Your bike seat can make you unable to get hard

Stop cycling wrong before it's too late for your erections 🍆

Cycling is great for your health. Great for your heart. Great for your legs.

But there's one thing cycling definitely isn't great for: your ability to get and maintain erections.

The bike seat problem

Here's what most cyclists don't realize: your bike seat is slowly destroying your sexual function.

Every time you sit on that narrow saddle, you're compressing your perineum, the area between your anus and testicles. This compression crushes the nerves and blood vessels that make erections possible.

The pressure from a bike seat is 7 times higher than sitting on a regular bar stool.

Think about that. The drunk guy watching the Tour de France on TV is taking better care of his sexual health than the actual cyclists!

What's really happening down there?

Your perineum contains the pudendal canal, which houses:

• The pudendal artery: Supplies fresh blood to your penis

• The pudendal nerve: Allows you to feel pleasure and achieve orgasm

When you're sitting on a bike seat, this canal gets compressed so hard that it loses its natural elasticity over time. Once damaged, these structures can't properly do their job of getting you hard and keeping you hard.

How much cycling causes erectile dysfunction?

Research shows that cycling more than 3 hours per week significantly increases your risk of erectile dysfunction.

But here's the scary part: 61% of male cyclists report genital numbness from excessive saddle pressure. That numbness is your first warning sign.

If you're experiencing numbness after cycling, you're already on the path to sexual problems.

Cycling can cause Death Grip Syndrome (DGS)

The constant pressure and nerve compression from cycling creates the same desensitization problems as aggressive masturbation. Your penis literally loses sensitivity from the repeated trauma.

This leads to a devastating combination:

• Weak erections that can't stay hard during penetration

• Reduced sensitivity making sex feel dull or numb

• Inability to orgasm with your girlfriend during intercourse

• Need to use your hand to finish every time

Many cyclists find themselves in this frustrating cycle: they can barely feel anything during sex, struggle to maintain erections, and always need manual stimulation to climax.

If this sounds familiar, your bike seat is literally giving you Death Grip Syndrome.

How to protect your erections while cycling?

Choose the right saddle

Ditch narrow racing saddles immediately. They're erectile dysfunction machines.

Instead, get:

• Wide saddles that support your sit bones properly

• Noseless saddles that eliminate perineal pressure completely

• Split saddles with a cutout in the middle

• Gel-padded saddles for extra cushioning

The best saddle is wide enough to support your ischial tuberosities (the bones you feel when sitting) without putting any pressure on your soft tissue.

Fix your bike position

Proper erectile-friendly bike setup:

• Raise your handlebars above saddle height

• Choose road bikes over mountain bikes (mountain bikes increase ED risk)

Change your riding habits

• Get out of the saddle every 10 minutes. Stand up on your pedals to give your perineum a break and restore blood flow.

• Limit riding time. If you're experiencing any numbness, reduce your weekly cycling hours immediately.

The good news: it's reversible

Unlike permanent nerve damage, cycling-induced erectile problems are usually reversible if you catch them early.

Most men see improvement within 30-90 days of switching to proper saddles and adjusting their riding position.

The key is acting before permanent damage occurs.

For competitive cyclists

If you're racing or training seriously, you face a choice: peak performance or peak sexual function.

Many professional cyclists develop erectile problems but don't talk about it publicly. The aggressive racing position and narrow saddles required for aerodynamics directly conflict with sexual health.

Consider:

• Limiting training volume during off-season

• Using proper saddles during training (save the aero setup for races only)

• Regular breaks during long training sessions

Don't sacrifice your dick

Don't sacrifice your sex life for your cycling hobby. With proper equipment and technique, you can enjoy both.

Your girlfriend will thank you for making these changes. Trust me on this one.

Marceau L, Kleinman K, Goldstein I, McKinlay J. "Does bicycling contribute to the risk of erectile dysfunction? Results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS)." Int J Impot Res. 2001;13(5):298-302 (link)

Gan ZS, Ehlers ME, Lin FC, et al. "Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cycling and Erectile Dysfunction." Sex Med 2021;9:304-311 (link)