From RICK GOULD
I was very interested to read about the Dutch efforts to develop a better
bicycle saddle (This Week, 21 September). As a racing cyclist, I would certainly
agree that saddle soreness is a very common problem.
This is because all racing cyclists sometimes find themselves perched
‘on the rivet’. During the intensity of races, a cyclist under extreme pressure
will inadvertently slide forward on the seat until balanced on the sharp
pointed bit at the front of the saddle, thus putting much of the body’s
weight on an area no more than a few square centimetres – a bit like sitting
on a spade handle. The pain and damage this can cause is never noticed until
the end of a race.
The symptoms in men can be far worse than those described. Inability
to urinate and prostatitis are not uncommon and I have heard of temporary
impotence.
Rick Gould Lancaster
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