• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

If I get back into cycling, does it mean I have to shave my legs?

May 1, 2009
149
0
0
Visit site
RightWingNutJob said:
I certainly hope not. The years have seen them scarred up by motorcycle wrecks, circular saws etc.... The hair seems to help hide my scars. :D

yes. embrace the scars. they'll get you more respect in the pack anyway.
 
Jun 10, 2009
249
0
0
Visit site
amp300 said:
Alright, I'll bite, circular saw?
This sounds like a story with potential

It does have potential! Was cutting out the side of a cabinet to allow for some plumbing lines to come in. I wasn't paying attention to the way I was standing and when I finished the cut my leg was pressing up against the cabinet at the spot where the cut finished.
The worst part about it was when I was in the hospital getting it "worked on" my bosses wife was fascinated by what the doctor was doing. It was chopped up pretty bad, so the doc had to "trim" the wound to make the edges line up before he could use stitches. She was commenting left and right. Felt like it was Phil Liggett commentating on a surgery. But in reality it was nothing more than a construction accident caused by me not paying attention.
 
Mar 16, 2009
176
0
0
Visit site
Duuude. Circular saw, leg. Bad news. Wait what the hell was this thread about!?" Shave em, don't cut em. Next time use a razor not a circular saw.
 
RWNJ,
You certainly don't HAVE to shave them but you will have a lot more trouble moving around in the pack if you show up to the local fast group ride or race with hairy legs. Where I ride and race there are literally ZERO riders that show up to the fast group rides or race in the Cat 3 pack that have hairy legs. Even the noobs who show up to the weekly hammerfests shave their legs before trying to hang. I never even saw or raced against a Cat 4 with hairy legs either and I was a 4 for like 4 years.

As an amateur racer (or someone who wants to ride with the racers) the leg shaving is way more of statement that says "hi I know what I'm doing and I'm part of the pack" than anything else. Dudes that show up with hairy legs are just looked at as idiot noobs that are a crash waiting to happen and no one will give them a wheel for the most part and they have to go all the way to the back if they ever find themselves in the wind for any reason.

That's just on my local scene though, it's different everywhere and YMMV.
 
boalio said:
yes. embrace the scars. they'll get you more respect in the pack anyway.

I agree with this. All the Masters dudes and Seniors who have been racing forever on my local circuit have tons of scars all over their legs - they all look EMO lol. My own legs look like I was the stuntman in a slasher movie.
 
May 13, 2009
305
0
0
Visit site
RightWingNutJob said:
It does have potential! Was cutting out the side of a cabinet to allow for some plumbing lines to come in. I wasn't paying attention to the way I was standing and when I finished the cut my leg was pressing up against the cabinet at the spot where the cut finished.
The worst part about it was when I was in the hospital getting it "worked on" my bosses wife was fascinated by what the doctor was doing. It was chopped up pretty bad, so the doc had to "trim" the wound to make the edges line up before he could use stitches. She was commenting left and right. Felt like it was Phil Liggett commentating on a surgery. But in reality it was nothing more than a construction accident caused by me not paying attention.


Haha! damn man, well glad to hear the leg is safe. Pretty much summed it up at the end there about not paying attention. Happens to us all, I think most of us are just hoping we aren't holding a circular saw.

As far your question, hopefully you are not planning on crashing, but if you do you will be happy to have shaved legs to clean up as opposed to hairy.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
BikeCentric said:
RWNJ,
You certainly don't HAVE to shave them but you will have a lot more trouble moving around in the pack if you show up to the local fast group ride or race with hairy legs. Where I ride and race there are literally ZERO riders that show up to the fast group rides or race in the Cat 3 pack that have hairy legs. Even the noobs who show up to the weekly hammerfests shave their legs before trying to hang. I never even saw or raced against a Cat 4 with hairy legs either and I was a 4 for like 4 years.

As an amateur racer (or someone who wants to ride with the racers) the leg shaving is way more of statement that says "hi I know what I'm doing and I'm part of the pack" than anything else. Dudes that show up with hairy legs are just looked at as idiot noobs that are a crash waiting to happen and no one will give them a wheel for the most part and they have to go all the way to the back if they ever find themselves in the wind for any reason.

That's just on my local scene though, it's different everywhere and YMMV.

for me, it was more the first time i got a pedal gash and went to hospital 6 hours later with a cut nicely matted together with hair that had to be systematically pulled apart with tweezers..

but leg shaving as a statement, and getting forced to the back if you dont... you really do ride with a bunch of a-holes over there..
 
BikeCentric said:
My own legs look like I was the stuntman in a slasher movie.
LOL! Great analogy. And I thought mine looked chewed up. Actually, I'm not too bad, though I do still have bits of asphalt embedded under my skin on both elbows from crashes.

Agree with the others, if you're planning on racing, even on a Cat 5 (or lowest in Euro) level, I'd shave them, absolutely.
 

whiteboytrash

BANNED
Mar 17, 2009
525
0
0
Visit site
Alpe d'Huez said:
Agree with the others, if you're planning on racing, even on a Cat 5 (or lowest in Euro) level, I'd shave them, absolutely.

How far up do you shave ? To the line of the shorts or do you keep going up to your inner thigh area and higher ? What about shaving cuts and ingrown hairs to the more sensitive areas ?
 
Apr 29, 2009
380
1
0
Visit site
Got to love the intricacies of leg shaving.

All the way up! Just because your thigh is covered by a thin piece of lycra doesn't mean it won't get road rash when you crash.
 
Jun 16, 2009
647
0
0
Visit site
I have shaved my legs for the last 8 years, most of which I have had either an elite or Cat 1 Euro Licence.

Now I ride 2 local races and 1 training ride a week, but I still shave my legs. It is just more comfortable, and I am really used to it.

When I quit my team in january I tried to let it grow back, but it looked and felt weird, so I kept shaving.

I think that if you only ride alone for fitness or fun then why bother? it's a hassle - and there is something a little odd about not being a racer, yet wanting to look like one, and do something that only racers do.

However, turning up at races with hairy legs just doesn't look right.
 
May 1, 2009
149
0
0
Visit site
whiteboytrash said:
How far up do you shave ? To the line of the shorts or do you keep going up to your inner thigh area and higher ? What about shaving cuts and ingrown hairs to the more sensitive areas ?

if you're shaving your nuts, you went too far.
 
Jun 18, 2009
2,079
2
0
Visit site
usedtobefast said:
just wondering who out there has a racing license or did at some point. i keep mine up, but racing not so much anymore.

Been a long time. I finally got fed up with the crashing part of racing. Too risky when you've got a family and all.
 
Jun 17, 2009
83
0
0
Visit site
I 'trim' mine with clippers so you look kind of normal in the gym but not like some bigfoot in tight lycra...... and it does attract ladies who are fascinated by it !!
 
RightWingNutJob said:
I certainly hope not. The years have seen them scarred up by motorcycle wrecks, circular saws etc.... The hair seems to help hide my scars. :D

Yes, you do. Otherwise the rest of us will make fun of you...or we will figure that you are a noob who we should avoid riding behind. :)

I stopped racing ten years ago. The nice thing about shaved legs is that it makes application of sun screen a million times easier. Plus it just looks downright odd to look down and see hairy legs.
 
neil69cyclist said:
I 'trim' mine with clippers so you look kind of normal in the gym but not like some bigfoot in tight lycra...... and it does attract ladies who are fascinated by it !!

I admit that I have done this in the off season.

The thing about leg shaving now days is that it does not look that out of place any more. Every other bro shaves his chest (and uses a body spray) these days. We cyclists are just ahead of the curve.
 
Mar 10, 2009
504
0
0
Visit site
Man up, and wax those legs! ;)
One waxing will last you approximately 4 weeks. Find an aesthetician to do it as it can be awkward, messy, and time consuming. However, the results are spectacular.
 
Jun 16, 2009
860
0
0
Visit site
BikeCentric said:
RWNJ,
You certainly don't HAVE to shave them but you will have a lot more trouble moving around in the pack if you show up to the local fast group ride or race with hairy legs. Where I ride and race there are literally ZERO riders that show up to the fast group rides or race in the Cat 3 pack that have hairy legs. Even the noobs who show up to the weekly hammerfests shave their legs before trying to hang. I never even saw or raced against a Cat 4 with hairy legs either and I was a 4 for like 4 years.

As an amateur racer (or someone who wants to ride with the racers) the leg shaving is way more of statement that says "hi I know what I'm doing and I'm part of the pack" than anything else. Dudes that show up with hairy legs are just looked at as idiot noobs that are a crash waiting to happen and no one will give them a wheel for the most part and they have to go all the way to the back if they ever find themselves in the wind for any reason.

That's just on my local scene though, it's different everywhere and YMMV.


Yeah it is different i think age has alot to do with it and lately i know alot of the masters racers(including me) have rebelled. Some guys claim once u hit 40 it is no longer required and if you do it after 50 you are a poser. I was in a rather elite group of over 50's awhile back and no one had shaved legs it was weird. Someone else told me"Hans Rey never shaved so i won't either" i liked that one.

One of my favourite things is when i travel to a race and the people think because of my hairy legs i am not very good(which is a big reason for me not shaving)I was in a pretty windy road race and these guys kept thinking they could squeeze me off a wheel in the echelon, they must have tried for an hour it was hilarious, especially since i have a track background it felt like a piece of paper leaning on me. I was going to lift him off the ground with a little elbow, but since roadies tend to freak out when that happens i just turned to him, smiled and said"hey how ya doin?" It worked as good as a Gaggioli head **** and that was the last time anyone touched me.
My advice if your are not so good 4 or 5 shave
but if you are a good 3 or 2 or master don't shave it gives you a nice advantage and an element of surprise
 

TRENDING THREADS