I researched bike saddles and got her one of the best money could buy. Lucky for us the numbness went away and even better she found the riding actually positively effected her natural blood flow down there making her more sensitive. Yeppee!!!! 

Always get the best equipment you can afford when cycling and other sports.


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## keeper63 (Mar 22, 2012)

Get a comfortable, high quality saddle for your bike, be prepared to spend over $100 for a good one, remember this is your sex life you are talking about here.

I would also invest in a couple of good, high quality (Pearl Izumi, Castelli, Assos, etc.) padded bib shorts. Be preprared to pay around $150 each. I like to use some sort of lube on my "taint", as friction between your shorts and saddle can cause sores and numbness. Bag Balm (what farmers use on cow udders) is the best cycling personal lube out there, in my opinion.

I rode and raced road bikes competitively for over 10 years between the ages of 35 and 45, and never had problems with ED except after a 150 mile charity ride where my entire genital area went numb for several hours, but there we no long term effects.

I think if you get a good saddle and shorts, and lube up properly, you will be OK. I would say that having sex with someone new has as much to do with your issues as anything. Stress and anxiety make me go soft faster than anything else I can think of. The overall health and libido benefits (my wife says the only outdoor activity that gets her going more than cycling is a long horseback ride...) of cycling far outweigh the risks of permanat genital damage.


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## Enginerd (May 24, 2011)

IndyTMI said:


> Thanks for all the info...
> 
> First off, I was simply wearing cargo shorts.
> I also looked at the seat and realized how much it actually angles up in the front. Being that it is a cheap bike, the seat isn't even adjustable at the post to angle downward.
> ...


Everyone is shaped differently and I had the same effect. The people here that say it isn't the seat are wrong. Buy the seat with the split in the middle you'll never look back. I call it the "MAN SEAT" and have been using it for years. Instead of riding on your taint you'll ride on your butt cheeks. This style seat is now available for Motorcycles as well. A good one can be had for $50.


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## KevinLW (Jun 21, 2013)

Try doing prostate exercises. Look up "prostate exercises" on youtube.


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## VermisciousKnid (Dec 27, 2011)

Agree with all the above. If the bike frame fits you and the saddle is good quality and adjusted to the right height and angle you should be okay. I rode 4500 miles one summer (long ago) with no ill effects and that saddle was a hard leather Brooks Professional - no padding whatsoever, just a bit of flex in the leather itself. 

You really want your pelvis to bear most of the weight. The down sloping nose of the saddle isn't an issue because your arms and legs keep you in the right position. If that isn't the case then your frame could be too large or stem too long. 

When you think about it, fitting a bike to a person should involve a lot of adjustments. People are proportioned differently - leg length, arm length, torso length - are going to be in different, but when buying a bike most people just pick one that "looks" big enough.


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## IndyTMI (Oct 26, 2012)

So, a few days have past since I have been on my bike and that has made my girlfriend realize it was not an issue with her. I have healed enough to show her my full expression of pleasure, to which was met with her complete satisfaction and confidence in me. I am so thankful this was a temporary issue and not something that would cause her to question my future encounters with her.


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## imtamnew (May 13, 2013)

Is your seat parallel to the road or pointing up/down?

I bike to work on an average every 2 days a week. Its a little more than 10 miles one way.

ED would be what my wife would like me to get. But me being HD is what she will live with. lol

Btw I also weigh over 90 kilos and am in my mid 30'. My cycling is over a rolling terrain.

I suggest you take your bike to a professional shop and get yourself fitted on it.
DO NOT USE A GEL SEAT.
A hard seat is a lot better as long as you are sitting on your sit bones.

Btw I don't use any cycling specific attire. Simple shorts and a cotton t-shirt. I have however started using clipless shoes for the past few weeks.


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## jay_gatsby (Jun 4, 2013)

There is a correlation between the seat and erectile dysfunction. However, the benefits of cycling outweigh the risk of ED.

Erectile Dysfunction and Bicycling » Sexual Medicine » BUMC

If there is a concern about erections, talk to your doctor about using Viagra or another PDE5 inhibitor. Use of the drug during long rides is supposed to increase the blood flow to your penis.


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## IndyTMI (Oct 26, 2012)

I got a Selle Royal Ellipse and checked as I was riding and none of my goods even touch the seat now...I am super stoked about this. The seat is very comfortable.


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## JustSomeGuyWho (Dec 16, 2012)

WorkingOnMe said:


> I ride bikes every week. I'm 42. My rides are typically 30-60 miles, sometimes longer (up to 120 miles). I've never experienced anything like that. I would strongly suspect it's something different. New partner, nerves, guilt, too much masturbation. Could be a lot of things. But ya, what kind of seat do you have?


Yeah, I used to ride about 40 miles a day in my younger years and never experienced that problem ... of course, I was younger so I don't know how it would affect me now in my mid-40s. I think I would be ok. Now, I would do a 100 miler (usually 120-140 miles) every 4 weeks or so and I honestly wouldn't know if that would cause temporary ED ... because I generally didn't want to have anything to do with my nether regions after rides like that


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## lenzi (Apr 10, 2012)

Might have nothing to do with the bike riding, could be that you're experiencing performance anxiety with the new woman.

Can you get yourself up and off?

If so, it's not the bike.


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## IndyTMI (Oct 26, 2012)

lenzi said:


> Might have nothing to do with the bike riding, could be that you're experiencing performance anxiety with the new woman.
> 
> Can you get yourself up and off?
> 
> If so, it's not the bike.


Yes, but there is a big difference...
When I masturbate, I am usually done in less than 5 minutes, where as the sessions with her go for 20 minutes or more.
I was having trouble maintaining an erection while switching positions.
What we have noticed is that since I had stopped riding my bike, each day my erection was lasting longer and last night I was finally able to orgasm.
We've been going at it each day and each day has shown improvement, so it is either that I am having less anxiety around her or my body is healing and allowing it to function more normally.
I'm pretty sure the bike had something to do with it because I was certainly sore in that area from it.


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## JustSomeGuyWho (Dec 16, 2012)

Yeah, I do remember on those really long 100+ miles spending the latter part of it standing on my pedals as much as I could. I would also tip the nose downward. That wasn't a problem on my daily rides but I also rode for many years so who knows. Bike seats are a lot different these days so I am sure you can find one that helps. Mine was a standard racing saddle from back in the day ... narrow and hard.

Good on you for finding a beautiful girlfriend who likes a daily romp ... totally jealous.


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## marko (Jul 22, 2013)

I have ED issues as well. could be from a number of assorted issues. I used to cycle a lot before they had good seats and only thin padding on the shorts, I have been putting on weight as I get older, been with the same woman with an up and down libido level so masturbation is the only solution sometimes. etc etc.

talk to the doc and get a sample of Viagra or Levitra or the such. you might just need it occasionally like me but it is a morale booster when you can go for hours, much to my wife's disdain. 

getting a better seat and shorts will help a lot with your comfort level during rides regardless.


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## NorCalMan (Dec 14, 2011)

If the problem is maintaining an erection, you may want to try using a **** ring. It helps maintain an erection that is firmer and can even help you last longer.


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## chillymorn (Aug 11, 2010)

quit the bike riding captian willy is too important to take a risk with.

JMHO.


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