# Wrong Posture? Crushing Family Jewels



## Weizilla (Jun 16, 2011)

I just came back from my third bike ride (11 miles) and I feel like my bike posture is wrong. This is my first time riding a road bike so not only am I not used to the road bike position, but I don't even know what the proper position is.

One thing that I've noticed is that towards the end of my ride, my family jewels are not feeling comfortable. From my beginner experience, it seems like I can either keep a relatively straight back, lean from the hips but this puts pressure on my balls. Or I can keep my lower back more upright and bend at the waist but I'm not sure if this is the proper position. Right now, I sit with my butt bone on the back of the seat but I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I also feel like I'm leaning a little too far forward but that might just be because I'm not used to leaning forward.

What is the proper way of sitting on the seat without crushing your stuff?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Weizilla said:


> I just came back from my third bike ride (11 miles) and I feel like my bike posture is wrong. This is my first time riding a road bike so not only am I not used to the road bike position, but I don't even know what the proper position is.
> 
> One thing that I've noticed is that towards the end of my ride, my family jewels are not feeling comfortable. From my beginner experience, it seems like I can either keep a relatively straight back, lean from the hips but this puts pressure on my balls. Or I can keep my lower back more upright and bend at the waist but I'm not sure if this is the proper position. Right now, I sit with my butt bone on the back of the seat but I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I also feel like I'm leaning a little too far forward but that might just be because I'm not used to leaning forward.
> 
> What is the proper way of sitting on the seat without crushing your stuff?


Sounds like you're trying too hard to get comfortable on your bike, but without seeing you on it and knowing more about the fit, I can't know why.

Properly fit, a riders sit bones are supposed to support rear weight, nothing forward of them. Also, IMO/E if you were too far forward, I think you'd experience arm/ hand discomfort, possibly along with back, neck and/ or shoulder pain. 

If you've never been fitted, that's the place to start. If you have, consider returning to your LBS for adjustments. FWIW, I'd start by checking saddle tilt, then reach and bar drop. 

Here's a pic of a good riding position:
View attachment 237923


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## BillyWayne (Aug 1, 2011)

Are you using bike bibs/shorts? They usually do a good of securing the said "jewels."


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## Weizilla (Jun 16, 2011)

PJ352 said:


> Sounds like you're trying too hard to get comfortable on your bike, but without seeing you on it and knowing more about the fit, I can't know why.
> 
> Properly fit, a riders sit bones are supposed to support rear weight, nothing forward of them. Also, IMO/E if you were too far forward, I think you'd experience arm/ hand discomfort, possibly along with back, neck and/ or shoulder pain.
> 
> ...


Hmmm my arms do feel tired after a while. When you ride, how much of your weight should be supported by your arms vs butt? Should you be able to move your arms off the bar without shifting your weight or is it more 50/50?



BillyWayne said:


> Are you using bike bibs/shorts? They usually do a good of securing the said "jewels."


bibs. they secure them but i think it's more of my body pressing them into the seat then anything else.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Weizilla said:


> Hmmm my arms do feel tired after a while. When you ride, how much of your weight should be supported by your arms vs butt? Should you be able to move your arms off the bar without shifting your weight or is it more 50/50?


I'd be more apt to attribute tired arms to acclimation (to road riding) than a fit issue, but keeping your upper torso relaxed, arms slightly bent, avoiding a death grip on the bars, using good quality gloves and changing hand positions should all help.

To answer your question, rider weight should be 55-60% rear, 40-45% front, and yes, using your core strength, you should be able to lift your hands from the bars.


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## Jean-Claude (Jun 11, 2011)

Pull the bottom side of your *ahem* scro'ti up so everything is pulled up/over. The bib keeps it in place. Also, after a bit of riding everything gets more comfy and you build up a tolerance for some slight discomfort.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Jean-Claude said:


> Pull the bottom side of your *ahem* scro'ti up so everything is pulled up/over.


Best advice. Your stuff needs to be able to drape itself over / on top of the saddle however it wants to after you sit down. This is not really a bike fit issue. As said, pull _everything_ up before sitting down and the issue will go away.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Sometimes I think I've been riding so long that the 'fundamentals' are done without a thought, but if the OP's title is to be taken lterally (OUCH!), then I agree that Jean-Claude's 'fix' is in order.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

PJ352 said:


> Sometimes I think I've been riding so long that the 'fundamentals' are done without a thought,


Yes, I had to think about that one for a while as well. I mean, it takes some real doing to stuff your stuff down there where you can actually sit on it. Perhaps bike shorts or -bibs were being thought of in terms of one of those "athletic supporters" that are (were?) popular in the U.S.


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## MyaLover (Aug 8, 2011)

I had some similar problems when I started. I think a bulk of my problem was the tilt of the seat. I now have the seat slightly tilted down in the front and it's much more comfortable.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

MyaLover said:


> I now have the seat slightly tilted down in the front and it's much more comfortable.


Now *that* is a bike fit issue unless you're one of those triathletes.


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## wcipolli (Aug 17, 2011)

I just got a nice cushy seat cover. Before it was like sitting on a rock!


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## Bicycle Emporium (Jun 29, 2011)

Another thing to remember when you're starting out is that you need to remember to stand up once in a while and let the blood flow and to take the pressure off the boys for a while. Do that for a minute or two every 10 or 15 minutes and then as your tolerance builds you can adjust as able.

Don't just settle for the saddle that came on the bike either. It's normal to have to go through a few different seats to find one that fits you well. Unfortunately that costs money unless you have a VERY cool and generous bike shop in your area, but after a little trial and error you'll be glad to have invested a little more when you're cruising in comfort.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

Some LBS's in my area have loner saddles that people can try for a while for a small fee and if they like it, they buy a new one, if not, they move on to the next loner saddle. Check around to see if there are some in your area with a similar policy.

Also, some websites (Nashbar comes to mind) have great return policies. You can order a few saddles, try them for a couple weeks at a time and then return the one’s that are no good, or return all of them and try other saddles. You will only be out the return shipping costs.


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Hope you are just kidding....you don't want "cushy" on a road bike saddle. Firmer is better, within reason, but not "cushy". A seat cover is going to slide all over the saddle. Your bike shorts/bibs should provide all the padding needed.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

Weizilla said:


> Hmmm my arms do feel tired after a while. When you ride, how much of your weight should be supported by your arms vs butt?


Not much.

Stand on the balls of your feet with your heels against a wall, start to bend into a road-biking position, and notice how you fall over. Do the same in the middle of the room and note how your butt moves back to counter-balance your torso weight.

Proper fore/aft saddle location for a given handle bar position is necessary to keep weight off your hands.



> Should you be able to move your arms off the bar without shifting your weight


Yes. Otherwise it'd be hard to drink and eat while riding.



> bibs. they secure them but i think it's more of my body pressing them into the seat then anything else.


Saddles are adjustable for tilt, height, and fore/aft location although you may need a different shape.


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## realbiker (Aug 18, 2011)

I have the same problem and I'm still trying to figure it out =/.


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## biker_on_a_budget (Aug 19, 2011)

realbiker said:


> I have the same problem and I'm still trying to figure it out =/.


Ditto. Are there any good youtube videos showing how to adjust saddle height and find proper positioning?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

biker_on_a_budget said:


> Ditto. Are there any good youtube videos showing how to adjust saddle height and find proper positioning?


If you're unfamiliar with the (bike) fit process, it's best to pay a LBS for a standard fitting (about $50). This assumes the bike is sized correctly for you.


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## Emdee406 (Aug 23, 2011)

BostonG said:


> Some LBS's in my area have loner saddles that people can try for a while for a small fee and if they like it, they buy a new one, if not, they move on to the next loner saddle. Check around to see if there are some in your area with a similar policy.
> 
> Also, some websites (Nashbar comes to mind) have great return policies. You can order a few saddles, try them for a couple weeks at a time and then return the one’s that are no good, or return all of them and try other saddles. You will only be out the return shipping costs.


After going numb in places I had never been before, I explained the problem to my LBS and they loaned me a Fizik Antares Versus, the one with the channel. Things went well but the saddle is $159, a quite substantial amount when weighed against my $700 bike! However after another ride on the Giant saddle that came with the bike, I think I'll have to bite the bullet. 
Why couldn't I get into a cheap sport...dammit!


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## Aaron McDevitt (Aug 23, 2011)

I found riding to hurt mine for a while. First problem, my seat was too big/soft. Second problem, tilt and positioning. I adjusted by experimenting. I put the seat on, went for a ride, and was stretching too far. So I moved it forward. Another ride, I came home and tilted it forward. Another ride, I discovered I tilted it too far. Etc.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

Emdee406 said:


> After going numb in places I had never been before, I explained the problem to my LBS and they loaned me a Fizik Antares Versus, the one with the channel. Things went well but the saddle is $159, a quite substantial amount when weighed against my $700 bike! However after another ride on the Giant saddle that came with the bike, I think I'll have to bite the bullet.
> Why couldn't I get into a cheap sport...dammit!


$159 / 15 years = $.88/month.

Compare and contrast to what you spend on cable TV, beer, coffee, etc. and you find it's almost free.


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