Leave that bicycle at home ladies because that nasty little seat can cause diminished sexual pleasure.

A new study published in the journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that frequent cycling can lead to numbness in the pelvic area and genitalia if the seat is higher than the handle bars.

Spending a long time seated on a bike in this way actually increases pressure in the pelvic and genital area creating neuropathies that affect can nerve-endings negatively.

Scientists from Yale University studied 48 women who cycled frequently – at least16 kilometres weekly by getting them to ride stationary bikes. The participants were asked to mention when they felt "soreness, tingling, [or] other sensations."

Using a pressure map, researchers were able to track sensation that each woman was experiencing using a method called biosthesiometry.

Results showed a link between cycling and diminished sexual pleasure because of the decreased genital sensation was found.

The study concluded that due to the position of the handlebars being lower than the seat resulting in increased pressure on a woman's perineum, there was a marked decrease in sensation towards the front of the vagina - which might also include decreased sensation in the clitoris and labia.  

The bottomline: try to adjust the handlebars to sit a little higher than the seat.