Where do you draw the line?

[Martin318is]

Good call. Wounds are less messy and easier to clean without hair, and a massage from your soigneur is less likely to end up ripping hairs out/tangling them up if haven't got them.

Didn't know that it healed much quicker. Is that a documented thing or just personal experience?

From my own experience and NOT referring to any scientific claims or anything: generally speaking, the hair/ no hair option affects several parts of the overall wound experience.

Accident: A smooth leg will often get almost burn style large surface injury where in the same accident, a hairy skin surface can seem to dig in more. Some hairs are ripped out, others remain and the surface to surface friction is higher resulting in a "deeper" and more irregular wound.

Healing: THe healing time of these two types of wounds are different. Then there is the second impact of hair. If the wound is serious enough to need something like "Op-site" then the hair will need to be removed first or it won't work properly (and be a b!tch to remove). Even without opsite, hair makes wound treatment unpleasant because you are trying to add or remove adhesive dressings on an irregular and painful surface.

Often a smooth leg can get away with some topical cream where in the same circumstances a hairy leg will have a messier injury that requires wound dressings and can leave scarring.

In this photo of Jens' leg, you can see in the image below that the larger patch of "burn" is healing in a flat and regular manner, mainly because there is no hair cluttering up the scab.

 

[RedheadDane]

In Canada, hockey players usually sacrifice their front teeth to the game but I'm pretty sure that's by circumstance, rather than by choice.

What? I thought they gathered in a circle and took turns knocking each other's teeth out!

 

[CobbleStoner]

From my own experience and NOT referring to any scientific claims or anything: generally speaking, the hair/ no hair option affects several parts of the overall wound experience.

Accident: A smooth leg will often get almost burn style large surface injury where in the same accident, a hairy skin surface can seem to dig in more. Some hairs are ripped out, others remain and the surface to surface friction is higher resulting in a "deeper" and more irregular wound.

Healing: THe healing time of these two types of wounds are different. Then there is the second impact of hair. If the wound is serious enough to need something like "Op-site" then the hair will need to be removed first or it won't work properly (and be a b!tch to remove). Even without opsite, hair makes wound treatment unpleasant because you are trying to add or remove adhesive dressings on an irregular and painful surface.

Often a smooth leg can get away with some topical cream where in the same circumstances a hairy leg will have a messier injury that requires wound dressings and can leave scarring.

In this photo of Jens' leg, you can see in the image below that the larger patch of "burn" is healing in a flat and regular manner, mainly because there is no hair cluttering up the scab.

finally, someone that knows what they are talking about

 

[Polyarmour]

How much of a difference in speed does shaving make, anyway?

5 seconds in a 40km time trial. Chester Kyle 1987

 

[LongSprint]

Greetings all,

Is there another sport, other than swimming perhaps - and even then I'm not sure it trickles down to recreational swimmers, where a similar body "adjustment", is part of engaging in the sport?

Body building (if you can call that a sport)

 

[Cancellator]

When I have hairy legs I always end up pinching the hairs in a painful way when I try to put on/adjust knee warmers and shorts. Also tights feel weird.

It's just an option, of course when I shave my legs I don't imagine I suddenly become a pro rider.

 

[Maxiton]

finally, someone that knows what they are talking about

He just elaborated (well) on a point the rest of us made. What are you talking about?

 

[Bespoke]

Body building (if you can call that a sport)

Of course - I didn't think of that one.

Interesting though, with bodybuilding, the sport is judged on aesthetic criteria whereas with cycling, it's clearly not - yet the "clean" body is "preferred".

It is (for me anyway) an interesting cultural trope of cycling.

 

[lukinox]

I would only shave if I was racing, for obvious reasons, but the thing is I'm not racing and I keep my hair thank you very much, I'm too lazy to shave anyway.
Signed: a hairy *******