Groin Numbness and Cycling: Your Easy Solution

When I first started riding, I kept wondering what they were talking about when they kept asking why their groin is numb when cycling.

And Frankly, years ago, I really wasn’t sure what other cyclists were talking about. Of course, this is until I went on my first 20 mile ride.

All of a sudden, I started to feel – nothing down there. For several weeks I was convinced that in this San Francisco weather, it was because of the cool below 50 degree rides.

Maybe I’m going numb because it’s cold?

Cue our Indian summer, it is above 80 degrees in Marin County and I go on another 50 miler and I was numb in my groin for the next 3 days.

Groin is numb when Cycling?

Well that’s no fun. Clearly there is a problem. How do we solve this?

Now that I knew this was a problem, I went to other cyclists to ask what was going on and how can I solve it. There are 3 different ways to possibly solve the groin numbness problem – one of those ways works almost 100% of the time.

You will learn what nerve causes the numbness to happen. You will learn the three ways to stop the numbness and you will learn about bike shorts and bibs, and if certain shorts can help stop numbness.

Why is my groin numb when cycling?

Do not mistake groin numbness for simply being cold in that area. Your groin will go numb specifically because the perineal nerve is being compressed. This is not to be confused with your peroneal nerve – which makes your toes go numb.

The perineal nerve is the area directly below the pelvis. It is the fatty area in between your sits bones that sits in between the anus and the beginning of your scrotum – In lingo terms, this is the Gooch in the body.

Your groin goes numb when this nerve is compressed. It is not dangerous, and is temporary but it is uncomfortable, and feels off. This is a situation that is fairly easily solved by trying three options.

How do I stop my groin from going numb when cycling?

There are three different ways to stop your groin from going numb when cycling. The first is to adjust your bicycle fit so that you are not compressing the nerve. The second is to take a look at your bicycle seat and ask yourself if it is doing you any favors.

The steps to correct your groin numbness are below.

Change Bicycle Saddle

It took me a bit of time to get around to this, but second to cycling shoes, this was more than likely the most effective change to my cycling regiment.

I had the fi:zi’k saddle before for rides. This is quite possibly the best bicycle saddle on the market for short races. How much does it weigh? Nothing. Does it help with posture? Yes. However, for longer rides, the pressure can be a bit much in the pelvic floor area.

I switched to the Argo saddle and have loved it ever since. It weighs more than the racing saddle, because it is an endurance saddle but if I need to really shed 5 more ounces on my bike ride then I can take off my t-shirt.

• Padding: The padding is just enough but not overwhelming like a gel padded seat. If you are riding constantly like I am for a century, then I put on padded bibs to make the ride more comfortable.
• Carved Design: This is the main reason why your groin will not go numb anymore. The center cut-out protects the perineal nerve and allows it room to breathe. You simply will not feel numb anymore.
• Resting Sit Bone Placement: When sized correctly, your sitting bones will be placed directly on the area where it’s supposed to rest, and you will not be resting in the wrong places that will lead to fatigue and numbness where you do not want it.

I still switch to my other saddle for shorter rides, though I tend to keep the Argo on because it simply will never give me groin numbness.

Saddle Tilt

One of the reasons why your groin is going numb is that when you are riding, your saddle could be pushing against the nerve because it is tilted upward.

The best way to alleviate this pressure is to tilt the saddle downward. You want to make sure that only your sits bones are resting on the saddle.

If the full bosom is resting on the saddle, the pressure will cause your groin to go numb.

Of course, this is all assuming that your saddle fits well for you. Make sure that your saddle is wide enough to fit on your sits bones and is not resting directly on your perineal nerve.

Handlebar Height

Your handlebars should be raised to be above the bicycle saddle. This will also allow for the cyclist to not have the seat resting directly on their nerve.

This in conjunction with tilting the seat should alleviate most problems. The only time when these two do not solve for saddle numbness would be either when your bike fit is not correct or when you need to consider a new bicycle seat. If you are considering getting a professional bicycle fitting: press here to learn all you need to know.

This is a great example of a bicycle saddle that is too high for a cyclist and will cause their groin to go numb.

Will a Gel Bicycle Seat help with Groin numbness?

Gel seats are great for a sore butt while cycling – and there are many other solutions. Gel bicycle seats seem like a great option to solve groin numbness because they’re soft and will provide forgiving padding to the rider.

There are several cons to a gel bicycle seat for numbness in the groin, though.

If you are an endurance cyclist, gel bicycle saddles are not recommended to stop groin numbness when cycling.

A gel bicycle seat will help with cushioning. However, it is experienced that the padding in gel bicycle seats do wear down over time unless you are a casual hybrid bike rider.

If you are an endurance cyclist, a gel bicycle seat will also muddle the amount of response that you give to your bike when choosing to activate your muscles. You as a cyclist become overall less efficient.

Do bike shorts help with groin numbness?

Yes and no. They will help because it takes some pressure off of the perineal nerve but it will only decrease or mitigate the problem. Bike shorts will not cause the problem to disappear.

If you do one of the three suggested items, then your bicycle groin numbness problem would disappear.

Conclusion

Wondering why you groin is numb when cycling? Most likely it is because your bicycle seat is not carved. If your bicycle saddle is carved, it will solve for the problem that you are experiencing because it will relieve the pressure on the perineal nerve.

When your perineal nerve is not compressed, you will feel your body relax and you will feel all the sense that you are expecting in your groin and pelvis.