:sigh:

Let me check with my wife but im pretty sure they are my kids judging by their poor behavior.... I postulate that very few men would fight a bear to get some booty.. However, most men would fight a bear to protect their DNA (children)

God is punishing me with a receding hair line for shaving my legs.

My receding hairline started before I started shaving my legs. And I'm only 20.

It does look a lot better in lycra, that's for sure. Or let me put it another way, hairy pipecleaner legs sticking out of cycling shorts look ridiculous. Ripped, oiled up, smoothy smooth legs look like they belong in those shorts.

Women? Wifey-girl likes it the day I shaved them, then gets grumpy when the stubble comes through all scratchy. And they do look hot!

Me? The way they feel just after I shave them is nice, almost peversely so. Wearing a silk dressing gown feels SO GOOD! Also it's part of the ritual, the night before a race, like a nice bath and plenty of carbs in your dinner.

Fitting in? Definitely, it's the mark of a racing cyclist. You wouldn't go to a business meeting wearing jeans and a T shirt. You wouldn't go swimming in a pool wearing your Y fronts. Nor should you turn up at a race with hairy pins. People will think it's your first race, and get nervous of riding near you.

Wounds? Yes, if you have thick hair on your legs, the tape doesn't stick so well, but it yoinks the hairs out something horrible afterwards.

Massage? Much better without hair.

Embrocation? Not so much about ease of washing it off (I make my own and it all soaks in in a couple of hours) but it feels nicer rubbing it in. Plus my legs look glossy and intimidating afterwards, instead of greasy-hairy.

Aerodynamic benefit? You must be kidding. Maybe when I've got an aero frame, seatpost, wheels, tri bar and helmet, and am in a TT where they count fractions of a second, and I'm against someone who can do the same course in the same time as me, maybe then it would make a difference. But the question is purely academic, because at that level, you shave your legs.

Because I shave my balls and it would look funny with hairy legs

Actually, this has turned into a good discussion, except for your pot-shots and insults.

This isn't about me; I'm not even considering taking up the practice, as I've explained earlier. I'm just trying to understand the origins of it. I think I get it now, but like I said earlier, I'm not competitive enough or pushing the envelope enough to worry about it.

I came in with the idea that people did this for aerodynamic reasons, which seemed BS to me. Now I know it has more to do with road rash and tight-fitting clothing. I learned what I wanted to learn.

I kinda laugh at the idea someone mentioned earlier that anyone can buy an expensive bike, but only a hardcore, competitive racer will shave his legs. If I'm a poseur and spend several thousand on a bike and racing outfit, why would shaving my legs be a big hurdle?

Is there any better feeling (on a bike) than leaving a shaved legged Fred with a power meter in the dust?

This thread is just like the hundreds of others that preceeded it. It's not a big mystery, if you had done a little bit of research you would have found the answers.

Anybody who seriously does it for aerodynamic reasons is a moron. The hair gets in the way of many cycling-related things, that's all there is too it, that's the primary reason it is done. Secondary is people doing it just because others do it. Looking good is just a side benefit.

It wouldn't. Like I said, many people do shave "to fit in". But the idea that it is the only reason is absurd, and I'm a little tired of seeing it come up over and over again.

Good thread... thanks for the info.

Ok, I'm just gong to put it out there, I shave my legs for aerodynamics because I can't afford a Cervelo Soloist, GOD.


Jerks.

Exactly why I enjoy the Road Cycling forum so much!

It's why I came back, I need to make fun of Pcad and get owned by Botto, SoCal Bike Forums was just too polite, I guess it's because you know in the end you're going to see the people you talk **** to.

Okay, let's get real.

- The aero advantage has been debunked. Smooth legs actually offer more drag than hairy ones. It's a boundary layer thing.

- The difference in cleaning/dressing a wound hairy/smooth is pretty negligible. (Embedded gravel is a big deal. Hair? I don't even notice it. Man up!)

- Shaving DOES make it nicer on the masseuse -- but how many people have a massage after every ride?

The real reasons for most people?

1. They always wanted to shave their legs but were afraid of the psycho-sexual connotations it brings. Cycling offers a convenient excuse.

2. Cycling isn't high-maintenance enough. Shaving cranks a high-maintenance sport into the true upper echelon.

3. The desire to look like a pro. It goes with the team replica race kit and team replica bike and team replica air pump and team replica wheels and team replica . . . . Never discount the desire for artificial legitimacy.

4. A lot shave because they shaved once -- and they HATE the itchy feeling that comes from not shaving again.

5. Some female told them it was sexy -- when, in fact, she was just manipulating the guy to see how long he would tolerate it. (She just wants him to identify with what SHE has to go through on a regular basis.)

There. The myths debunked.

shaving is a good idea if you're cat 3 or above... 4 and 5's often don't have the muscle definition to pull it off... imagine watching Le Tour on TV and seeing 400 hairy legs pedaling.. that's WHY racers shave... it looks wayyy more attractive and professional... the question should be rephrased!! should you shave if you aren't a serious racer? no you shouldn't, you're too slow, and it'll have the reverse effect and make you look like a dweeb! i can do my cat 4 races without shaved legs just fine, and when i get my ass kicked people can just look at my legs and see that i don't take this ***** too seriously. in fact now that my early morning race is over i gotta go get my hairy legs back to the construction site to make ends meat!

Yes...because they mail you that muscle definition when they send you your upgrade sticker.

I think this was fairly tongue in cheek... but I'll bite.



It's more about the hair being in the wound as it heals, and dealing with bandages pulling on the hair. Anyway, I discussed this with the nurses at my last time through the ER and they said it is much easier to deal with cleaning up road rash on shaved skin.

Often enough...

Don't forget, it looks good

I'm certainly not the most defined person out there, but I never get tired of this picture...

We know.

If people would stop bringing up stupid shaving threads...

No, the thread sucks, just like all the other shaving threads.

I don't need an excuse, I just need a reason.

Haha, good point. If I had a picture that good I would probably post it too.

And yet every time, umd explains why, as a serious cyclist, he does it...

Dude. Seriously. Give it a rest for once.

Well, then you're fighting for the days when you _used to_ have sex.

God you guys are froots.