The Adamo Saddle

One thing I promised myself I would do this winter was to figure out how to ride in the time trail position without having my junk go numb. This has happened to me five times over the past few years (in all four 1/2IMs, and the full IM). It only happens while racing, I have never gone numb in training. I think this has to do with staying tucked down the whole time when racing. The worst incident by far was at the Duke Half this September. I was numb for over a week. Fortunately, all the feeling came back eventually and I suffered no long term effects.

This simply can't go on, though. There are lots of published reports on how long term cycling causes impotence and sexual dysfunction, and I don't want to be another statistic. I think my specific problem has to do with the way I sit, way out on the front of my tri seat, which contributes to two problems: 1) the penile artery, which runs right along the perineum (taint!) gets kinked shut, thus starving the tissues of oxygen and 2) the nerves that channel right through the center of that region also suffer damage.

So, what's my solution? I have tried to stand up more while racing, but it seems like I get so focused on racing that I forget to. Another alternative a couple guys in my club suggested was the Adamo Saddle. This is basically a wider, grooved out seat that puts the body weight on the bones and sides of the thigh rather than the perineum. Most people complain that it feels weird because its too wide. Well, I bought one today on eBay, and I can't wait to try it out. I am determined to find a solution to this problem. I will post at a later date once I try it out, but the real test will be in May when I race my first half of the season.