# kinda embarrassed to ask.



## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

I'm relatively new to cycling and did my first century last Sunday. After the ride I had terrible numbness in my penis. It lasted for a day,but the last few days I've been having trouble getting erections. It's gotten better but not 100%. I know now I should tilt my seat down. I was wondering if anyone else has had experienced this and if its just temporary or do I need to see a physician.


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## slow.climber (Nov 25, 2010)

Good article here, Biking and Erectile Dysfunction: A Real Risk?


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

I've had numbness down there... but it didn't last more than a few hours beyond the ride. I haven't had any issues since I changed to a Terry Liberator Y saddle. It was a big and bulky bontrager saddle that was giving me problems. I've also used a Brooks Professional without issue.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

Your seat could be too high. Your saddle could be a poor shape, design, or tilted up. The drop from your seat to your bars could be too much. You could lack hip flexibility.

I doubt you killed your johnson; just hurt it. Give it a month.


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## Pedro S (Mar 28, 2011)

That doesn't sound good at all. I too have experienced numbness but never for any longer than 10-15 minutes after being off the bike. I changed to a saddle with a cutout this year and it helped quite a bit. I'll still get a little numb if I spend too much time just spinning away while seated. I really need to get up out of the saddle some way every 10 miles or so either by standing for a moment or stopping and putting my feet on the ground.

I say check your saddle position and try different saddles.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

slow.climber said:


> Good article here, Biking and Erectile Dysfunction: A Real Risk?


Thanks. I read that one and about 50 other terrifying articles on line. I hope its just a temporary thing , and I learned a "semi-hard" lesson. Lol..


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## johnlh (Sep 12, 2008)

I love how forum users "headloss" and "Peter P." were among the first to respond to this thread.


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

johnlh said:


> I love how forum users "headloss" and "Peter P." were among the first to respond to this thread.


Oh, the things we miss... thanks for pointing that out! :thumbsup:


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## QuiQuaeQuod (Jan 24, 2003)

badwin said:


> I'm relatively new to cycling and did my first century last Sunday. After the ride I had terrible numbness in my penis. It lasted for a day,but the last few days I've been having trouble getting erections. It's gotten better but not 100%. I know now I should tilt my seat down. I was wondering if anyone else has had experienced this and if its just temporary or do I need to see a physician.



Should you see a physician? Probably. Many cyclist problems with erectile dysfunction (ED) tend to come from trauma, crashes, hitting a pothole that slams the saddle into your bits, stuff like that. Your century could be considered a traumatic event, as in you let things go too long and did some damage... or aggravated some existing condition. This is probably something that you have always had issues with (restricted circulation), but never to the level of noticing on shorter rides.

Low probability: this might be an early warning sign of heart disease (but I doubt it). ED is when not caused by trauma. The chances of a heart attack 5 years after ED are quite a bit higher than normal.

So a doctor is a good idea.

That said...

100 miles is a long time. Could be a fit issue, could be physiological. 

Try standing once in a while on longer rides, a few seconds every 15 minutes or so. Try to prevent the problem before it grows. :wink5: Also, try riding the hoods more, switching hand position more to slightly change things up, and the other fit issues with saddle/position already mentioned. 

Oh, and you don't mention your bike. If you have too UPRIGHT a riding position, that can be a problem too. More on a hybrid/flat bar bike than a regular road bike. I mention it only as a possibility. Keep in mind everyone is different, and just as bodies differ, what to do about bodies differ.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I'd certainly try finding a different saddle that works better for you. Also, a change in riding style might help. Do you stand up frequently when riding? Getting out of the saddle for at least 30 seconds every few minutes can help restore blood flow and relieve pressure on nerves. It provides a nice break for the muscles, too. Many new riders, especially if they're overly focused on maintaining a high cadence, stay seated too much of the time, IMO.


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## SGMDWK (Jul 22, 2012)

I suffered the same sort of thing, though not as severe as you describe, when I started riding last year. I played around with seat position, angling the front down, etc., but the solution came when I retired the cheapo seat that came with my entry-level bike and bought a Brooks B-17. I don't think Brooks is the only answer; I think most quality saddles would help. My original saddle was padded with "gel"]," whatever that means, and I think that, while it felt cushy, in fact applied too much pressure where pressure was better avoided.


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## junior1210 (May 2, 2013)

^ +1 this. The problem with most lower end saddles is having too much padding, and "gel" saddles can be the worst offenders. Too much padding doesn't provide more comfort, it just increases pressure to your bottom area and cuts off blood flow, which creates the numbness and such. Low end gel saddles are even worse since the gel will migrate from your sit bones where you need the support, to your perineum area (or t'aint if you will), which put pressure on all those nerves and cuts off blood flow to the whole area.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

badwin said:


> I'm relatively new to cycling and did my first century last Sunday. After the ride I had terrible numbness in my penis. It lasted for a day,but the last few days I've been having trouble getting erections. It's gotten better but not 100%. I know now I should tilt my seat down. I was wondering if anyone else has had experienced this and if its just temporary or do I need to see a physician.


It is temporary. You need to learn some "body awareness" so that you don't ever get to the point of numbness in the first place.

Saddle comfort and adjustment:

There are 7 factors in preventing saddle numbness and pain:

1) saddle adjustment - tilt angle is very important

2) sitting properly - a lot of people ride too far forward on the saddle. Your "sit bones" should be perched on the rear, wide part of the saddle

3) standing up - you should never let things go numb or get painful. At the first sign of any lack of feeling or pain, pedal standing up for a short distance and repeat as necessary to bring the feeling back and prevent further numbness

4) easing up - you want to lift your rear end off the saddle any time you are going to hit a bump or sharp edge. It's easier on your anatomy, your wheels, your tires, and the rest of your bike.

5) bike fit: in addition to saddle height and tilt, there is fore/aft adjustment, reach and drop to the bars, and cleat position.

6) tires: proper width with the right PSI for your weight and roads so you don't feel every single road imperfection.

7) saddle - there are some people who can ride most any saddle if it is properly adjusted (see #1) and there are some people who have problems with nearly any saddle. It's hard to predict which type you are. Work on 1-6 and if that doesn't help, THEN consider a new saddle. 

When choosing a new saddle, width is important but so are a number of other things and it really is not possible to recommend a saddle that works based on width alone. The shape of the saddle butt, width of the nose, thickness and density of padding, etc. all factor in.

The standard advice to cure numbness is to tip the nose down, but having discussed this topic many times, it seems that some people do not sit properly on their saddles. You need to have a saddle and saddle position that has your sit bones on the butt of the saddle. If your saddle nose is tipped down too far, it may cause you to slide forward. If it is tipped up too far, it may be causing pressure. And if you can't get things right in between these points, it may be that you are not sitting in the right spot or that the saddle doesn't fit you. In my experience, the range of saddle tilt goes from "nose level" to saddle level. Nose level means that for most saddles, the butt of the saddle is slightly elevated (this is how I ride). Saddle level means that a level placed on the saddle would have the nose and butt level, which may create a hammock effect in the middle. If your saddle is "flat" and doesn't have a raised butt relative to the nose, then the "level" concept applies to the entire length of the saddle, not just the nose. Your personal comfort has to rule on where to place things in this range. Also, fore/aft position can influence comfort - it is a trade-off between pedaling style and the how much you lean on the bars vs. sit on the saddle.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

Thanks for all the advice.. I have been feeling better. Tomorrow is a week since my first century. I think im gonna grab an Allen wrench and start experimenting. I have been looking at brooks and selle saddles. I gave my two weeks at my current employer and they let me go after 4 days. So I'm looking at 3 weeks between pay checks. Great way to thank me for 8 years of loyalty! So I have to be conservative. .


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

badwin said:


> Thanks for all the advice.. I have been feeling better. Tomorrow is a week since my first century. I think im gonna grab an Allen wrench and start experimenting. I have been looking at brooks and selle saddles. I gave my two weeks at my current employer and they let me go after 4 days. So I'm looking at 3 weeks between pay checks. Great way to thank me for 8 years of loyalty! So I have to be conservative. .


I'm not sure I recommend tinkering with it yourself. 

First off...the advice people have given here is great so I have little to add to that. Then again, I have a few thoughts.

If you're relatively new to cycling, I'm sure attempting a century fight off the bat resulted in poor for over time. If you've only been cycling for a short time, you probably do not have fully developed muscles to fully and properly support a long ride like a century. 

Please don't take that as me hammering you, you obviously did the ride safely as you're not in the hospital and didn't break anything so congrats on the successful ride.

My advice? Get a proper fit (no need for something serious, just a seat adjustment). Once you know what your base setting is, you can adjust it from there. If you blindly start adjusting the seat...you could make matters worse. If you are putting too much pressure on your crotch over time leaning forward and putting the pressure on your arms rather than your core for support, a nose down saddle will actually make things worse. Your hips will be rotated forward and actually cause you to put even more pressure on the crotch.

I also advise dialing back the miles and focusing on great form. A chugged out 100 mile ride with sloppy form is worse than a proper 40 miles at good form, manageable and correct cadence and good speed. 

I began riding again in 2012 after a 10+ year "break". I too was focused on mass mileage instead of "proper" mileage. This season, I dialed back the miles and focused on good form and higher speeds. I only maxed out at 75 miles this year but my speeds and consistency have been higher. 

Sorry about yapping at you...I hope any of this helps.


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## bradkay (Nov 5, 2013)

"The standard advice to cure numbness is to tip the nose down, but having discussed this topic many times, it seems that some people do not sit properly on their saddles. You need to have a saddle and saddle position that has your sit bones on the butt of the saddle. If your saddle nose is tipped down too far, it may cause you to slide forward. If it is tipped up too far, it may be causing pressure. And if you can't get things right in between these points, it may be that you are not sitting in the right spot or that the saddle doesn't fit you. In my experience, the range of saddle tilt goes from "nose level" to saddle level. Nose level means that for most saddles, the butt of the saddle is slightly elevated (this is how I ride). Saddle level means that a level placed on the saddle would have the nose and butt level, which may create a hammock effect in the middle. If your saddle is "flat" and doesn't have a raised butt relative to the nose, then the "level" concept applies to the entire length of the saddle, not just the nose. Your personal comfort has to rule on where to place things in this range. Also, fore/aft position can influence comfort - it is a trade-off between pedaling style and the how much you lean on the bars vs. sit on the saddle."

K.Irons has hit the ball out of the park with this advice. Far too many people just tilt the nose down and never correct the issue. A level saddle that has been properly adjusted fore-and-aft so that you sit on the meat of the saddle is the best way to correct this issue. 

BTW: when I was younger a little penile numbness was a good thing. My girlfriend called me her "marathon man"...


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

I probably did do a little too much to soon. I have learned from this to not ignore warning signs. Overall the century wasn't bad. If it wasn't for my dong it would had been all positive. I like to do it myself when it comes to the bike or my cars etc. I plan on getting property fitted and a selle anatomical saddle. Though it might be a little while. Till then I'm going to be much more aware of things and not so concerned with pace. I did the century and maintained 17.1 mph average. I gotta lose about 60 pounds and the bike is my favorite form of exercise. Thanks again for all the info guys.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

this is the saddle I use.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

I ride a Cannondale CAAD9


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## bradkay (Nov 5, 2013)

That's a decent saddle but it looks like you have it nose down. Bring it back level for best results.


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

Kerry's advice is spot on. As an older guy who does a lot of miles, I pay attention to this issue. If you decide to try a different saddle, I can recommend the Selle Italia superflow, which I have on my road bikes. I've tried most of the popular cutout style saddles and for me that one is the best by far. Another popular choice is the ISM Adamo, which comes in road and TT/tri models. It looks funny, but a lot of people swear by them. I have one on my TT machine.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

I tilted it down after my century. So far it's been ok. Haven't rode more than 20 miles at a time so far.


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## bradkay (Nov 5, 2013)

As Kerry mentioned, the problem with tilting it down is that your body will naturally slide forward onto the nose, putting pressure right back on that nerve that you are trying to relieve. By setting the saddle level and then adjusting it forward or backwards so that your sit bones are on the meat of the saddle you can relieve that pressure without constantly having to push back with your arms (which is the only way to keep yourself from sliding forwards when you have a saddle tilted nose down.


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## JMAragon (Oct 4, 2011)

I have personally never experienced this type of numbness, so I would say always go to the doctor. Its your junk man. Also, no matter how much I cycle, everything still works. Even after a 70 mile ride. 

I have a friend who had some pee pee problems with saddles. He swears by the Selle SMP. It seemed to clear everything up for him. 

Pro


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

tilting forward is never the answer. its my experience that 95% of saddles - when placed correctly - should be dead flat. your weight needs to be on the saddle and not shifted forward. do a century with a forward tipped saddle and you're going to be posting about numb wrists. 

saddles dead level (to slightly 1/2 degrees positive tilted forward... too small of a slope to tell) I had every problem in the book when starting out, my saddle was not level and was... too far back. too far back - assuming you have cleats - sitting on the narrow portion of the saddle = numb johnson? when your saddle is dead flat and moved forward enough that your sit bones are right over those san marco logos... I think you'll find this saddle insanely comfortable. 

there are a ton of threads on saddle position, and you should be fine with this saddle... maybe it's a 130 width? 143 may be more your thing, but before you start buying saddles level this one out (get a level gauge), move it a bit forward and reassess...


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

problem with the SMP's is that there are so many different "fits" to choose from:

Selection table

ALL ABOUT SMP’S » Bike Fit » Pelvic » Steve Hogg's Bike Fitting Website


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

btw since you are able to post pictures... a picture of the entire bike from the side...at the height of the saddle would be more telling (as it would show the angle).


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

this is how the bike was set up for the century.


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

OK, I've been where you are. The seat is tilted forward, but not as much as the first photo made it seem. When doing DD for setting up my Specialized Toupe, Specialized's instructions were to level the saddle so that the middle to rear 2/3rd's of the saddle is parallel with the ground... what this produces is a seat that is level 2/3rds in, and flat to every so slightly up... the tail end just kicks up a bit to prevent your sit bones from sliding back during hard efforts.









Again, everything that has been said above it true.. i just wanted to note that a flat saddle can be quite comfortable when the fore/aft position is set up accordingly. With the seat tilted forward your sit bones slid off the wide part of the saddle forcing your body weight on the perineal area (I won't link to a photo). I'm surprised that you didn't complain about any wrist pains, as the had to counteract your ass sliding forward during the ride.

On topic - sort of - I may be buying a brand spankin' new-used bicycle from a woman who is selling her new ride claiming cycling "isn't her sport". I saw a photo of her seat... it was a good 15% tilt forward. Yikes! No wonder she didn't enjoy it. 

Your dong will likely recover (if you have a reasonable co-pay you may want to go see a urologist to put yourself at ease) That said, when I rode around with a jacked up fit when I first started out, I irritated nerves in my wrists to the point where they were tingling and burning for weeks... weeks! It may take time.

You def! want to level that saddle. Do you know how wide it is? Should be stamped on the underside.

Do you have wrenches for the seat-post collar and seat. The best way to experience, or appreciate the difference, is to spin around the block, stop, make a very subtle change (1-2 millimeter is subtle), tighten hop back on and spin around the block again. You'll immediately feel the difference.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

Ok 9w9w. It this what you mean. I couldn't find anything saying how wide it is. My rookie mistake when following a tutorial on YouTube was I leveled the rails not the actual seat.


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

Precisely!


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

Thanks. I'm home tomorrow gonna take some spins around the block and adjust as needed. The response on this forum has been awesome. I've been schooled on seat position, body awareness and the numb dong affect. Thanks again. ..


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

You want your sit bones to sit in that "hammock" created about 2/3rds back (seen where the wall cracks through under the level). I'm curious to hear what your impressions are after an "around the block". I'm assuming you didn't have a fit and are OK with moving things around. If you feel like you still have pressure on your grundle/gooch, it means that your are sitting more towards the middle of the seat rather than further back on the wide meaty part. Move the seat forward slightly 1-2mm, re-level and take a spin. A very general sign that you went too forward on the seat - and this is a simplistic way of looking at it - is that you feel the area where your thigh meets your ass cheek digging into the wide part of the saddle when your leg is extended on the down stroke. 

This is all subjective, and clearly the way it was set up now allowed you to crank out 50+ miles (comfortably or not), so I'm not sure whether it will be night or day experience when you get back on it, but your numbness issue will not recur. 

You likely won't want to tip it back further than it is as pictured (you'll be sliding backwards and get killer lower back pain if unsupported and pushing a gear). If for whatever reason you feel that you are on your sit-bones and not your perianal area, and that long front part is still not hitting you right, you may want to experiment tipping it ever so slightly forward (slightly being the operative word). However, given that your handlebar is generally level with your seat, and you're not reaching front and down to the bars, you probably wont be tucking and pushing your soft tissue into the forward portion of the seat. 

Since you're knee deep in it now, don't be afraid to search for some of the fitting threads on this side (white search box). You may need to move the saddle slightly up or down, or front/back. The only thing I can add on that front - as PJ5323 and others have said - your changes should be in the millimeters, not centimeters - you want to be able to say "ok, this is different, but not by far, different but familiar" rather then to get on that seat and think "wow, this is different". You got the tilt right, next up is height and fore aft. Throw that hex in your jersey pocket before you go push off on your spin.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

9W9W said:


> You want your sit bones to sit in that "hammock" created about 2/3rds back (seen where the wall cracks through under the level). I'm curious to hear what your impressions are after an "around the block". I'm assuming you didn't have a fit and are OK with moving things around. If you feel like you still have pressure on your grundle/gooch, it means that your are sitting more towards the middle of the seat rather than further back on the wide meaty part. Move the seat forward slightly 1-2mm, re-level and take a spin. A very general sign that you went too forward on the seat - and this is a simplistic way of looking at it - is that you feel the area where your thigh meets your ass cheek digging into the wide part of the saddle when your leg is extended on the down stroke.
> 
> This is all subjective, and clearly the way it was set up now allowed you to crank out 50+ miles (comfortably or not), so I'm not sure whether it will be night or day experience when you get back on it, but your numbness issue will not recur.
> 
> ...


 I finally got some time to work on my saddle. It seemed better at first but after a short time started to bother me. I tilted it down one notch , and after that It still didn't feel right. I think I just need to get fitted.


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

The thread. IT LIVES!

Bummer. Looks like you may need a fitter to sort it out. Don't forget that as you tip the saddle up and sit further back (from the crank) you may also need to lower the saddle a bit. (imagine if you can, your ass sliding back into the saddle, will increases the distance from your pelvis to the crank, thus necessitating lowering the saddle a bit to keep a constant distance pelvis crank)... this of course assumes you got the height right to begin with.


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## bobloblaw (Sep 5, 2011)

Look into Adamo saddles there not super light. I had issues with numbness and I refueled to get used to it on rides I tried a demo saddle a friend and never looked back. It take like a bit to adjust to the design as it works different muscles but once you do it is a amazing ride aggressive, and no numb ever.


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## badwin (Nov 9, 2013)

9W9W said:


> The thread. IT LIVES!
> 
> Bummer. Looks like you may need a fitter to sort it out. Don't forget that as you tip the saddle up and sit further back (from the crank) you may also need to lower the saddle a bit. (imagine if you can, your ass sliding back into the saddle, will increases the distance from your pelvis to the crank, thus necessitating lowering the saddle a bit to keep a constant distance pelvis crank)... this of course assumes you got the height right to begin with.


Yeah. Do you think I should buy a new saddle and get it fitted? That way I'm sure it's fixed. Been eyeballing the Selle Anatomical. I don't want to spend the money on a fitting to find its the saddle.


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

Look for a shop that has saddles you can try. A shop like that can also usually help you with your fit. It's well worth it especially for a beginner.


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## skinewmexico (Apr 19, 2010)

Since I switched to s Specialized Romin Evo, I haven't had Mr. Happy go to sleep once. Highly recommend.


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

skinewmexico said:


> Since I switched to s Specialized Romin Evo, I haven't had Mr. Happy go to sleep once. Highly recommend.


I have a stock Romin at the moment...I am giving serious thought to going to the EVO. By chance, did you ever ride the regular Romin?


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## skinewmexico (Apr 19, 2010)

I have the regular Romin on my cross bike. I like it too, but the Evo seems to be a little narrower, a little farther back from the nose. Didn't have sleep issues with the stock Romin either, just a little wide. Or my thighs were a little fat.


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