Are you a regular cyclist? Biking is one of the best ways to cover short distances and stay fit at the same time. The best thing about cycling is that it doesn’t discriminate against anyone. But is cycling bad for your balls?
Generally, cycling is not bad for your balls or any other part of the body if you do it properly. In fact, testicular damage in cyclists is caused by inadequate saddling. As a result, the seat applies undue pressure to the pudendal nerve, which leads to pain and numbness in the genitals.
Therefore, pain or inflammation of the testicles in cyclists is mainly a result of pressure or friction by an ill-fitting saddle.
Nevertheless, cycling shouldn’t feel uncomfortable or awkward if you have the right gear and the saddle is set right.
Is Cycling Bad for Your Balls - Does Cycling Hurt Your Balls
The thought of hurting one’s genitals has most times kept most men away from cycling. As earlier observed in the introduction, cycling itself is doesn’t hurt your balls.
All the same, there is a risk of hurting testicles if your saddle doesn’t fit well or is too high.
So, what happens when the bike saddle is ill-fitting?
If the saddle is too narrow, you will experience pain in the area between your sit bones. That discomfort is a sign that the area is experiencing too much pressure than it should. Consequently, the blood vessels that take blood to your balls pass through this point.
You are likely to experience the same problem when the seat post is wrongly adjusted. Specifically, if the seat is too high, the pudendal nerve will experience excess pressure that will cause pain, numbness, and discomfort in the genitals.
So cycling doesn’t hurt your balls, but a poorly adjusted saddle puts your nerves and blood vessels to the testicles under pressure. In return, this causes a lot of discomforts and may lead to other reproductive issues.
Why Does My Balls Hurt After Riding a Bike?
After cycling for a distance, your balls may hurt, but this isn’t supposed to be the case. So why do your gonads hurt after a ride?
As earlier explained, the leading cause for sore balls is pressure on the pudendal nerve found between the testicles and anus.
When you interfere with blood supply to the genitals and place pressure on the nerves, you will definitely end up with numb nuts.
So, if you are wondering why your balls hurt after riding a bike, it all boils down to the quality of your bike saddle. A very narrow bike saddle or a very high seat could be the culprit here.
How Do I Protect My Balls When Riding?
To this point, it is evident that cycling is not bad for your balls, but using the wrong saddle or a wrongly set seat causes a lot of pain and discomfort.
So, how do you protect your balls when riding? Please read on for the best solution.
- Change Your Bike Saddle (Best Bike Seat For Your Balls)
To keep riding your bike and have your balls intact, you need to change your saddle size. A narrow saddle exerts a lot of pressure on your sit bones. On the other hand, a wider saddle will be more comfortable for the rider.
When you are the kind that takes long leisurely rides, a wider seat that will place most of the weight on your butt is what you need. To get the best bike saddle size, add 20mm to your sit bone width.
Sit on a foil paper and lift your legs to take a riding-like position. Then, measure the distance between the two impressions left by your rear on the foil in millimeters. That’s the approximate width of your sit bone. Add 20 mm to get the size of the best bike saddle for you.
For example, a saddle like the Sunlite Cloud-9 Bicycle Suspension Cruiser Saddle (View on Amazon) is ideal for an average-sized cyclist. This saddle measure 10.5” long and 10.5” wide. Also, it has a dual-density gel foam and chrome coil spring for suspension.
In addition, the Puroma Bicycle Saddle (View on Amazon) is an ergonomically designed seat that is extra wide with soft foam padding for your comfort. Please take a look and see how you like it.
- Set Your Seat Position Correctly
You may have the best saddle on your bike but still, experience pain or numbness. Before you conclude that cycling is bad for your balls, have you checked on the positioning of your seat.
The clamp that connects the saddle to the seat post should be at the saddle rails center. Don’t push to the front or back. Then, the seat should be level or slightly slanting to the front to allow you seat on the broader part of the saddle.
Never tilt the saddle’s nose up, as this would place more pressure on your lower groin. Also, leaning too much to the front will place excess weight on your hands which may end up hurting your back as well.
- Get a Pair of Padded Biking Shorts
Is cycling bad for your balls? Not with the right gear. If you are a cyclist who makes long and intense cycling trips, you need to get some good padded biking shorts.
Biking shorts do a great job by keeping your balls in place and away from all the cycling activity. In fact, a pair of padded biking shorts are not only suitable for men but even ladies.
The is an area on the seat that no one wants a lot of pressure on, and for that reason, a padded short will save you the ordeal. The short will help reduce pressure points and prevent chafing.
Actually, wearing padded cycling shorts can make a difference in whether you will continue riding or not.
- Adjust the Seatpost Height
The other possible reason why your balls hurt after riding is a higher seat than your reach. 
To protect your balls, you will need to adjust your Seatpost’s height to match your height. To begin with, you will need a few spanners. If you don’t have a tool kit, this 23 piece bike tool kit (View on Amazon) would be a good investment.
If your bike has a lever to fasten the seatpost to the seat tube, you won’t need the spanners for now. But having them will save you on a rainy day.
Sitting on the saddle, place your heels on the pedals and pedal backward. At the six o’clock position, your knee should be completely straight without moving your hip. If the knee is still bent or you lose contact with the pedal, you need to adjust accordingly.
To get the correct height, make small adjustments each time till you are comfortable.
Is Cycling Bad for Your Balls – Does it Affect Sperm Count
Suffering from low sperm count could be one of the greatest fears in men who are not yet sure if riding is good for them. Also, another issue that could scare most men is the thought of developing erectile dysfunction.
Well, cycling in itself doesn’t cause harm to your balls or affect your sperm count. All the same, poor saddling and wrong Seatpost height can make biking hazardous.
When you place too much pressure on the vital blood vessel and nerve leading to the penis, it interferes with the blood supply to the testicles. As a result, one may suffer from low sperm count or erectile dysfunction in the long run.
However, testicle damage in cyclists results from riding on seats that don’t fit well.
Final Word
Biking is one of the most accommodating forms of exercise for all ages. But is cycling bad for your balls? Well, we have found that cycling isn’t bad for men’s health if done correctly.
Therefore, to protect your gonads as you enjoy riding, get the best bike seat, then set it at the correct height for you.
If you happen to ride for long and aggressively, padded cycling short will help reduce the pressure points near your ball. Once you put these measures into place, you can enjoy cycling without much to worry about.
Also Read: Is Cycling for 30 Minutes a Day Good?