August-September/06 . . .
Genital discomfort affects over 60 percent of women cyclists but it's a subject seldom mentioned. In this issue we've devoted two articles to finding out what causes soft-tissue damage and what you can do to prevent it. In A Delicate Matter you'll learn the surprising conclusion of a European study about bike posture and genital problems. In The Agony of de Vagina, kt misener gives specific, no-holds-barred advice to women who suffer from painful skin irritations 'down there'.

Exercise is a good thing— isn't it? In, Can Too Much Exercise Be Bad For You?, we let you know what you can do to protect your body from free radicals and oxidative stress created by exercise.

We also have the conclusion to our audio interview, If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It. In part 2, bike mechanic kt misener of the Bloomfield Bicycle Company, discusses what you should be able to fix on your bike, how to avoid costly tune-ups and what tools to carry with you when you ride.

And finally, we want to let you know that this year our fall issue of the newsletter will be sent out in November. Until then . . .

See you out on the road,

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In this issue. . .

A Delicate Matter
When Cycling Hurts —OUCH!
A European study connects bike posture to genital discomfort.

The Agony of de Vagina
kt misener tells you how to deal with soft-tissue pain and irritation.

Can Too Much Exercise Be Bad For You?
Learn how to protect your body from free radicals and oxidative stress.

If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It
Look, Listen and Feel - Part 2
In part 2 of this interview, bike mechanic kt misener of the Bloomfield Bicycle Company discusses fixing flats, how to avoid costly tune-ups and what tools to carry with you when you ride.

A Delicate Matter When Cycling Hurts - OUCH! Cycling and male impotence is a familiar topic but we seldom hear about the long list of gynecological problems women cyclists can encounter. It's well known that time spent in the saddle can affect your sexual health. Male cyclists suffer everything from occasional numbness to erectile dysfunction and impotence. But what about women? Not much has been written about women's soft-tissue issues. After hunting around, we located a European study published in the British Medical Journal (2003) that included women cyclists. Professor Luc Baeyons, a gynaecologist with the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Brugmen in Brussels, who specializes in sports medicine, found that numbness, skin infections, chronic swelling and lymphatic damage are common among female cyclists. Over 60% of his sample group reported genital discomfort. Basic Anatomy Your body makes contact with the saddle at three points: Points one and two, your sit bones, are also known as the ischial tuberosities. The third point is the soft-tissue between your legs. Whereas sit bones are designed to withstand body weight and pressure, the soft-tissue of your genitalia is not. During long rides, the pressure exerted on soft-tissue can cause painful skin irritation and constrict blood flow. This can deaden the nerves. Posture Affects Pressure In a study of both male and female cyclists, Dr. Sommer, a urologist at the University of Cologne in Germany, found that posture affects pressure and genital blood supply. The more stretched out you are on your bike, the more pressure you put on your soft-tissue and the greater the possibility of sexual health problems. The study found that a cyclist riding a bike with her body at 30 degrees to the horizontal can experience as much as 70% reduction in the blood supply to the genitals. What To Do Get The Right Saddle - Test different saddles for comfort. Adjust saddle height and the fore/aft position. Bike Fit - Take your bike to a cycling shop and have the mechanics check that your bike is adjusted properly to fit your body size. Padded Shorts - Get shorts with thick, seamless padding. Cycling shorts are meant to be worn without underwear. Wash them after every ride. Go Vertical - Consider adjusting your bike stem and handles so your posture can be more vertical. Sixty degrees to the horizontal is recommended. Fidget - Move around on your saddle while you ride. Every 10 minutes, stand up in the pedals to give your "privates" a break from the pressure. - LLS Sources: BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2991088.stm 63xc: http://www.63xc.com/willm/bike_sexhealth.htm Top

The Agony of de Vagina If you are having vaginal chafing, meaning that there are some red, raised areas that are created by the softer tissues inside the vaginal area rubbing against each other — a good quality ointment applied LIBERALLY all throughout all the folds of the entire vaginal area can help to ease it. (bag balm maybe, NOT BODY GLIDE!) and be careful to apply it with ABSOLUTELY IMPECCABLY CLEAN fingers. If you are having what we like to call the "hamburger" syndrome where just the outside tips/edges of the vaginal lips and the exposed areas of the mons veneris (where the hair grows on the outside, bulkiest and largest lips of the genital area) are red and scuffed raw and sometimes bleeding then there are a few things that can help: Get a saddle with a BIGGER hole in it that will allow the protruding areas of the mons to be cradled in air rather than mashed against the saddle. Make sure your saddle is not TOO HIGH! Many women who discover that their saddle is too low then raise it too high, spending the day pivoting back and forth on their saddle to reach the pedals and just chewing their crotch into hamburger! Make sure that your saddle is the correct position fore and aft (at a bike shop with a level) so that your crotch isn't riding on the too skinny part of the nose or getting wedged between the too wide part of the saddle and your thighs. Now, here I must interject that investing in ONE good saddle is not the solution to saddle problems. Every saddle is different. Every pelvis is different. What you need to do is TRY out a few until you find one that FITS you. Here at our shop, the world record for number of saddles tried is 17. And she bought the first one. The cheapest saddle may be the best fit. The most expensive might be the worst. Are you wearing good quality cycling shorts with NO UNDERWEAR? Cotton retains moisture and adds huge dimensions of problems. Never wear anything underneath cycling shorts. (except maybe special drytec, no seam liners in desperation) Also, if you have old cycling shorts (more than four years old!) THROW THEM ALL AWAY and start again with good-quality shorts. You may have yeast or bacteria growing in your shorts that adds to the trouble. Tea Tree Oil soap can really help destroy any invasive little buggies that cause constant problems. AND NO POWDER or TALC or anything like that in the shorts. It can just increase growth of issues. Ointment only on yourself, never applied to the shorts. After all of those are addressed, it's possible that you will STILL have problems. At that point, it's time to seek professional assistance. Make sure that your bike is properly fitted at a good shop. - kt misener Bloomfield Bicycle Company http://torontocyclist.com/bbc/ 613.393.1060 bbc@bloomfieldbicycle.ca Top

If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It Look, Listen and Feel - Part 2       [audio interview- part2] To listen to the audio file right-click on your mouse next to the speaker icon. Save the file [Save target as] to your computer. Pay attention to where you save it. Open the file with your media program. In part 2 of this interview kt misener discusses fixing flats, how to avoid costly tune-ups and what tools to carry with you when you ride. (Note: This is part 2 of a fairly lengthy interview. If you are on dial-up it will take awhile to download the file but it's a great interview and well worth the the wait. Start the download, go for a coffee and come back in about ten minutes.) kt misener, a full time bike mechanic since 2000, is the co-owner of the Bloomfield Bicycle Company in beautiful Bloomfield, Prince Edward County, Ontario. In the winters of 2000 and 2001 kt and her partner Rick toured with the Park Tool Workstation offering neutral tech support for mountainbike racers in the spring racing seasons in the southwestern United States which included the Cactus Cup and the Sea Otter Classic. kt and Rick also worked technical support for the National Mountain Bike Police Training School in Moab, Utah and the 24-hours of Moab —a high-spirited, gut-wrenching cycling event for mountain bike teams — in October, 2001. The Bloomfield Bicycle Company is open most days April 1 thru October 31.      http://torontocyclist.com/bbc/      613.393.1060      bbc@bloomfieldbicycle.ca         Top

Can Too Much Exercise Be Bad? We all know that regular exercise is as important to over-all health as eating a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep and learning how to manage stress. But can too much exercise be bad for you? According to a recent issue of The Berkeley Wellness Letter from the University of California at Berkeley, exercise produces potentially harmful free radicals that can adversely affect your health. What is a Free Radical? We read about free radicals frequently but what exactly are they? Here's a very basic description: Our bodies are made up of many different cells. Cells consist of molecules and molecules have one or more atoms. A free radical is an unstable molecule. This means it has an odd, unpaired electron. Free radicals attempt to regain stability by stealing an electron from a neighbouring stable molecule. When the assaulted molecule loses its electron it in turn becomes a free radical. The whole process can escalate until the entire living cell is compromised. How is a Free Radical Created? Free radicals are created through the process of living. They arise during normal metabolism. Exposure to pollution, cigarette smoke, herbicides, ultraviolet light and aging increases free radical production. Exercise produces even more — up to 10 to 20 times more for endurance activities. If the body gets overwhelmed by free radicals it causes oxidative stress, a process that is like the rusting of metal. Oxidative stress is linked to many age-related diseases like cancer and heart disease. According to The Berkeley Wellness Letter, "there is some evidence that only high-intensive or exhaustive exercise significantly increase oxidative stress. More moderate exercise may not." Antioxidants To The Rescue The good news is our bodies are designed to cope with free radicals as long as we get enough antioxidants in our diet. Antioxidants provide their own electrons thereby neutralizing free radical damage. With regular exercise the body tends to adapt to oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant activity. So you should aim for a consistent, moderate workout routine because that may enhance your body's antioxidant system. Red, Green ,Yellow, Orange Top antioxidant performers are Vitamina C and E. So eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables — 5 to 8 servings a day are recommended. If you exercise a lot, you may want to consider supplementing. - LLS Sources: 1) University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (July 2006) 2) Understanding Free Radicals and Antioxidants http://www.healthchecksystems.com/antioxid.htm Top