During the past couple of years there has been a fair amount written about the effect of cycling on a man’s reproductive ability. Mind you, nobody is saying, to the best of my knowledge, that a man can become impotent from overmuch activity on a bicycle seat—but that it may render him sterile.

Some saddle companies have more or less ignored this warning. Others have risen to the challenge, and Specialized has introduced a brand of saddle called Body Geometry.

We are not concerned here about the merits of various studies. Whether cycling is or isn’t complicit in a particular man’s sterility or lack thereof, and whether the Body Geometry does or doesn’t fix the problem (should a problem exist, which is highly debatable), is not our concern. We are strictly interested in comfort, especially while riding in the aero position. If Specialized perceived a crisis developing due to press reports about cycling and sterility or if it saw a market opportunity is no matter to us, as long as it spurred them to build a saddle more comfortable in the aero position.

The focal point of this subject is a man’s bulbospongeosis, more commonly referred to in cycling parlance as one's "taint." This term is not used in its traditional way, as in, "Campaign contributions may taint the electoral process."

In this case taint is a noun, descriptive of male anatomy. There is, as we mentioned, the more proper scientific term, but in cycling parlance this term describes that protrusion—a muscle actually—that "‘taint the [anterior part of a man’s mid-section] and ‘taint [the posterior part]:" anterior and posterior parts being those elements responsible for both forms of evacuation. The taint is, of course, in between. (We did not think this term up. It being part of our mission, though, to immerse our readers in the authentic mood and culture of cycling, we’re letting fly with a full dose of such. If you feel we are being overly coarse, we suggest you take it up with the old, crotchety—no pun intended—wool-wearing, steel-is–realing, leather-hairnetted, Campy-loving, Japagnolo-hating, hold-your-line(!)-ing, Benotto-handlebar-taped, hammer-and-nail-cleated, tubular-inflated roadies who inhabit your group rides. They, not we, invented such terms. We simply inherited them).

Now, male cyclists may or may not realize this, but their "taint" rests to the left or right of the ridge of the saddle nose. It does not rest on top. Efforts in the past to make a, let us say, "taint-pocket"—a valley, hole or crevasse running down through the middle of the saddle, where one’s taint might comfortably lie—have been miserable failures.

But Specialized has decided to tackle this Everest of saddle problems and has created, with the Body Geometry, a taint-pocket that looked, to our eyes, worthy of investigation.

The issue is further exacerbated in our sport. Triathletes ride in a more aero position, with their pelvises rotated forward, than do average cyclists. Unhappily, this brings the problem to a crisis: to wit, one’s taint is now the unprotected focal point of one’s body weight as it rests on the saddle. Hence the need to have the saddle nose rest snugly to one side or the other, between one's sensitive regions and one’s left or right thigh.

So, with the background having been established, I thenceforth set off to purchase a pair of Body Geometries from my local bike shop: the more plush, weekender variety (BG Comp MTB), and the more spartan, thinner, "racing" model (BG Pro Ti MTB). The MTB versions are almost the same as the road versions, by the way. I liked the way the MTB versions looked, so that’s what I bought.

I first tried the thicker, softer version of this saddle. Within a mile I found myself engaged in two unfortunate activities. I slid forward on the saddle as my body weight compressed the ample—but inadequate—foam on the BG Comp's nose. And I eventually I found myself almost unconsciously backsliding (or side-sliding, as the case may be) into the old habit of allowing the nose of the saddle to rest between my bulbospongeosis (it’s the last time I’m calling it that) and my thigh.

So I returned to home base and replaced the saddle with the racer’s version (BG Pro Ti) and, for the full effect, also placed my trusty QR Racepad, the saddle cover that has been protecting taints the world over for more than a decade. Almost immediately this saddle got my taint’s attention.

While the BG Pro Ti has less padding than the Comp, what padding there is is firmer and resistant to compression. The saddle cradles you across two axes: with a pleasingly padded and molded taint-pocket and a hammock-like shape fore-to-aft to keep your hips where they're supposed to be.

I do not yet have miles upon miles on this saddle, but I have ridden it enough to recommend it to those who are lucky enough to have found an aggressive, aerodynamic and powerful cycling position and are unlucky enough to have acquired the resulting saddle discomfort associated with it. Thank goodness Specialized is on the job, helping to preserve, protect and defend the United Taints of America.