General Cycling Discussion - shaved legs or not?

with all this talk of hardcore riders, catagories etc.
I wondered, how many of us here shave their legs
specifically for riding (how do I say that and be
politically correct and not sexist?).

I just can't get myself to do it even tho
I know the benefits of shaved legs.
(and yes I have picked gravel out of
the road rash and hair...)

Marty

I gotta say that I was wierded out at first. But I like it now. Coming up soon here I will be shaving them again because I will start wearing shorts when it gets warmer. My wife likes it now too. She used to laugh at me but now she thinks it is pretty cool.

so what you are trying to ask is how many *guys* on the fourms shave their legs ;)

it's not just for cyclists any more:

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/smartliving/articles/0307boys07.html

this is going to make dating difficult for me.....

I don't. Never have. Probably never will. My legs are naturally hairless.

After a crash last August, I had to shave a circular area around the two stawberries on my knees. Bandages just don't stick to the hair on my furry little beasties.

It would have looked funny, but I kept on long pants for a while.

I've never shaved my legs; however, as I start to become more into biking and more competitive in my racing, I may start.

I think this year I'm going to do it again. My muscle tone is the best it's ever been, so might as well show it off. Besides, that way hairs don't poke out through my tights...........

We have had this discussion many times in the past. Some of the opinions of others can be found here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3291&highlight=shaving) and here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3531&highlight=shaved+legs).
And to answer your question, yes I do. :thumbup:

Well, of course...but anyway! To the guys, I would definitely recommend it. It'll save a whole lot of pain and it's really not that bad for your image around other guys. Really! :)

shave my legs? NO! that would be so dumb.....im not a woman!

Shave my legs? Nah. I can barely be bothered shaving my face most of the time. I'd never be able to keep up with that much yard word. Like my face my legs would be stubble most of the time. I don't think that would be much appreciated.

Yep.

Though I haven't in a few months, since I've been a pansy for much of the winter and not riding as much as I should be. Besides, my relationship is now officially long-term long-distance, so there's no one to get upset when I'm stubbly.

I'll do it again in the spring. I don't know how much it does for my riding, but it makes silk sheets feel really cool. That's enough reason for me.

Lightening, I'm with you, there is nothing like the feel of those cool sheets with freshly shaved legs--mmm. Personally, I think all men who are athletic and have muscular, defined legs should shave them. The reason women shave their legs is it looks better, right? Men's look better, too, without all the fur on them. This is in addition to the practical advantage that in event of a crash it's easier to clean up. Personally, while guys will all say that's the reason, I think most guys do it because the know it looks better, but in our society are not comfortable giving that as the prime reason.

In my experience, lots of women think they look great too, which is another good reason. I get many more favorable looks and comments when they are shaved. But, then, there are women who do NOT like that look, although many of them seem to get used to the idea, and then like it. I suspect it's the IDEA they don't like at first. The whole body hair thing is a strange anyway: those who want a guy totally natural still want his back hair removed. If that's the case, why stop there, and how is it OK to shave back hair but not leg hair?

I saw earlier in this thread a link to an article in Arizona about guys in their late teens, early 20's shaving, just to look good. I think among younger guys it is getting to be quite fashionable. The Wall Street Journal (not a radical publication, right?) had an article about waxing parties in college fraternities before the guys go to the beach. Lets face it: the hair really isn't that attractive, but most guys don't want to be obligated to shave it. Maybe that's why so many are resisting this trend. I wish this trend would hit the NBA: who wants to look at a close camera pan of some 6'8" guy's pit hair?

Shaved Once! My wife is still giving me grief over it!

I was reluctant for years. Yes, I heard the pros and cons and finally decided I'd try it to see how "I" liked it!

Wasn't too bad, felt very wierd at first, but I got used to it. Luckily I didn't crash to test out the "cleaning/bandage" usefulness of shaving.

In the end, "If momma ain't happy, ain't no one gonna be happy!" So to avoid any unfortunate demise, I'm fully leg-haired again!

L8R

Why did she care so much that you shaved your legs that she still is giving you grief? Seems like a pretty intense reaction to some fuzz on your legs (or lack thereof)!

Every time I hear about this topic, I am reminded of that great scene in "Breaking Away," in which our Masi-riding protagonist is singing Italian opera arias whilst shaving his legs for the first time. His father looks in the bathroom, rushes to his wife, and says, "He's shaving ..." She responds, "So? He is a 17-year-old male." He continues, "... his LEGS!"

Shave my legs? Nah. I can barely be bothered shaving my face most of the time. I'd never be able to keep up with that much yard word. Like my face my legs would be stubble most of the time. I don't think that would be much appreciated.


I agree. I hate shaving my face so I'm not about to find more areas to shave. I have joked about shaving my legs to my wife.
Well she just goes mental and says "I married a man not a boy" in reference to not having hairy legs.
People say legs look better shaved, I'm not that vain so I couldn't care. Besides I'm never one to follow the pack.

I like to keep the peace.:)

CHEERS.

Mark.

If I started shaving I guess I would start with my face. Then maybe my head. Legs would be third place I guess. After 30 years of not shaving I'd have come up with some really good incentive though, better than any of the reasons I've seen here.

A truly telling poll would be:

Do You Shave Your Uni-brow?

yes, no or only for weddings and stuff :D

My legs are naturally pretty hairy. I shaved them for a season. I liked it. It made it easier to clean off chain ring tattoos, slather on SPF 30, etc. I didn't crash that season, so I can't address the road rash issue. I don't race, so I don't face a lot of peer pressure to shave. My S.O. didn't like my legs hairless, so I do face negative peer pressure. That's why I don't shave them anymore.

I don't shave my unibrow. I don't have a unibrow. Shoot! Even my moustache has a natural part down the middle.

<Insert Smiley with bandito moustache here.>

I've shaved my legs for cycling for over 10 years. I don't race, but I ride a lot and I like the look and feel.

It's funny but in that length of time I think only about 5 people outside of my family have ever noticed it. My legs are slim, but defined and I think look better hairless. Besides I've experienced the benefit of the lack of hair quite a few times when it comes to road rash, gashes, and scrapes on the legs. Especially last August with a really nasty injury on my right knee. In fact if I had hair on my knee when I fell it would have been much harder and more painful to clean it after the fall.

My wife doesn't mind unless I let it go too long and gets stubbly (spelling?). I think she actually likes it better than hairy, less defined looking legs.

I used to let it go during the winter months and shave it off on the first day of Spring as a rite of passage. For the last 4-5 years I've kept shaving. It is too much of a pain to clip it all off in the spring. I'd rather do it once a week.

Once you shave it you have to stick with it. I have a friend who shaved his legs on a dare from a buddy on a week-long bike trip. It looked good on him, but he found it too much of a hassle since he's a lot hairier than me. To each his own.

A little story I just thought of. A couple of years ago I got to ride with Greg LeMond on a ride near my home. I actually got to ride right next to him and talk . He was very nice and still fast as hell. We joked around a bit, told a couple of stories, between my panting to keep up and he related that even he used to get hassled by his golfing partners during his racing days about his shaved legs. Hard to believe they didn't understand, but they were golfers after all.:p

Maybe there should be a choice for "Not yet". I haven't yet, but I could if I start training for racing. Rainbabe says "No!", but I think she could be convinced and maybe even like it. Do any of the hair removal creams work? I really hate actual shaving which is one benefit of wearing a beard.
Rainman

First, an answer to the immediate question: "Do hair removal creams work?" The answer is sort of: they remove the hair, but leave you stubbly. Shaving actually pulls the hair out a bit as it cuts, so you get a smoother feel. Creams work right on the surface. It feels like you need a shave immediately after.

As a general response to this post, I'm continually amazed at how strongly people react to shaving a bit of hair! I wonder if it was like this when women started shaving their legs? It hasn't been that long, really. The women really are one extreme or the other: some love it, some hate it. What I think, though, is they don't like their man breaking with social norms in a way that we have been taught is feminine: namely shaving your legs. Almost every woman who has endured it for a while has gotten to like it, however. And, of course, guys are not inclined to actively do something that will bring on their lady's anger! What a bunch of wimps!

The funny thing is, like someone said earlier, most people don't even notice if your legs are shaved or not. Guys vary in hairiness, anyhow. We should look on it like clothing: If it looks and feels good, wear it (or shave it off)!

How many of you have seen the cult classic "Breaking Away" about the little town of Bloomington, Indiana and the young wannabe bike racer. One of the first scenes in the movie is when Dave the lead character and his buddies are heading off to the local swimming hole and his macho buddy asks him if he's really going to shave his legs for the big local bike race.

Dave is fascinated by Italian bike racers and says "Of course , all the Italians do it". His macho buddy responds with a comment like "Italy, what a country, the men shave their legs and the women don't". Not totally accurate of course, but represents the midwestern attitudes of the 70's (and today?).

Of course a later scene is Dave trimming off the fur in the bathroom singing Italian arias when his VERY conservative father accidently walks in on him. His reaction is one of total disbelief when he tells Dave's mother what he's doing. He's convinced his son is a total wacko.

If you've never seen the movie is is worth a watch. It was shot in central Indiana and I've been there a number of times and seen where they shot the picture. A classic and very funny and touching at the same time. The cast of characters was:

Mike (Dennis Quaid), Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley), Cyril (Daniel Stern), and Dave (Dennis Christopher)

Breaking Away the Movie review (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviewspec.asp?reviewid=962)

Wow, that's odd. I just saw that movie today. Great flick, and apparently adored my cyclists all over even though it's not really about bicycling. Daniel Stern was especially good .

That film must have made a big impact on all you [midwestern?] cyclists--there is another post referring to it about 10 messages above this one. It is quite a scene, though--in certain areas, certainly including Indiana, in 2002 its a pretty risque thing for a guy to shave his legs, much less 1970. When I was a kid, before 1970, I lived in Bloomington, and I remember watching that race. It was very cool at the time, but of course so little is going on in Bloomington... I'm surprised that movie didn't boost leg shaving, but I guess it didn't. Until 10 years ago I never saw a guy, other than a pro cyclist, with shaved legs. I still think its stupid, guys legs really look great shaved, especially cyclists and skaters; the runners legs are too skinny.

Well, chest shaving is almost mainstream, maybe leg shaving will follow. However, chest shaving is not so tied to female grooming (for obvious reasons), so for some perverse reason is easier for guys to take to--chest shaving is not a "girl" thing to do.

I don't know about you guys, but the shaving thing acually can be very sensual when done with your S/O; you can do eachothers legs, etc. I'm surprised more of the wives who hate it haven't picked up on this angle

How often do you have to shave them to keep the "stubbies" off?

"Ouch! You need to shave, Pete!" :mad:

"But I'm already in bed! C'mon..."

"No!"

"No?" :) "Does that mean, 'No,' or, 'Definitely no?'" :confused:

"NO!!!"

"Oh...you mean, 'No....' I thought you meant, 'No.'"

"Pete, you only want one thing..."

"Who, ME???

:eek:

I hate to say it, but everyday would give the best results.

I am a woman and I do shave. There are of course some women who do not. It's a matter of personal choice. It does add to the overall enhancement of a woman. Could you imagine a REALLY HAIRY female rider whose legs needed to be BRAIDED? What a cringing thought! Now to the more interesting species -- The Male Mystique! I really think that a male cyclist shaving is very Attractive and Practial. My husband who's somewhat reluctant in this area -- maintains a gorgeous build and Dynamite Legs! Initially he's not crazy about shaving but since we're getting back into cycling -- especially this week (vacation til 4/1/02) -- for all intents and purposes I'll coax him into shaving! Road rash is unbearable when removing the bandages! Aside from this if one of the male persuasion is assisted by a female when shaving good things will happen! Shaving is not only limited to cycling -- take a look at the body builders -- none have hair on the chest nor legs! Although I like bald men as well as men with hair the idea of a completly hairless man AT All TIMES -- is not that appealing -- at least to me.

Road Warrior:

Now, that's a lady with an attitude I like to see! Just a few posts back I mentioned that rather than getting hung up about a guys shaved legs, all that stuff about a real man has hair, that actually the shaving thing is very sensual and can be made kind of fun if you do it together. Not to mention, it is practical, and esthetically far more pleasing. I cannot imagine Hubby resisting your wishes for long, especially if he has a great bod. Even if you don't like a guy shaved "from head to toe", the legs should be shaved for any athlete, and especially those in danger of road rash.

Originally posted by Road Warrior
My husband who's somewhat reluctant in this area -- maintains a gorgeous build and Dynamite Legs! Initially he's not crazy about shaving but since we're getting back into cycling -- especially this week (vacation til 4/1/02) -- for all intents and purposes I'll coax him into shaving!

...Aside from this if one of the male persuasion is assisted by a female when shaving good things will happen!
I had not thought of this.

If my wife were trying to lure me into cycling, this might be the bait! :D

Originally posted by poptart
it's not just for cyclists any more:
http://www.arizonarepublic.com/smartliving/articles/0307boys07.html
Very interesting article, poptart! In Sweden this would be considered extremely weird, but as all American things it will eventually find its way here. Maybe it’s not that common yet for you Americans either.

I borrowed a wax plate from my sister once and waxed a square of my leg. It hurt. ;)