Pelvis | Pressure pubic arch or genitals while cycling

How can you reduce the pressure on the pubic arch when cycling?

Pubic pain when cycling occurs in women due to their significantly lower pubic arch. Unpleasant pressure points are often caused by too much pressure from the saddle nose. To take the pressure off the pubic bone, it is important to choose a saddle with a lower saddle nose, which should also be as flat as possible to provide a maximum contact surface.

The pelvis of men and women difference due to the fact that women’s pelvis need to be able to facilitate giving birth. For us however, the contact to the saddle is of interest – and here, the difference is less than often assumed.

The previously rarely considered anatomical difference of women’s generally lower positioned pubic bone arch often leads to high pressure experienced on the saddle nose.

CAUSES for Pain at the pubic bone arch

Saddle too narrow

Saddle with a wrong shape

Saddle nose too narrow

Saddle too narrow

Cause - saddle too narrow

leads to discomfort to the sit bones and an increased pressure on the perineal area

SQlab Solution

Sit bone measurement to determine the individual saddle width

A saddle should fit like a pair of shoes! If a saddle is too narrow, then it presses exactly in the spots where it shouldn’t. Back in 2002, SQlab was the fi rst saddle manufacturer to introduce a system to measure the distance between the sit bones and to calculate the optimal saddle width. As a result, all SQlab saddle models are available in up to four different widths.

This guarantees that your sitting bones lie completely flat on the saddle. This is the only way to relieve pressure to the sensitive areas in both men’s and women’s bodies that are aff ected by hard saddles.

SQlab offers the largest selection of saddle models in different widths for all areas of application.

Wrong saddle shape

Cause - wrong saddle shape

leads to an increased pressure in the perineal area

SQlab Solution

Step Saddle with an optimum pressure distribution in accordance with medical advice

Persistently high pressure on the perineum expresses less in pain but more in feelings of numbness. However, this alarm signal should always be observed. Even if “deaf” means at first that nothing is felt, so it is not a direct pain that otherwise warns us of dangers for the body.

The pressure on the sit bone can be a little uncomfortable at first – until you get used to it – but it is a sign for the right saddle. For men who need a little more space, the SQlab step saddle creates more free space and is therefore ideal.

Saddle nose too narrow

Cause - saddle nose too narrow

can cause high pressure on the pubic arch

SQlab Solution

MaxContact® concept with an enlarged contact surface on the saddle nose

The sitting position on the saddle nose is usually taken uphill in steep terrain, with the body's centre of gravity moving forward onto the saddle nose. The flat shape of the saddle nose creates a maximum contact surface, whereby the pressure can be evenly distributed on the dam area.

Read more about the MaxContact® concept

While pressure on the perineal area is slightly increased, it is at acceptable levels for short durations. Pressure peaks (red), as can be seen on the pressure measurement pictures of the other saddle models, can be avoided.