Much of the research on biking and male physiology, it turns out, was done with the help of bicycle-patrol officers. Five years ago, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health evaluated 29 biking cops in Long Beach, Calif. Fourteen out of 15 who responded to questions on genital numbness said that at times they experienced numbness in their buttocks, scrotum, testicles or penis during or after riding their bicycles. As a precaution, the study encouraged the city to look at buying bike seats without the usual nose-shaped front that was thought to be the culprit.
A 2004 study looked at different types of bicycle seats. It found that a "noseless" saddle "is believed to reduce the risk of erectile problems associated with occupational cycling."
Is that the answer? Many cops think alternative saddle styles are uncomfortable. This piece in the IPMBA newsletter sounds skeptical. "While the debate rages on," it says, "the experts who actually ride seem to agree on two points: noseless saddles are probably not the best answer to the problem, and there is absolutely no substitute for proper bike fit."
Clearly, this is an ergonomic issue that police departments should keep an eye on. Considering how many families have produced generations of cops, the next generation might literally depend on it.
UPDATE (10/7): Non-cops ride bikes on the job too. Aurora, Illinois building inspectors are trading four wheels for two. Watch your bums, boys!
