

MoonSaddle's latest crescent-shaped bicycle seat design promises to improve your riding comfort and up your sperm count. If you're a man and that didn't just make you sit straight up in your seat, you may need to get checked out.

The 2008 MoonSaddle has improved the design from last year's model but the principle remains the same: to avoid putting pressure on the perineum by sitting back on your butt bones.

The 2008 model comes with a 140,000 high tensile strength stainless steel tubing set up a 20-30-degree angle and also raises the rider up slightly. This model also provides more space between the saddle and the rails, which supposedly allows for easier seat adjustment.

According to bike forums online, it appears that this seat shape is gaining momentum in the bike community, despite early difficulties. For example, the back-end nature of the seat has forced some riders into slipping off the seat, and the angle required by different-sized riders is forcing riders to take them to bike shops for correct adjustment. Also, some people have said the seat is just too "hard and uncomfortable," despite fewer instances of numbness.

Several studies have declared that regular nose-shaped bike saddles contribute to erectile dysfunction. In a study cited in the MoonSaddle website, Dr. Steven M. Schrader of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says that traditional seats create "nerve entrapment and vascular occlusion," and significantly reduces penile blood flow and sensation.

Other studies have found that women cyclists also experience 'decreased genital sensation,' and are under the same long-term risk for decreased sexual performance as men.

However, it's important to note that most instances of the perineal-based problems are a function of long, daily riding and racing. So if you're a 15-minute rider with only a couple runs per week, that's probably not enough to cause you significant problems.

The 2008 MoonSaddle is currently available for about $85.

Photos: MoonSaddle, TheBikeGeek.com