I've read webpages and blogs on how to look like a"real" cyclist and they pretty much all insist you must shave your legs to be "one of us". Does that attitude involve touring cyclists or just the road bike crowd?

I shave my legs maybe about once a week when I'm touring. More if there are beaches involved.

Oh Machka, you beat me to it,
I was just going to state that my wife who sometimes tours always shaves her legs and that's alright by me.

Heh, leg-shaving racers used to claim that it was beneficial in case of road rash ie bandages wouldn't stick to hair or else that hairless was better for daily massage...there even were claims about aero advantage (actually I once read an article about aero drag across plane/rocket/car paint--surprisingly a rougher surface gave less drag, sort of helping to prevent air from 'sticking' to the paint). But really it's about looks. BTW I find it a bit ironic that many guys shave chest (& I suppose back & whatever else) but that the non-shaved face look is the style.

Haven't seen any tourists that sport shaved legs but hey, if one has awesomely muscular & cut legs, why not?

I heard it was to reduce infection when they crashed, not sure that is significant.

Not even an issue with the modern kids that shave everything in sight, and not, for tatoos, or whatever.

Shaving for touring is not a thing, though. For one thing, a lot of real touring occurs where regular bathing is not automatic. Basically wild camping.

No.

Not at all for me.

I'm not a real cyclist.

"real" cyclist ???? Isn't that somebody that rides a real bike?

The "roadies" will never think of me as "one of us", even if I shave my legs.... I ride a steel bike.

We have obviously never ran into each other on the road. Not only do I have awesomely muscular and cut legs, I love the feel of them shaved, but tt wasn't always that way. In 1990, I had my natural aortic valve replaced with a mechanical one. Two male hospital assistants shaved my entire body below my neck except for my arms. (When I woke up after the surgery, all the tubes were, or course, taped to my arms.) I loved the feel of bare legs and now shave regularly during cycling season, whether I am road riding or touring. All my tours right now are 10-11 days max. I carry a few disposable razors. If you stay on top of things, shaving the legs takes only a few minutes in the shower.

I think the answer is that no one, or almost no one, shaves because of touring or to tour. It's not an aspect of touring at all. It's an aspect of personal maintenance that may or may not carry over to a tour. For my part, I shave my face daily except when I'm on a bike trip. Then I tend to get a little lax. Legs-- only on Halloween.

When I was a youngster, I did race and initially did not shave my legs. Then I had a thigh of road rash and it was not fun removing the bandages. Afterwards, I shaved the legs. Unfortunately had a wreck about a year later and rashed the other thigh. Bandages still hurt coming off but not nearly as much. So for me it wasn't about looks but basically since I am a wimp and hate pain, I shaved my legs. But since I hate pain, I quite racing and started touring so I could slow down and not cause pain . Now as a touring cyclist, I am hairy and pain free (but that is getting harder as I age).

If you shave your legs, you need to be able to pass pretty much everyone, and at least keep up with the fastest riders. Otherwise, you just look ridiculous.

shave legs? thats a good one. I shave my pits too... wtf?

bikini wax your chest hair too .

Leg shaving? I don't stop there, I shave all the way up, baby, all the way up.

Check.

If you do a long tour, when you get back home you can tell your friends, "I rode a bike across the country." Even the leg shavers will then answer, "Whoa! Really?"

Depends on the country, of course.

Spotting tics on a shaved body is much easier.