Saddle solutions

Cycling can be a bit of a pain if you've got prostate problems, but there are alternatives to getting the tube bus every morning to avoid saddle soreness.

A British company called RIDO have been tweaking their award winning ergonomic saddles for the last few years and have now come up with a product that is getting rave reviews from both the cycling press and riders with delicate undercarriages. road.cc said  "If numbness or discomfort is an issue for you, check out the R2." CTC note "[they] look odd, but who cares? They work."

The principle behind this type of saddle, and there are others like the BodyGeometry range from Specialized, is to take the weight off the crotch (perineum) and place the weight of the rider firmly on the Sit bones (ischial tuberosities). You will be able to feel your Sit bones as you sit reading this: rock back in your seat slightly and you'll feel your weight shift on to two bony prominences under your buttocks. These are the ischial tuberosities. By shifting the rider's weight onto the Sit bones, pressure is taken off the delicate areas of the crotch, decreasing the likelihood of vascular or neurological compromise.

As with all forms or ergonomics, this is not an exact science and there's little in the way of substantial evidence to back up every claim, but there is a growing number of people, both cyclists and doctors, who have put their name forward in backing these types of saddles. RIDO even have a carbon-based version of the R2 coming out (at 445g, the normal R2 is a bit of a beast) for all you weight conscious racers.