Ladies - Wife's "junk" going numb - saddle advice?

I was having the same issue, and recently switched to the Terry Liberator X saddle and am ok with getting back on the bike.  Here is the link to the saddle:

http://www.terrybicycles.com/Saddles/Womens-Endurance/Liberator-X-Saddle_2

I ride Selle SMP Glider...I started out with one that was wider but got some irritation where saddle hit my upper thigh.

Having my soft tissue not touch the saddle makes the SMP saddles amazing.

If you have a Specialized dealer near you, she could have her sitz bones measured and figure out which model might be best. Some of the cheaper versions have a ton of padding and when you sit on it you squish that and it can be uncomfortable.

If she is new to riding, it will take time to toughen up her sitz bones and little muscles. Does she have high quality bike or tri shorts? use chamois butt'r? had a bike fit? All those things make a big difference.

I'm a big fan of the Cobb V-Flow Plus - so much so that I bought a second (yay for getting a tri bike).

In my opinion, the saddle is more comfortable with tri shorts than bike shorts - I find that the thicker chamois of the bike shorts rubs in the creases (near the "rails"contact points)...but even that is infinitely better than making the squishy bits angry. 

They have a great return policy also. And the first time I called (wanted to get a recommendation on which saddle to try), Ginger Cobb answered the phone. Had a moment of sheer irrational customer joy - how cool is that?!  

I tried many saddles and had the same issue.  Even the Terry saddles with cutouts supposedly for the junk failed.  I finally tried the Adamo and it's the answer!!!!

Yes, it's wide and it takes some getting used to.  But that's kind of the point...if it wasn't wide you would be sitting on your junk.  The reason it takes a little adjustment is because you are actually sitting on something other than your junk.  Put up with 1-2 weeks of the new support spots being a little sore and you will be quite happy after that!

It's probably not the saddle.

In the U.S. we treat saddle discomfort symptomatically: If the saddle hurts, change it. At some point we seem to find the "right" saddle and recommend that to others, and the cycle starts all over again. The industry makes a fortune off of this.

Saddle comfort is an amalgam of factors:

1. Fitness and acclimation. Newer cyclists won't "get their seat" for a year. That is correct- 1 year. Until then there will be discomfort of different types as the body adapts and fitness improves. In Europe, where cycling is more a part of the culture, this is known as "getting your seat".

Keep early rides short and frequent. It is better to ride a half hour every other day in the first six months than to try to go out for 2 hours on Sunday morning. Shorter duration/more frequent rides facilitate saddle acclimation to a higher degree than infrequent long rides. They're also better for overall fitness at first.

2. Rider weight. Right now I'm about 15-20 pounds over my prefered weight. I did a 4 hour ride on Saturday and a 2 hour ride on Sunday and my crotch is extremely sore. It feels bruised. It may be. I'm overweight, like a lot of us. Once I drop the weight of a bicycle (15-20 pounds) the saddle begins to feel better. Picture the addtional discomfort of riding with an extra bike on your back. Not-saying this is the cause, but it is a frequent situation and has created problems for me personally- so more the information base on the forum here.

3. High quality shorts worn correctly. It's a function of U.S. marketing that, here in the U.S., people will gladly pay $150+ for a "novelty" saddle with holes, relief cut-outs, "gel" and other non-conventional designs but will balk at $60 for bike shorts. High quality bike shorts are the saddle you wear. They do things no saddle can do: moisture management, reduce friction, minimize the accumulation of hear and provide padding.

Most people buy shorts too large. They should be skin tight and worn without any undergarments of any kind. Bib shorts work best for training since the "suspender" section holds the pad against the crotch and provides support (for men and some women) better than non-bib shorts. Several companies make female-specific bib shorts like Pearl Izumi and Assos.

4. Chamois Lubricant. Or "chamois cream", a lubricant you squeeze out of a tube like Chamois Butter, Assos, Dee's Nutz (special formula for women) and others. Chamois cream is important for newer riders, critical for females.

5. Bike fit. One reason why people sometimes buy several saddles then settle on the "right one" has nothing to do with the saddle, and everything to do with acclimation and how the saddle was installed on the bike. Different saddles have different "girth" or height which changes your saddle height. Fore/aft adjustment is critical too. Many times people find the "right" saddle when the saddle they installed on their bike after a couple failed attempts suddenly lands in a better position. Voila! The best saddle! It may be an amalgam of fit, shorts, acclimaton and saddle.

Like most problems... everywhere, there is no one clear cut answer. Simply changing saddles may help, but is often an interim solution that relocates pressure to another area not yet acclimated either- but also not yet sore from th previous (differently shaped) saddle. So, you go to another saddle and the cycle starts all over again. Look at the number of posts on internet forums on the topic and the similarity of the replies.

Now, a band-aid saddle to keep a person on a bike so they can get acclimated and, if they need to, lose some weight (me, as an example) may not be a terrible idea, but it is treating the problem symptomatically and you will be switching saddles until you are acclimated.

I hope that helps. Best of luck!

Excellent post.  Thank you!