Researchers "surprised" at number of cycling genital injuries, especially among kids

[[[[[ Often due to lack of toeclips (or "clipless" pedals), innit. Front-end shunt? Let the the bike takes the brunt. These folks who say, "Ooh no---I want my feet free of the pedals"....I'm tired of talking to them. Newton might as well have been a greengrocer.
P.R.

Makes I laugh. It does hurt the ladygarden too mind you.
I think it might not help the kiddies that we often don't give them padded shorts to wear, which does cushion the old area to some extent. I would eat my fingers off rather than go for a longish ride in standard issue pants, so it seems a bit unfair on them.

I wonder if any studies have been done on the protection from injury provided by pads. It would struggle to get through ethics I think.

Kids hurt themselves on bike? Really?
Of course, no kids ever hurt themselves doing other things like falling over, or out of trees, or running into lamposts, or playing soccer, or tennis, or ......

Kids hurt themselves on bike? Really?
Of course, no kids ever hurt themselves doing other things like falling over, or out of trees, or running into lamposts, or playing soccer, or tennis, or ......

And If I recall correctly (it was a long time ago) the jewels didn't descend until I was reaching puberty, by which time I had learnt some common sense about what was likely to lead to painful occurrences.

I think the Fizik Arione saddle is responsible for at least 50% of all incidents. That thing is the testicle anti christ.

My dad made me a pair of ramps from big lumps of wood. Just thick triangles really, but there wasn't enough weight at the thin end, so if you went up them slowly, once the front wheel was at the top, the ramp would flip and the thin end would hit the chainring at just the right angle for unstoppable force/immovable object, and a nuts/tube interface would result. The only solution was to hit the jump at high speed so the back wheel was on the ramp before it could flip!

I am sure most of these injuries are kids trying jumps. As we all did in our youth.

My "favourite" juvenile groinal bike injury happened playing bike polo with a broom, when I managed to ram one end into the ground and one end into my bits while riding at speed.

All brooms should come with a health warning.

My painful crossbar education began at a very early age, I suspect it was the same for a good many more.

Been there, done it. My defective Raleigh chopper sheared its bottom bracket on its maiden voyage whilst I was struggling up a hill (well it was a small incline but to a seven year old it was a big hill!), I can't imagine a worse bike for this to happen on, with a perfectly placed instrument to inflict maximum damage. That bike was replaced by a Raleigh grifter, which had a habit of slipping into neutral on that same incline with similar, though not so catastrophic, results......

One of the more important cycling lessons I've learned in recent years: before setting off on, say, a 100 mile time trial, it's important to make sure you've packed your "luggage" carefully. Adjustment while moving in a skinsuit is impossible and 100 mile TTs are unpleasant enough without the additional discomfort of spending the whole ride with crushed plums.

Just had a flashback which has left me in a cold sweat.

Here is the recipe for disaster.
Take one young idiot full of raging hormones.
The object of his pubescent desires.
An impossible jump.
A Raleigh Bomber (probably the worst bike to choose)

Result.
One Raleigh Bomber with buckled wheels, bent forks and a broken frame.
Object of desire leaves with someone else. This is not important as our 'hero' is now a crumpled heap, clutching his balls and wondering if a) the flashing lights will stop, b) the pain will ever go away, c) should he pluck up the courage to count them and d) will he ever have children?

Do they really need us to connect the dots for them? This has probably been happening since the dawn of the bicycle.

"Hold my pint and watch this!"

Daily Mail story on this does laughably include the advice to stay safe and wear a helmet

http://t.co/yY5fxwPrGN

As a kid it was a right of passage to come clattering down onto your toptube - usually when landing after a ridiculously stupid ramp jump.
My child rearing was nearly stopped before it had even started by getting my goolies trapped on a badly designed Raleigh Strika headset.
Happy days

It actually highlights that one of the most important lessons to learn for riding a bike is how to fall off without hurting yourself.

Consider this a parallel with parachute jumping. You know you will land, at a speed where you might hurt yourself, and so you learn how to brace and roll, before you even try a real jump.

Perhaps this is what is needed on cycle training courses - wear old clothes for a day of falling off a bike. After all most cycle dismounts are cunningly controlled crashes.

Raleigh Chopper..... The ball wrecker gear shifter... Arggg not so fond memories

When i was a kid BMX's used to have padding on the top tube and handlebars. We need to bring them back!

I would speculate that kids with a bike that 'they will grow into' is a feature here. If you can't reach the floor with your feet your nuts are going to cop it with a quick dismount

Hmm, so kids are more likely to injure their 'elmet rather than their helmet

61% of the injuries survey were sustained by boys and men

Can think of lots of reasons why this might be the case - could boys/men exhibit more risky bike-riding styles, and what's the male/female breakdown of the cycling population?

erm helmets.