[corndogggy]

I have built up a training bike out of an old mountain bike I had. Basically it's a road bike wannabe, it has drop bars, full rigid, and semi-slicks. I built it to ride on the road during the week, just for exercise. I spent my money on a downhill bike instead of a nice road bike, but I still needed the exercise. Every time I ride it, 2 hours later my left nad will start aching, it's never immediate, or during the ride, and it lasts for a day or so. I didn't put 2 and 2 together at first, ended up going to the doctor and the idiot treated me for an infection, but it's the bike. I have had this bike since about 1996, quit riding it for awhile, then I made it a dedicated bike to do nothing but sit on the trainer, and I had no problems. As soon as I put semi-slicks on it and the original rigid fork back on it and actually rode it on the road and not the trainer, that's when the problems started. I am tempted to sell it and get a real road bike, but I'm afraid that it'll be even worse due to harder tires and more of a drop position. I don't know if it's the bumps, the geometry, the seat angle (flat), or what. I want to say it's the drop position with that bar, but it happened before I put the drop bar on there. It's happened on two different seats. Last time I rode it, I figured out that it was the bike, but I thought it was because I was trying wheelies and jumps and other crap that you shouldn't do much of on a road bike, but I've ridden it on the road only with the same results. It's only happened like 4 times. Sometimes I get the same symptoms except extremely faint on a normal mountain bike, but it's extremely rare, and extremely slight when it does happen. With this other bike, I can ride 3 miles on the road and I'm hurting for an entire day. Obviously I know what the problem is now and I won't be getting on it anymore, but I hate to do that, I've had it for 8 years, and I can't sell it for much, but I hate even worse that I don't know what the problem is. I'll be scared to buy a real road bike for fear of the same thing happening. Luckily I have a friend that works in a bike shop, so I could demo some real road bikes, so that's not a huge deal, but it still sucks that it's a trial and error thing with a good amount of pain at stake. Anybody else ever experience this? Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[SuperNewb]

Maybe you should try pointing the seat downwards a lil.
The only time I hurt the lil boys was when I was riding down this trail and I got behidn the seat for some dumb reason ( I hardly ever get behind the seat!) and pulled the front brake but hit a log across the trail I thought the tire would go over but instead it stopped and I went into the back of my seat. Ouch!
Ok so its not the same...
But try dropping the seat angle some. It might just help

 

[Berkeley Mike]

Don't sell of spend

Your change in riding from trainer to road has resulted in stressing some tissues which swell and effect a nerve.
Experiment with a change in seat position. Nose down a bit sounds like the key.
Swap seats with another bike.
Swap seats with a friend.

 

[Grampa]

I agree with MIke - it's probably some sort of post ride swelling of tissues impacting a nerve. Unless the tissues in the scrotum are actually swelliing, in which case it's something else!

In addition to changing the angle of the seat, you might also try changing the height of the seat. If it's more intense or frequent after changing to a drop bar, you may be stretching something more when you're in a lower front position.

FWIW, did your doctor check for cancer? I just went through that this last year, and the first symptoms I noticed was testicular pain. Doesn't sound like quite the same thing, but a check of cancer markers in the blood wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[corndogggy]

Yeah he did a cancer screening, and I had a couple of piss tests done. He said I didn't have it, but he "couldn't guarantee" that I didn't. I got a little smart with him, asked him why he felt that he should charge hundreds of dollars for me to sit in the waiting room and them be an hour and 45 minutes late for the appointment, just for him to guess and say "I'm not sure" when I did get in there, when he's supposed to be a specialist. Anyway, he thought it was "varicocele".

http://tcrc.acor.org/dictionary.html#Varicocele

I got on some antibiotics. That may very well be what it is, I mean, it makes sense, but it only appears after riding this one bike, then goes away. That part doesn't make sense to me. If something happens like clockwork after I ride, I don't think that antibiotics would fix it. So yeah I guess I'm going to point the nose of the seat down alot. My back is really curved, I don't have good posture. I'm guessing that my sitting position is tilted alot more than most people, I'm not sure. I may be squishing the veins and crap when I'm leaned forward like that. Even my Haro Werx XLS bike has a pretty relaxed upright position, and my Kona Stab is almost straight up, and I never have problems on the Stab. I'm going to assume it's the downward positioning for now.

Are there any particular brands of cycling shorts that has more room and possibly better padding up front?

 

[Grampa]

Trust me on this one -

It's a lot better for him to say, "I'm not sure'" and know that he's eliminated some things (like cancer), then for him to say, "More than 97% of things like this are cancerous, and the only way we can confirm is to remove the testicle."

That's the start of some really nasty happenings.

Good luck with the seat height and angle!

 

[TobyNobody]

Look at it like this: You sit on that bike and you get a sore teste. Sitting on a bike puts pressure on your nethers. The pressure that that seat at that angle with those drop bars all conspire to put pressure in the wrong place. Try changing to the saddle on your other bike (the one that doesn't cause the pain as acutely).

Corndoggy said and I

So yeah I guess I'm going to point the nose of the seat down alot.

Don't put the nose of the saddle down too far - one or two clicks on the seatpost binder mech will do it, any further will make your hands go numb as you try to keep yourself from sliding forward.

TN

 

[toad]

another thing

not mentioned yet, try messing with the fore/aft position of the seat as well. I kinda "perch" my ass on the back end of the seat a little bit to relieve any pressure on the goods. This way, it is my butt bones on the seat, and I am not crushing anything important. -t

 

[Johnny M]

Are you a low hanger?

I have had similar problems and found that tighter briefs keep my boys in place, thus preventing them from getting banged around.

Hope you solve your problem, I feel your pain.

 

[corndogggy]

Grampa - yeah I'm sure it's better if you look at it like that, but I'm just sick of doctors in general. They get way too much money for way too little work, and the end result normally doesn't help me much, they are way too vague. I have not visited a doctor in years where I thought they actually helped.

For example, I started to have knee pains when I run and bike. Any ditz can go on the internet to a place like medweb and enter the symptoms that I have and see very clearly that it's probably ITBS (illio-tibial band symdrome, something like that). So I go to the doctor, who is supposed to be the areas best sports medicine/injury guy. He has no clue. Never heard of ITBS. Gives me some VIOXX and a $120 bill.

Last year I start to cough in the mornings and during rides. Got to the point where I couldn't breathe well at all. Went to one doctor, said I had a postnasal drip, gave me all kinds of crap to try, I was probably on 8 different pills for things like allergies or infections for a few months. After about $500 worth of bills, nothing ever helped, so I went to an allergy doctor. Three $150 visits and a $750 allergy test showed that I was faintly allergic to dust mites. He talked me in to buying a $200 HEPA air filter and a new anti-allergen $1,000 mattress. Still didn't help. Went to a breathing specialist. After two $150 visits and some prescriptions, he performed a $500 histamine test, diagnosed me with "exercise induced asthma". Said my sinuses were staying infected, so he sent me to a ear/nose/throat doctor. He did a $3,000 CT scan on me, basically said there's nothing he could do for me. I got fed up, didn't show up for my next appointments to the allergy or breathing doctor. So about two months later, I switch diets in the mornings. I was eating a breakfast sandwich and a glass of orange juice in the mornings, switched to oatmeal and water in an attempt to lose a little weight. I quit coughing. Two weeks later, I drink a glass of orange juice. I start coughing. Apparently I am allergic to orange juice. The allergist should have found that.

So no, I don't have alot of time for doctors.

But yes, the seat angle was the problem. I tilted it down a good bit, and I rode 20 miles last night on the road, much further than I've been going, and there was no pain. Yes I do have it tilted a little much, I'll probably slack off a little and try that out. It looks like a track bike right now. That was the problem though.

 

[roadiegonebad]

you think you got it bad? read this

http://mb1.theinsiders.com/foregonstatefrm1.showMessage?topicID=8036.topic

 

[uofabill]

Another classic case of...

you think you got it bad? read this

http://mb1.theinsiders.com/foregonstatefrm1.showMessage?topicID=8036.topic

"the first storyteller doesn't have a chance!"

 

[Grampa]

Dang!

Your story sounds like a hospital soap opera! No wonder you're down on doctors! How do you get so many dumb doctors in a row? Wow!

Hey, I'm glad the seat angle worked. May you have many happy miles!

 

[Sprocketeer]

It's all in the saddle.

I'll put this little post script at the top: in adjusting your saddle, start by pointing the nose of it straight at the stem--the part that attaches the handlebar to the bike.

OK, here's the rest:

I had that problem for years and years and just figured that I wasn't made for any kind of hard saddle. Then one Christmas my brother gives me a very well made, kinda soft saddle with a hole in it and cro-moly rails. Wow! problem solved, but I wore that saddle out pretty quick since I ride a couple of thousand miles per year.

I kept the old, steel railed saddle as a spare, and when I put it back on for the short term the pain came back. Not only my balls but my back ached too. This saddle was eventual retired to being a wall decoration / doorstop.

Then I bought a new bike, which came with a Bontrager FS2000 saddle. That was the best saddle I ever tried, but I had to get it replaced on warranty when the leather ripped. With the warranty and some extra money I bought a Bontrager Race Lite with titanium rails. I have heard people say it's uncomfortable but anyone who bothers adjusting it and reajusting it until it's just right is in for a treat. It's very comfortable and an absolutely super saddle that's easy to manuever around, change positions and all. Of course, this saddle costs a hell of a lot of money and I would only recommend it if you're willing to spend that kind of cash on the combination of comfort and top-level performance.

The "Saddle of Pain" was made by the same manufacturer--not Bontrager, but Selle San Marco, which actually crafts the Bontrager saddle. So it's not the brand. Here's what I learned.

The metal your rails are made out of matters a lot. Cro-moly is good, but there's nothing better than titanium for comfort and durability. I feel it's well worth the price if you're riding a generally pricey machine. Regardless of the pricetag on your bike, if you buy a really high end saddle that you love it will most likely outlast your bike and you can just put it on the next bike you buy. (Of course, leather saddles need to be taken fairly good care of, but they return the favor).

Another thing is you have to adjust the angle and height of your saddle. There are guides how to do this, but the best is to take those basic guidelines to a point and then just let your personal comfort / preference guide the minute adjustments.

In any case, getting the right saddle and adjusting it properly has not only increased my comfort, but my stamina. I couldn't stay on the painful saddle for more than maybe 500 miles a year, whereas as soon as I got set up right I increased the amount of riding I do to the tune of 3000 miles per year.

My only advice on which saddle is as follows:

No budget saddles

No "comfort" saddles

A hole, groove, or gel dot in the saddle may help, but the key is really just plain fit.

No extra wide saddles--they're really only meant for women because of women's wider pelvic bones.

Your saddle should fit and be adjusted so that your pelvic bones--the bones in your butt--are the main contact with the saddle, but not the sole contact. It should fit as if molded right to the area from your seat bones all the way through your penetenium. In other words, it should support a large surface area rather than a small one.

That's about all I got.

 

[dogwood]

Have you been checked for an inguinal hernia? That'll cause one testicle to ache and it's usually aggravated by strenuous activity.