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

[ProTour]

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..

So you're saying you shave your legs as pre-emptive preparation for crashes...I don't buy it for a second. The fact of the matter is that having hairy legs gives you a bit of protection in a crash, and makes your legs less likely to get cut or scraped as bad in some road rash situations.

I shave my legs cause it's faster than having hair on them. Not much faster, but it is faster. At least I have a rational reason to shave my legs, unlike most racers. Then why don't I shave my arms? Cause I'm not gonna be that guy that shaves his arms.

 

[53 x 11]

So you're saying you shave your legs as pre-emptive preparation for crashes...I don't buy it for a second. The fact of the matter is that having hairy legs gives you a bit of protection in a crash, and makes your legs less likely to get cut or scraped as bad in some road rash situations.

I shave my legs cause it's faster than having hair on them. Not much faster, but it is faster. At least I have a rational reason to shave my legs, unlike most racers. Then why don't I shave my arms? Cause I'm not gonna be that guy that shaves his arms.

wrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrong

 

[badboyberty]

I shave my legs cause it's faster than having hair on them. Not much faster, but it is faster. At least I have a rational reason to shave my legs, unlike most racers.

Wow, I thought some of your Lance is the One True God comments made you sound dumb...

 

[flyor64]

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.

LOL ...two statements I never thought I'd see in the same sentence!

Gave me the mental image of the Nair commercials from the 80s

----

For me, I shaved to fit in with my first club and then it just became part of what I did. I agree with someone's earlier post that is just looks weird to me now when they are not shaved.

As far as the racing thing, I've only ever raced XC stuff, and it seems to be about 50/50 with those that do and those that don't shave their legs.

 

[Big Ring]

yes you must shave. It is a French thing and is purely about looks. A hairy ape in Lycra is disgusting.

 

[elapid]

So you're saying you shave your legs as pre-emptive preparation for crashes...I don't buy it for a second. The fact of the matter is that having hairy legs gives you a bit of protection in a crash, and makes your legs less likely to get cut or scraped as bad in some road rash situations.

I shave my legs cause it's faster than having hair on them. Not much faster, but it is faster. At least I have a rational reason to shave my legs, unlike most racers. Then why don't I shave my arms? Cause I'm not gonna be that guy that shaves his arms.

You really are a tool, aren't you?!

 

[lean mean &green]

shaving comunicates a message. not shaving comunicates a message. what message are you trying to send?

i've heard all types of excuses, crash cleanup, aerodynamics, superficial looks, etc. all are pretty flimsy.

the reason i do it is b/c it's a matter of etiquette, it's what the culture says you're supposed to do. all the reason i need. if you drop into a race or "fast" training ride as a hairball it says you don't understand the subtleties of the sport. you look unsophisticated. i've seen hairballs go fast, which is more important, but they'd have looked cooler with a fresh shave.

 

[Deagol]

The fact of the matter is that having hairy legs gives you a bit of protection in a crash, and makes your legs less likely to get cut or scraped as bad in some road rash situations. .

huh??????
where do you get that from ???



ever had road rash on hairy legs? Hella worse than shaved.

 

[Oldman]

huh??????
where do you get that from ???



ever had road rash on hairy legs? Hella worse than shaved.

Agreed. Hard to believe many of you posers, er posters have raced. You shave for the same reason anyone playing on artificial turf shaves including NFL players etc: think "velcro" with your hair as half of the equation. The absolute worst rashes I've seen have come from training rides, early season before someone has shaved. Jeez.

 

[BroDeal]

Agreed. Hard to believe many of you posers, er posters have raced. You shave for the same reason anyone playing on artificial turf shaves including NFL players etc: think "velcro" with your hair as half of the equation. The absolute worst rashes I've seen have come from training rides, early season before someone has shaved. Jeez.

I never found that there was a whole lot of difference. Maybe I don't have sasquatch hair like some people. The big issue I had was cleaning the road rash, bandaging, and such is easier and less painful without hair.

Now I just shave to fit in and because of sunscreen application.

 

[Oldman]

I never found that there was a whole lot of difference. Maybe I don't have sasquatch hair like some people. The big issue I had was cleaning the road rash, bandaging, and such is easier and less painful without hair.

Now I just shave to fit in and because of sunscreen application.

Really depends on the other half of the Velcro. Chip seal asphalt will turn a nice "sunburn" scrape into a meat-eater. I usually don't advise anyone on it-let them earn their stripes and make their own choices. We have many yeti's out here and they're a happy lot.

 

[lean mean &green]

Chip seal asphalt

contributed to the worst crash of my life, bad stuff to go down on, some serious scarring

 

[Ninety5rpm]

shaving comunicates a message. not shaving comunicates a message. what message are you trying to send?

i've heard all types of excuses, crash cleanup, aerodynamics, superficial looks, etc. all are pretty flimsy.

the reason i do it is b/c it's a matter of etiquette, it's what the culture says you're supposed to do. all the reason i need. if you drop into a race or "fast" training ride as a hairball it says you don't understand the subtleties of the sport. you look unsophisticated. i've seen hairballs go fast, which is more important, but they'd have looked cooler with a fresh shave.

Ah, the lemming reasoning.

Let me guess. You're not an engineer...

 

[scribe]

if you're shaving your nuts, you went too far.

Damn! How long do I have to wait for that hair to grow back?

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

So to summarise, most shave to fit in, one shaves to go faster and the French dude thinks blokes with hairy legs are disgusting - just why are you called 'Big ring' mate? Don't tell me, I don't wanna know

 

[lean mean &green]

You're not an engineer...

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Engineers tend to do things for practical reasons, rather than to "fit in" or "look good".

 

[red_flanders]

the reason i do it is b/c it's a matter of etiquette, it's what the culture says you're supposed to do. all the reason i need.

That's usually all the reason I need to NOT do something.

I prefer to have mildly hairy legs and let my skillz do the talking.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

That's usually all the reason I need to NOT do something.

I prefer to have mildly hairy legs and let my skillz do the talking.

Are you an engineer by any chance?

 

[runninboy]

That's usually all the reason I need to NOT do something.

I prefer to have mildly hairy legs and let my skillz do the talking.

+1
and i really enjoy it when i see some smooth shaven tan leg with a big old greasy chain ring tattoo that just screams, I have no clue, but i can shave

 

[lean mean &green]

I prefer to have mildly hairy legs and let my skillz do the talking.

if u read carefully i covered that

 

[lean mean &green]

etiquette is important, try barging in on a fast paceline and then doing whatever you feel like, cause a few traffic jams.....go ahead keep ignoring etiquette and enjoy you're solo rides

 

[Martin318is]

Funny really, I never bothered what anyone else thought about whether I shave or not. My reasons are a combination of practical and psychological. I shaved because:
- There is zero doubt that healing is faster with less permanent scarring.
- Sunscreen application and massages were just easier
- I didn't like the feeling of the wind rubbing my leg hairs when at speed.
- I FELT faster (I know that hair makes no difference. But I feel it)
- Its part of my 'game face' Shaving the night before a race was a ritual
- It just plain looked better when on a bike in lycra.

I personally have no problem if people shave or not, but when racing - especially in crits - I just think it makes sense to do so rather than regret it when you're sliding on the road. I was a rockclimber too and I really did note that cuts and scrapes healed more smoothely on me than my friends.

 

[Martin318is]

So here's a question:

You are an ex rider (not necessarily ex pro or anything, but you raced a few opens and were say B grade or higher).
You are now 5 or 10 years older and weigh about 20kg more than you used to.
You are getting back into riding and thinking of racing again but your fitness is pretty bad and you would be C grade at best.

How much weight do you need to lose to consider shaving your legs again without feeling like a tool? (And do you need to get your tan lines back again first?)

 

[53 x 11]

Engineers tend to do things for practical reasons, rather than to "fit in" or "look good".

Engineers tend to barge into a situation with little knowledge of the situation. Then they try and fix problems that don’t exist and ignore all the influences and problems that they don’t understand. Their solutions are mostly haphazard and ugly and rely on a network of other professional people to make them effective and useable.

So there