Blackwell Research ISM Adamo Racing Saddle

OK, the ISM Adamao does look odd, like a giant lobster claw, but there is a bit of science behind the way it looks. If you experience genital numbness then this saddle could well stop that and any future visits to the family planning clinic.

Numbness is caused by pressure on your perineum, usually this is from the nose of the saddle especially when you are leant forward, particularly when in an aero tuck. With men, the numbness causes an increased susceptibility to restricted blood flow, which can lead to arterial occlusion and permanent erectile dysfunction, even those blue tablets might not help to put life back in the old chap.

For women, the restricted blood flow and hardening of the genital arteries can lead to an inability to reach orgasm (blame it on the saddle?). It has been found that as little as 11% of a person’s body weight can compress the genital artery. How pleasant.

Initial set up takes a little more time than normal. The saddle requires a slight tilt forward and the abbreviated nose makes you sit too far forward at first making your sit bones miss the very thin gel inserts, leaving you buttocks resting on the very firm casing . Once set up the sensation is completely different to a standard saddle. The split nose at the front makes it a lot wider than normal and literally pries your legs apart which is a little uncomfortable on your inner thigh at first but by doing so there is definitely no pressure on your perineum.

The downside is that this saddle is a little heavier than most and all that pinch testing of genitalia comes at a price too. This is the ISM Adamo Racing saddle, the lightest of the range and this one topped the scales at 296g with titanium rails. But, if you value your family jewels and you suffer from numbness then this has got to be worth considering.

This saddle needed to be ridden for several hours and a few hundred Km's before either my bottom got used to it or that it got used to my bottom. The padding is very thin and the body of the saddle takes a while to get broken in. For the first few hours I was begging for the numbness to return! But I must say, I have not once got numb goolies since.

Verdict

If you you suffer genital numbness or erectile dysfunction then this is a saddle that you should seriously consider. The compromise is the higher weight and getting your bottom used to the new shape of this perch.