Why racers shave their legs

If you have been doing group rides you've probably noticed that the majority of bike racers have smooth legs. That goes for the men as well as the women. Most people in the Western world are accustomed to seeing women with shaved legs. However, if you are a man, you've probably never considered shaving your legs before. Should you start now?

Leg shaving is not requited by any racing rule. It is completely your choice. Most bike racers shave their legs for two reasons. First, they believe that having smooth lefs makes cleaning wounds easier after a crash. Second, having shaved legs makes massage more efficient. While both of these reasons are valid, neither concern is usually enough to make most riders shave.

Not many riders will admit it, but most shave to fit in. Road bike racing is a tightly knit community, and leg shaving is just part of its culture. After several years of racing, many riders can identify other cyclists outside their cycling clothing just by seeing them in walking shorts because their shaved legs and "biker tan" give them away. At best, riders who don't shave their legs are the recipients of frequent good natured teasing. At worst, riders who don't shave may be automatically labeled as not being committed to the sport by those who take it a little too seriously.

The final reason that a man may continue shaving his legs is that once his girlfriend of wife gets used to the sight of his hairless legs, she will often encourage him to keep shaving! Muscles honed over many miles on the bike can be an intimidating and impressive sight. As more than one American male has remarked "chicks dig shaved legs."