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NIOSH Says Go No-nose

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and health has released a report on the effects of standard bicycle saddles:

Workers who ride a bicycle as part of their job may be at risk for genital numbness or more serious sexual and/or reproductive health problems from pressure in the groin (perineum) from the traditional bicycle saddle. NIOSH has conducted studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of no-nose bicycle saddles in reducing pressure in the groin and improving the sexual health of male bicycle patrol police officers. While most workers in jobs that involve bicycling are men, recent evidence suggests that no-nose bicycle saddles may also benefit women.

These images show the pressure areas on a standard saddle versus a no-nose saddle.

I switched to a Hobson saddle last year, and I really love it. It took about two weeks to get used to it because the, well, ah… ahem… your butt cheeks move independently as opposed to sitting on a fixed surface. But once you get used to it the ride is really very nice.

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Comments 2

  1. David Hembrow wrote:

    There have been “scientific” claims for different shaped saddles for well over a hundred years.

    Have you read “Three Men on the Bummel” ? If not, you should… It’s one of the funniest books in the English language, and has a passage about funny bicycle saddles.

    Posted 28 Apr 2009 at 11:23 am
  2. Andy Cline wrote:

    David… Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out.

    Posted 28 Apr 2009 at 11:38 am