General Cycling Discussion - Shaiving your legs(men)

I just got into cycling in March of this year. I alredy have a passion for it,about a month ago i started shaving my legs, immediately the day after i shave i get this rash/razor bumps on the backside of my quads. Is there a cream out there i can use besides shaving because i dont want to stop shaving my legs ,but this rash really itches me??????????? Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can get some Aloe Vera gel at most good pharmacies. Just be certain to get the one that is 100% Aloe Vera - not the varieties with Lidocaine and other funny stuff. Aloe, applied to skin rashes and cuts and other types of irritation, soothes and promotes fast healing - almost like a miracle. Aloe Vera is non-toxic and won't harm fabrics or cause stains. It's been in use for thousands of years.

Here's one link:

http://mayoclinic.com/health/aloe-vera/NS_patient-aloe

Google will supply you with many, many more.

Been shaving mine since 2000. I use Kiss My Face (http://www.kissmyface.com/moistshavepages/moistshavepage.html) shave cream. Never had a rash anywhere. :beer:

Also, don't use cheap blades. Use something like Mach 3 or better.

or...you could leave your legs alone:innocent:

New here and I don't know if this has been brought up before (I'm sure it has Sometime), but I use a straight razor for normal shaving (face) and it's much nicer and gentler than a conventional multi-blade razor once you learn to do it. A lot of guys on the forum use them because of irritation caused by multi-blades. I know there are a couple women on the straight razor forum that shave their legs with them too, so I know that's possible/preferred by some. Something to look into maybe if you can't solve your problem another way. I have found the straight razor gives me a little less irritation on my neck, but I never had much of a problem to begin with so I couldn't tell you a whole lot more about that aspect of it. Straightrazorplace.com is great if you decide to look into it.

I did plenty of surveying amongst all the women I know, when I started shaving my legs. Here's what works for me:

1) Get a travel bottle and in it, combine 1 part witch hazel to 3 parts hand lotion (Vasoline Intensive Care or the store brand is fine).

2) Apply this lotion to your legs - especially in your problem areas.

3) Apply a shave gel over the lotion - I prefer one for sensitive skin.

4) Use a fresh Gillette Fusion razor. I've tried many different brands/kinds of razors and this one is the best for not clogging up with hairs. Thus, shaving smoother and safer.

5) Don't shave fast with a lot of pressure. Go easy on how hard you press down. Move the razor at a slower speed than when shaving your face. This will ease some of the skin irritation.

Good luck.

Oh, also, I don't know if you guys use them or not, but the vibrating razors really do work well. I can Dry shave with a Gillette Fusion Power razor with no problems. I usually use the Fusion Power with just water when I need to shave quickly and don't have time for a real shave. My girlfriend has tried it on her legs and said it was indeed nice.

Question: Why is it necessary to shave your legs for cycling?

I never understood this...

I shave most of my body but I am not very hairy anyway. The only reason I shave my body is because it show muscle tone and it makes it easier to put tanning moisturizer on. Some body hair I just use bikini clippers to avoid razor bumps. The more you shave the less of a problem it becomes.

Question: Why is it necessary to shave your legs for cycling?

I never understood this...

The original very sensible reason was to make massage easier and less painful. Then one idiot told another idiot that the pros did it reduce air resistance, and a third idiot did it because the first two idiots had...

Some people claim it helps make road rash easier to treat. I doubt this, but have no evidence.

Question: Why is it necessary to shave your legs for cycling?

I never understood this...
My leg hair is so close to the chain on my 'bent I get to experience the annoyance of it bushing every crank revolution if I don't shave. If I only rode my DFs though, I probably wouldn't bother with the hassle.

Regarding the road rash issue, it certainly hurts much less to change adhesive bandages and taped-on dressings when there is no hair to be pulled. Last weekend I went body-surfing on pavement, and got road rash on an arm and a leg. I clipped the hair from around the leg's road rash, but my arm is still hairy. For comfort, I wrap my arm to hold the dressing in place, but use adhesive bandages or a taped-on dressing on the leg.

The original very sensible reason was to make massage easier and less painful. Then one idiot told another idiot that the pros did it reduce air resistance, and a third idiot did it because the first two idiots had...

Some people claim it helps make road rash easier to treat. I doubt this, but have no evidence.

Only idiots believe it has anything to do with air resistance. Massages, lotion/embrocation/dirt/cleanup, road rash, feel, and looks are the main reasons. I have plenty of evidence regarding the road rash, unfortunately...

Only idiots believe it has anything to do with air resistance.


I wonder if it started because Idiot 1 got the word from a triathlete? Shaving *does* increase swimming speed.



Massages, lotion/embrocation/dirt/cleanup, road rash, feel, and looks are the main reasons. I have plenty of evidence regarding the road rash, unfortunately...

I admire any man who is frank enough to say that he shaves his legs for looks! Regarding the road rash - have you had similar crashes with and without hair? Does the hairlessness just make treatment easier, or do you feel it reduces damage? I'd be really interested to know - I'm putting together a science vs cycling myths blog and its damn hard to get evidence on this one...

Regarding the road rash issue, it certainly hurts much less to change adhesive bandages and taped-on dressings when there is no hair to be pulled.

..Well, call me Mr Didn't Think Of The Obvious! But does anybody - except perhaps a crit racer - really expect to crash so much that they shave for this reason?

I wonder if it started because Idiot 1 got the word from a triathlete? Shaving *does* increase swimming speed.

I'm sure that helps to perpetuate the misconception.


I admire any man who is frank enough to say that he shaves his legs for looks!

I do prefer the way that it looks, but it is far down on the list of my reasons for shaving, hence why I listed it last.


Regarding the road rash - have you had similar crashes with and without hair? Does the hairlessness just make treatment easier, or do you feel it reduces damage? I'd be really interested to know - I'm putting together a science vs cycling myths blog and its damn hard to get evidence on this one...

I had a series of unfortunate crashes which prompted me to consider shaving. I tried it, found the other benefits as well, and that it wasn't much of a hassle (10 min once a week). I don't think it "reduces the damage" and don't think that there is any claim that it does. Its about cleaning up the wound, hair sticking in the wound and to the bandages, and just generally getting in the way or pulled.


..Well, call me Mr Didn't Think Of The Obvious! But does anybody - except perhaps a crit racer - really expect to crash so much that they shave for this reason?

I've never gotten road rash in a crit. In fact most of my road rash is from training :eek:

I have to go with Dave Moulton on this one. "If someone asks me, “Why do you shave your legs?” I answer simply, “It’s traditional.” That is the only answer I need. No one questions it or doubts my word. After all, if something is traditional, who am I to break with tradition?"

for triathlons shaving also makes transitions faster and less painful if you have to wear a wetsuit for the swim.

I like it and I am a klutz. Thus, vanity and taking care of road rash are my main reasons.

If you're in a big city, one that has an NBA team, give them a call and ask for their team trainer. Next time you watch an NBA basketball game, notice how clean shaved those basketball players are. I mean the mens team.

My legs are really hairy so when i ride in the summer i shave to prevent the excess sweating on my legs, it works, plus when i hit a swarm of gnats or bugs I'm not picking them out of my hair for the next 2 hours - I let it grow in the winter

I find it very creepy if a man shaves his legs. I had a half uncle who had utterly hairless legs and it skeeved me out.

Anyway, if you're worried about tape sticking to your body hair, there's "tape" that only sticks to itself and the bandage, it feels sort of like paper. That stuff is awesome, I used it to tape a dressing to my dog's paw when he cut his pad, worked great.

ETA: http://solutions.3mcanada.ca/wps/portal/3M/en_CA/Nexcare/Home/Products/FirstAid/Tapes/ hope that link works for everyone.

Many guys have scant body hair due to genetic predisposition. Such as being of Native American ancestry (Hi there). And many other simply find the hair on places like their legs disappearing over time. All of this is normal.

If a man wants to shave his legs, or a woman doesn't want to - who is anyone to complain? And who invented the social expectation of a woman having shaved her armpits & legs? The razor manufacturers and the shaving soap companies! Look at pictures of women in the 1920's and 30's. They let it all hang out.

And it has been proven that humans, of both plumbing varieties, excrete pheromones that attract other humans, subconsciously, to mate. This 'scent' is mostly released through the hair follicles located in the armpits - in both sexes.

End Of Physiology/History Lesson.

I find it very creepy if a man shaves his legs.

I find it creepy that people care

I find it very creepy if a man shaves his legs. I had a half uncle who had utterly hairless legs and it skeeved me out.


Really? I find it quite hot.

ambivalent

I find it creepy that people care

To see, you dope. :P

I had a half uncle with hair less legs that liked to sit around wearing shorts. Creepy and weird. Men should have a certain amount of body hair, it's normal and MANLY!

It really doesn't bother me..I never had the "creepy" uncle thank goodness. I do find it supremely easy to apply sunscreen. It's been over a month since I shaved mine and today..it was a pain putting on the sunscreen.

To see, you dope. :P

I had a half uncle with hair less legs that liked to sit around wearing shorts. Creepy and weird. Men should have a certain amount of body hair, it's normal and MANLY!

It's still creepy that you care, and that it bothers you.

I did it initially for tradition and gnats. Now it's because I like how it looks and my wife complains if I let it grow out. I also like not having hair on my arms, which I came to by accident.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=2687549&postcount=28

And who invented the social expectation of a woman having shaved her armpits & legs? The razor manufacturers and the shaving soap companies! Look at pictures of women in the 1920's and 30's. They let it all hang out.

thank you razor manufacturers and shaving soap companies!

99% of the guys that shave their legs do it to make their leg muscles look more defined or because they think it makes them faster.

i ride 150-200 miles/week, and i have never had any reason to shave my legs.

I never used to shave until I spent an hour cutting rolled skin from the hair on my bleeding calf. Then I found my legs were a lot cooler cycling in the summer heat. I do stop for winter once the cyclocross season starts though.

99% of the guys that shave their legs do it to make their leg muscles look more defined or because they think it makes them faster.

99% of the people who say crap like this are morons

Definition is a fringe benefit, as is the ease of putting on tanning lotion, but I do it because I run cooler when shorn, so I sweat less. Also, it helps control B.O. and makes it easier for me to clean up when I ride to work, since I don't always have access to a shower. Body odor is caused by bacteria, and all that hair just gives the little suckers a place to set up shop.

Definition is a fringe benefit, as is the ease of putting on tanning lotion, but I do it because I run cooler when shorn, so I sweat less. Also, it helps control B.O. and makes it easier for me to clean up when I ride to work, since I don't always have access to a shower. Body odor is caused by bacteria, and all that hair just gives the little suckers a place to set up shop.

So, you shave the pits as well?

My reasons:

5% ease of applying sunscreen, embrocations, etc.
5% road rash care
39% tradition
51% vanity

100% more comfortable.

So, you shave the pits as well?

TMI, but you asked for it. Yep, legs, chest, pits, back, etc. It felt weird at first, but I'm used to it now.

I was already shaving my head, so it wasn't hard to add other body parts to the rotation. An extra 5 minutes in the shower. The initial shave takes awhile, though.

my legs stay hairy. Too much hair to be shaving off anyway.

I do shave my pits though. Started because of excessive sweating (it helped, as did MAXIM brand anti-perspirant) and continue to do so because it feels better without hair there...uses a LOT less deodorant, too.

For those of you that dont shave your pits, I would highly recommend it. Helps reduce odor significantly, and if you sweat a lot it will help control that, as well.

But legs...no thanks. No benefits for me.

removed by Admin

Putting the badge down for a moment here...

For a "genius" you seem to be lacking in some basic social and intrapersonal skills... umd offers sound advice based on more experience than you could ever hope for (as he usually does) and you come in here saying stuff that would get you knocked on your ass if you were to say this to his face.

Keep that in mind.

I'm astonished that no one shaves any more for the original reason of massage. The old theoretical justification of using it to drive out lactic acid to boost recovery was voodoo, but pro teams still use it because it has been proven to work. If you can't afford to hire a masseur to ride on your support bus you can still self-massage: http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/fitness-mysteries-of-massage-explained-22917 http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/qa-massage-myths-2476

I'm astonished that no one shaves any more for the original reason of massage. The old theoretical justification of using it to drive out lactic acid to boost recovery was voodoo, but pro teams still use it because it has been proven to work. If you can't afford to hire a masseur to ride on your support bus you can still self-massage: http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/fitness-mysteries-of-massage-explained-22917 http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/qa-massage-myths-2476

I said massages

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=9624935&postcount=13

Putting the badge down for a moment here...

For a "genius" you seem to be lacking in some basic social and intrapersonal skills... umd offers sound advice based on more experience than you could ever hope for (as he usually does) and you come in here saying stuff that would get you knocked on your ass if you were to say this to his face.

Keep that in mind.

The 'genius' looks to be on the fast track to getting banned. He's hit the ground running pissing off people in the Road Cycling forum, and he brings it over here now.

I said massages

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=9624935&postcount=13

Ok. That's one.

Real men don't shave. They use a depilator, which rips the hair out by the root. The first two times are torture and you'll probably get a few ingrown hairs, but after that, you can stay baby-smooth for weeks between depilation sessions.
http://aslcdn.celebuzz.com/archive/2009/08/13/stewie-family-guy-premiere.jpg

Definition is a fringe benefit, as is the ease of putting on tanning lotion, but I do it because I run cooler when shorn, so I sweat less. Also, it helps control B.O. and makes it easier for me to clean up when I ride to work, since I don't always have access to a shower. Body odor is caused by bacteria, and all that hair just gives the little suckers a place to set up shop.

+1

I also trim the pits with an electric trimmer for the same reasons. I also manscape the twig and berries region as its cuts down on itch and scent.

I wish I had shaved the legs when I played footie. It would have saved me a lot of messy healing. Ingrown hairs from turf burn are a bugger.

The original very sensible reason was to make massage easier and less painful. Then one idiot told another idiot that the pros did it reduce air resistance, and a third idiot did it because the first two idiots had...

Some people claim it helps make road rash easier to treat. I doubt this, but have no evidence.

From Sheldon Brown:


Subject: Shaving Your Legs
From: Jobst Brandt
Why do bicyclists shave their legs? This question arises regularly, although sometimes it's a troll, sometimes it's a rider who didn't dare ask his shaven riding companions. Had he done so, among the real answer, he would probably have gotten:


To prevent infection when crashing.
To pull off bandages more painlessly after dressing a wound.
To get a massage of the legs without hair pulling.
To be more streamlined in the wind.
etc
Hair does not cause infections and if it is a gash that goes deeper than the typical raspberry, there will be more dirt in it han a few hairs. In any case, where a wound needs sticthes the skin will be shaved around the opening anyway for the reson that hair inclusions are as bad as dirt inclusions.

Don't put tape on a hairy leg or arm. Shave it first. Every medic kit should have a Bic razor or better anyway.

Many folks with hair get massages and it has no effect on comfort. You'd think from this excuse, that those who shave get massages regularly and that massage parlors always shave their customers. Neither is true.

If this is a streamlining increment, then the rider should first get a tight fitting Lycra jersey and shoe covers.

The other excuses are just that. Bicycle athletes shave for the same reason body builders and women do it. Shaving exposes the sculptured lines of muscle definition (defo) or the absence of it for some women and some of the best legs are on bikies. Not only that, embrocation, (oiling up with exotic smelling greases or oils is the same as in body building and weight lifting), it emphasizes defo. If the soigneur tells the rider that this will improve performance, he'll accept that gladly.

I will say that with shaved legs bandages actually stick... But the primary reason I do it is:

20% easier to wipe road grime off
80% wife thinks it's sexy and it's cheaper than flowers :)

another reason: EMS pads actually stick to shaved legs. (EMS devices such as Compex or Globus are used for muscle recovery, warm-up and resistance training.)

Shaving just makes things like massage and bandage removal easier. It is not a requirement to be a cyclist. But don't go making claims that other people do it just for vanity, as you can't possibly know what other people are thinking.

My thyroid failure pretty much stripped my legs, chest and pits of hair. Still got it on my head and jewels dept. My eyebrows took a hit too, but with synthroid they recovered.