Cyclists Beware: Your Penis Is Bigger Than You Think

The good news, from reproductive physiologist Steven Schrader, is there is as much penis inside the body as outside the body. The bad news is that cyclists put up to 40 percent of their weight on that part of the penis (and its rewarding system of nerves) when they ride a bike with a conventional seat, and that pressure can have some unfortunate consequences when it comes to erections. The New York Times reports on the problem, and on a new no-nose bicycle seat that puts the damaging pressure elsewhere. One cyclist who switched to a no-nose seat wore a monitor when he slept that measured "percent of time erect." After switching to the new seat, that number jumped from 18 percent to 28 percent. In a 2008 study titled “Cutting Off the Nose to Save the Penis,” Schrader documented the benefits –for men– of switching to the no-nose saddle. The bicycle seat nerve issue isn't just for men, either. The Times reports that a recent study conducted at Yale found that up to 60 percent of Yale, found that that more than 60 percent of female cyclists using nosed saddles reported symptoms of genital pain, numbness, and tingling, 

Read more in the New York Times.

Read about cycling and male fertility here.