scarywombat

Hello I am new here, so again hello to everyone.

Firstly please let me introduce myself.
I am a short fat bloke being of 53 years old (is this still middle aged?) and I have been riding for around 20 years on road bikes.
It would be fair to call me a fair weather rider, and as such I would ride for around half the year maybe doing 80-100 km per week.
This minimal distance along with my love of good food and wine, ensures that I remain a short fat bloke.

Anyway enough of the introduction,
what I would like to enquire about is a recent problem that I have been noticing and that is my er-hum ball sack (just got to love the anonymity of the web) does not seem to sit comfortably within my chamois anymore - no pain, but not quite comfortable, and I always seem to be adjusting myself.

Now of course I would love to have help to solve this problem, but am not quite sure where to start without spending money on hit-or-miss ideas.

Maybe the cause is:

• Bike fit (although bike is 8 years old)
• Nose of saddle to long (or too far forward)
• Worn out bike shorts
• ???

Anyway of anyone has experience with this or any suggestions, please fore away.

Thanks

Rowan

Likely bike shorts ae worn out, if everything else has remained the same. Bu having said that, your saddle also might have worn out. Also, have you made any changes to the bike, such as saddle height, handlebar position, change of crankset? And finally, have you put on weight?

scarywombat

Thanks for your reply Rowan,

No changes to any of the bike. I did not consider that the saddle may have worn out, so I will check that.
I have put on some weight, so what are you thinking?

OldTryGuy

Plenty of saddles available that have been designed for a sack attack.

My solution was to acquire prostate cancer last year and tell the urologist to perform a Lance x 2. Both boys gone and haven't been happier on the bike in like forever.

scarywombat

Thanks for your reply Mr OldTryGuy.

Do you know specifically any sack attack saddles?
I think your other solution seems just a little bit too extreme though

Road Fan

Not sure what saddles are designed for sack attack. I'm in the middle of setting up a Selle Anatomica on a road bike, and if I don't wear bike shorts while adjusting I get different sack support than if I wear decent shorts. So I know that in general shorts support is important. I'd look first at the shorts. If your wife says she can see your butt in the sun, they're likely worn out. Certainly the fabric is thinned. I had this on a pair of Performance Ultra that was about 8 years old.

Or with your weight gain, are the shorts riding down and no longer holding everything where it should be? Try a pair of bibs that have shoulder straps, or add suspenders to your riding kit? I've had this happen.

volosong

Back in the day, the lads would protest loudly and get even with me by going numb. Didn't make for a pleasant ride. Tight bibs and going with Selle SMP saddles have made them happy again. The Selle SMP saddles have a cutout in the middle, and several manufacturers have followed suit with offering saddles with a cutout or at least a depression.

fietsbob

maybe a noseless saddle 2 pads under just your sit bones bike seat will let you dangle? Go commando in a kilt?
https://www.google.com/search?q=nose...byR19uej0FM%3A

Noseless saddles in bicycle to save male cyclists from genital problems - Health Jockey

Retro Grouch 

You may be a candidate for the dreaded "R" word. Recumbent.

Not cheap and you may have to re-adjust your thinking a bit but they sure can solve a host of issues for a recreational bicyclist.

OldTryGuy

Healthy Bicycle Seats | Hobson | Easyseat | Doctor Recommended -

Cobb Cycling | Comfortable Bike Seats

deapee

You don't mention what the problem is that you're having. Like a rubbing pain, or are they trying to go to one side on the down stroke, etc?

My shorts seem to make a nice platform for my boys. I've had it happen where my right ball will want to drop on every right pedal stroke, God that is annoying...After enough sliding around, they seem to just tighten up down there and pull closer to the body though, so it's normally a short-lived problem.

Also, if I wear underwear or compression leggings UNDER my cycling shorts, it basically creates a teepee for my balls to slip to either side and that's bad.

tg16

I have Selle SMP saddles on 2 of my bikes and I ride an ISM on my Tri bike. Both of these brands disappear under me and nothing complains, hurts or itches.

As we change a fitting is a good idea. I recently had a RETUL fit and can state that it was well worth the money.

rm -rf

Different shorts are more likely to solve your problem than a new saddle.

Some years ago, I found that Pearl Izumi shorts worked much better for me than my old shorts. But now, one of their new models doesn't work well for me, and the older ones are still good.

leob1

Like any bike problem, the first thing to try is lubrication. Do you use chamois cream? Give it a try. IT just might be that the coin purse just needs to move around a bit. And it just may need some help getting unstuck. I like Chamois Buttr. It goes on you, not your chamois. And new bibs might help.

late

What's your bike, what's your saddle, what's your shorts.

A pic of you on the bike from the side might help.

Carbonfiberboy 

Tighter shorts and a saddle of the correct width which has a slot or at least a deep depression down the middle for its whole length.

David Bierbaum

With my liners, I've found that if I put them on too "wedgie-ly", then the "boys" tend to make side trips, so to speak, while if I leave it a bit looser "down there" they tend to stay put, and my only problem is with hairs catching in the weave and pulling painfully on the follicles while I pedal...

rydabent

+1 Good advice. On a bent the boys just lay on the top of your legs with no pressure at all.

79pmooney

In my experience (granted as a skinny guy but plenty old enough for for this forum) is that is is about the shorts. My challenge is to find shorts with tight enough legs at the top that nothing slips down. I don't have any good names or suggestions for you, but if I were you, I'd go the best bike shop around in street clothes and try shorts on until you find a pair that feels like it might work.

I have speculated many times that perhaps an old fashioned jock strap could solve this problem if the jockstrap did not form a hard spot where the straps meet at the bottom. Perhaps a cutout or fulll length grooved seat would work.

I feel your pain. Being very different body type, our best answers may not be the same.

Edit: the post above reminds me that I often use the long tight fitting UnderArmour briefs under my shorts (for a very different reason) but have learned that they also help a lot to keep things where they belong and so often get used under old stretched shorts. DO be aware they are not as kind to your skin chafe wise. Good but for longer rides I smear myself liberally with chamois cream that I usually skip riding good shorts without.

Ben

Biker395 

Note: This is not one of those threads that are useless without pictures.

https://youtu.be/BEnKLhi83J8?t=36s

Wildwood 

I ride a Selle SMP saddle on one bike that I consider a distance rider.

volosong

You guys with SMP saddles, which one are you using? I started out with the Lite 209 and have purchased five of them so far. Most of my bikes have them, except for the Bike Friday travel folder and the TT bike which has a Cobb Max, (don't think SMP saddles are not allowed on TT bikes).

Wildwood 

Mine is the Extra. Found it in the returns bin at a Performance for $25. Couldn't pass up the chance to try it. Not bad but perhaps this model is too padded, and I have found it better than most of my leather saddles for rides over 40 miles.

Also liking a Selle Italia SLI. Less padding than the SMP, split for about 1/2 the length, less nose droop than the SMP.

TCR Rider

I was riding on a Selle Italia but I found that I was having pressure issues and the boys were getting cranky. In my case the cutout didn't extend far enough to the nose. I'm now on a Selle SMP Glider. Between the cutout extending to the nose and the downward bend at the front made all the difference for me.
Another thing you could try if you're not already doing it is something I was told to do at my Retul Fitting. When I'm putting on my bibs I hoist everything straight up in the front and with proper fitting bibs the package stays in place so that really eliminates pressure on ye olde sack.

Moe Zhoost

I occasionally have a packaging issue, too. Usually because I am wearing the set of lycra liner shorts that is stretched out a bit. Replace worn shorts and make sure the new ones feel a bit tight and your problem should be more manageable.