I shaved
01-16-06 | 02:21 PM
#27
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 504
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From: Phoenix, AZ
One could also argue that your leg warmers would stay up better with shaved legs 
Apparently my left leg has more hair than my right, as that leg warmer is always falling down
Debating this myself, but purely for functional reasons. Crit race this weekend and well....let's just hope it's not needed
Apparently my left leg has more hair than my right, as that leg warmer is always falling down
Debating this myself, but purely for functional reasons. Crit race this weekend and well....let's just hope it's not needed
01-16-06 | 02:51 PM
#29
Dog is my copilot.
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 802
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Alberta
Bikes: Lemond Maillot Jaune, Specialized Stumpjumper, Kona Jake the Snake, Single-Speed Rigid Rocky Mtn Equipe, Soon-to-be fixed Bianchi Brava
Originally Posted by rufvelo
It's just roadie tradition. Unless you're dealing with lots of road rash or getting a massage every day, shaving is not needed - but looks better though!
01-16-06 | 03:01 PM
#30
El Diablo
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,750
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From: Austin Tx, Ex So Cal
Bikes: Cannondale CAAD8/Record 10s, Felt DA700 Chorus 10s,
I've been shaving my legs so long, going on 16 years now, I don't even know what it's like to have hair on them anymore. I imagine that I first shaved to 'fit in' with the other riders in my club but now I do it as much out of habit as anything else. I've experienced a ton of road rash but never with hair on my legs.
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01-16-06 | 05:00 PM
#31
Nosra
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: North Orange County Calif
Bikes: Madone and Vitus Carbon-3
Ok, I have my share of hair - shut up Extort! - But I don't shave my legs, the last time I had road rash I just shaved the whole rash area in the shower as soon as possible. It's stinging so bad with the soap, that you don't notice the razor gliding over it. Then let the air dry/heal it. Then show it to your friends! 
01-16-06 | 05:15 PM
#32
All the gear and no idea.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
From: London, England
Bikes: 03 Klein Attitude Comp, 04 Stumpjumper FSR Pro, Condor Pista Track, Seven Alaris SG = perfection, all the bike I will ever need
I started of as a baggies/camelback wearing MTB dooooood. Over the past 2 years, I've gradually relinquished everything that I held dear in favour of skin tight lycra, figure hugging jerseys, peak less helmets and goofy looking M-frame type shades. I've swapped greasy roots, berms and bombholes for big mileage and being anal about cadence and heartrate...and loved every minute of it!!!
But for me, leg shaving is the final frontier and one that I don't think that I will cross. For an asian male, I have damned hairy legs...I like to think that it marks me out as the alpha male of my genepool and would be loathe to give it up. I don't have the luxury of massages (if only I lived in Shanghai where you can get a good 2 hour massage with optional happy ending for about 10 USD!) and I've only crashed on the road once in 3 years, so there isn't a strong case for it in my particular case. I do enjoy the winter months though, where I can hide my hairy shame with bib longs...maybe I've been conditioned from reading all those cycling mags, but hairy legs in full lycra whippet attire does look a little odd.
But for me, leg shaving is the final frontier and one that I don't think that I will cross. For an asian male, I have damned hairy legs...I like to think that it marks me out as the alpha male of my genepool and would be loathe to give it up. I don't have the luxury of massages (if only I lived in Shanghai where you can get a good 2 hour massage with optional happy ending for about 10 USD!) and I've only crashed on the road once in 3 years, so there isn't a strong case for it in my particular case. I do enjoy the winter months though, where I can hide my hairy shame with bib longs...maybe I've been conditioned from reading all those cycling mags, but hairy legs in full lycra whippet attire does look a little odd.
01-16-06 | 06:10 PM
#33
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 504
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
One could also argue that your leg warmers would stay up better with shaved legs
Apparently my left leg has more hair than my right, as that leg warmer is always falling down
Debating this myself, but purely for functional reasons. Crit race this weekend and well....let's just hope it's not needed
Apparently my left leg has more hair than my right, as that leg warmer is always falling down
Debating this myself, but purely for functional reasons. Crit race this weekend and well....let's just hope it's not needed
01-16-06 | 06:17 PM
#34
Bike Junkie
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,625
Likes: 14
From: Santa Clara, CA
Bikes: 2013 Orange Brompton M3L; 2006 Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Fixie (Eddy Orange); 2022 Surly Cross Check, Black
Originally Posted by Sinfield
I'm pretty sure you totally missed the meaning behind that one...
01-16-06 | 06:20 PM
#35
Lanterne Rouge
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 0
Bikes: Time VX Edge
Originally Posted by Nosra451
I just shave the area of road rash in the shower ASAP. The rash stings so bad from the soap that you don't even notice the razor gliding over it.
You're insane
-simplyred
01-16-06 | 06:59 PM
#37
Onya bike lad!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: BrisVegas, Australia
Bikes: an old Jack walsh
I shave because I have really hairy legs / thighs and the hairs get caught between the weave of my nix's and whith my legs going up and down when riding it pulls the hair out and I end up with very red thighs when riding... Thats my excuse anyway!
01-16-06 | 07:33 PM
#38
Originally Posted by GGDub
You obviously don't have legs as hairy as mine. Even with just the odd road rash (I really try not to get it) its so worth when I'm scrubbing gravel out of my hip and not having to deal with getting hairs stuck in goo which is my damaged flesh.
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01-16-06 | 07:38 PM
#39
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Originally Posted by substructure
Besides shaving, I'm also laying in the tanning bed with my jersey and shorts on. I think this alone will make me look more like a pure cyclist without actually proving myself on the bike.
01-16-06 | 08:01 PM
#42
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,563
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From: Huntington Beach, CA
Bikes: Specialized Roubaix Pro & Iron Horse Mavrick 5.5
Originally Posted by Chicocreole
why do I read all of these shaving threads?
Ralph
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Ralph (not Ralphie) on a Roubaix in
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Ralph (not Ralphie) on a Roubaix in
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01-16-06 | 10:54 PM
#44
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 290
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From: North Orange County, CA
Bikes: Gary Fisher MTB and a Klein Quantum II
Originally Posted by substructure
Besides shaving, I'm also laying in the tanning bed with my jersey and shorts on. I think this alone will make me look more like a pure cyclist without actually proving myself on the bike.
01-17-06 | 10:39 AM
#45
Dog is my copilot.
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 802
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Alberta
Bikes: Lemond Maillot Jaune, Specialized Stumpjumper, Kona Jake the Snake, Single-Speed Rigid Rocky Mtn Equipe, Soon-to-be fixed Bianchi Brava
Originally Posted by timcupery
You have lots of hairs on your hip? Or hips? That's a bit different than hair on the legs, isn't it? The only time I've crashed since I've been riding good bikes, I didn't scrape up my legs, but I did my hip. And despite not shaving, there was no hair to gum things up on my hip.
01-17-06 | 12:09 PM
#46
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,754
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From: Mesa, AZ
Bikes: Moots RCS, tandem, beach-cruiser, MTB, Specialized-Allez road-bike, custom track-bike
The other thing that people are forgetting is that shaving lets you intimidate the competition. Nothing like flexing some really cut legs at the start line to instill some doubt in their minds. My teammates and I used to use some baby oil on our legs to bring out the cuts too. 
And I'd wear mismatched socks to distract them. Also made my own 9-spd cassette when 8-spd first came out to confuse them, 'cause you know they're back there counting your cogs... heh, heh...
And I'd wear mismatched socks to distract them. Also made my own 9-spd cassette when 8-spd first came out to confuse them, 'cause you know they're back there counting your cogs... heh, heh...
01-17-06 | 03:11 PM
#47
still fuzzy
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 226
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From: hoosier
Bikes: Nova
I'm still afraid of being shunned by friends and relatives if I go shiny. I might if I ever get a really good reason, but "it makes the muscles stand out better" (everybody's real reason) just doesn't make the cut so far.
01-17-06 | 03:24 PM
#48
Originally Posted by hairyleg
I'm still afraid of being shunned by friends and relatives if I go shiny.
01-17-06 | 03:37 PM
#49
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,159
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Originally Posted by timcupery
Sociologically speaking, this is basically a style thing, along the lines of
* Serious cyclists shave their legs
* I am (or want to think of myself as, or want to appear to others as) a serious cyclist
* Therefore, I should shave my legs, so that:
- I can look more like a serious cyclist to myself
- I can look more like a serious cyclist to others
Another style reason is that it makes your legs look more defined, which can be kind of cool, or intimidating to other rides, etc.
The main substantive reasons are, as mentioned
* road rash is easier to treat when there's no leg-hair involved
* it's easier to do massage that uses oil
Being a cyclist is only a small part of my identity, and even if it were were, I don't like to do things for non-functional reasons. Where function is concerned:
* I do self-massage all the time, but "dry" without oil; and hair has never been a problem
* last time I got road rash, I was a kid riding a banana-seat single-speed bike with a coaster brake... and I didn't have any leg hair.
Maybe I'll crash tomorrow and wish I had no leg hair. But the odds are low, and shaving legs takes time, which adds up over the years to a lot more than how much extra pain it'll be having road rash with leg-hair, if I ever do.
* Serious cyclists shave their legs
* I am (or want to think of myself as, or want to appear to others as) a serious cyclist
* Therefore, I should shave my legs, so that:
- I can look more like a serious cyclist to myself
- I can look more like a serious cyclist to others
Another style reason is that it makes your legs look more defined, which can be kind of cool, or intimidating to other rides, etc.
The main substantive reasons are, as mentioned
* road rash is easier to treat when there's no leg-hair involved
* it's easier to do massage that uses oil
Being a cyclist is only a small part of my identity, and even if it were were, I don't like to do things for non-functional reasons. Where function is concerned:
* I do self-massage all the time, but "dry" without oil; and hair has never been a problem
* last time I got road rash, I was a kid riding a banana-seat single-speed bike with a coaster brake... and I didn't have any leg hair.
Maybe I'll crash tomorrow and wish I had no leg hair. But the odds are low, and shaving legs takes time, which adds up over the years to a lot more than how much extra pain it'll be having road rash with leg-hair, if I ever do.
