Going Hairless

django5

Hello. I'm new to cross country and mountain biking in general, so I wondered if you could tell me why cross country riders shave/wax their legs, and possibly arms etc.? I've not noticed riders from other disciplines doing this. Is there some special reason for it in XC?
Thanks in advance.

dennisn

Bunches of reasons people give for shaving or not. Just too numerous to mention
or even try to list them all. Most do it, I would guess, because the pros do it and
they want that look. I do it because my wife tells me not to and I'm man enough to make
up my own mind. Right dear? I'm looking forward to reading the replies to this one. This
could go on and set some kind of Bike Radar Forum record for numder of hits and
replies.

Dennis Noward

thewaddys

Shaving your body has no benefit at all except if you are a silverback gorilla. The aerodynamic benefits are non existant and it is one of the sad links to the "roadie" world. If you feel you are creating too much "drag" then get out and ride more to lose some weight and I am sure the hair will just drop off due to either fright or wipeouts if you are hardcore enough! Happy new year.

johnnypipe85

I thought it was only for the pro's, so it would be easier and less painful to have sore legs massaged by their phisyos...

clas

Shaved legs? I never understood it and think it looks pretty effeminate. Me? just call me "coconut matting"

Chaka Ping

I thought it was for ease of medical treatment if you fell off and got the kind of abrasive injury that a tumble on the tarmac is likely to cause (in the case of roadies).

Perhaps I'm wrong though, and it's more about the feel of lycra on bare skin?

dav1

seems like too much effort to me. Perhaps they think it will save them 3g of overall weight or something.

No chance im cutting my hair either, taken me 2 years to grow it

Dan67

I dont do it myself but its easier to wash you legs once all the mud has dried up on them. The pros do it to put baby lotion (correct me if im wrong) or barrier like cream on to stop you legs getting spots. But having a massage after a race can rip your hairs out, but for amatuers this reason isnt really true as we dont regulary have massages.

Jakes Dad

It's a Roadie Fetish ... apparently it's comfier in their tights or stockings on the drive home

Simon

BOYDIE

Hair looks funny spruting out from your Lycra leggings................never bothered me.

benneally

i think its for the fact that its easier to clean up when u fall off, and for massages. I really want to know what it feels like though.... hmmmm

sparrowlegs78

Ewww a shaved man ...gimme a hairy manly man anyway..much more masculine

dirtbiker100

roadies can shave their legs if they want but mtb'ers never should. we're not women...

gotta_hurt

Damm right! Sack back n crack, or anywhere else is not for me! As God intended! :twisted:

teacherman

Yup a spot of lycra and tight wearing is as close as i ever want to get to my feminine side!

Shave my legs? What would i have to plait when I'm bored

Swimmers do it as well don't they? Must be for people who spend all their time training and none of it enjoying themselves.

BlackSpur

Swimmers do it because it can make the difference between winning and losing a race. The differences between two swimmers' times can often be milliseconds.

sparrowlegs78

All i think of when i think of swimmers is duncan goodhew and he was deffo a hairless wonder....no where near as sexy as a mangorrilla

teacherman

BlackSpur you're proving my point - its all so damn serious. Surely if it works for swimmers it would work for roadies, olympic standard sprinters and postmen - imagine how much quicker we would all get our mail if they shaved their legs and wore red lycra - brilliant

sparrowlegs78

i feel sick at the thought of some blokes in lycra

BlackSpur

I suppose it's really a matter of deciding what's more important to you: a few milliseconds or your manhood?

gotta_hurt

I'm never going to be that good anyway! 2012....god, i'll be 41! I think i'll stay with the silverback look :roll:

gotta_hurt

And sparrowlegs78...got a mangorilla then?

teacherman

Is a man gorilla anything like a monkey butler? I might even trade my bike for one of those. Come to think of it you could strategically shave it so that it did its chores a nano-second quicker.

A shaved monkey butler in lycra. Must stop drinking during the day.

sparrowlegs78

Gotta Hurt...yup i got me a mangorrilla...damn hairy and 100 masculine..shame he's only 5ft 5" tho and i'm 6ft 2" :oops: .

Teacherman...i wish a mangorrilla was like a monkey butler...i could get my mangorrilla to wash my bike after i ve ridden it instead of me having to clean both ruddy bikes

hastings

teacherman wrote:

BlackSpur you're proving my point - its all so damn serious. Surely if it works for swimmers it would work for roadies, olympic standard sprinters and postmen - imagine how much quicker we would all get our mail if they shaved their legs and wore red lycra - brilliant

yeh but water is thicker than air so hair creates more drag on swimmers than roadies

teacherman

Otters do alright

BlackSpur

teacherman wrote:

Otters do alright

I think their fur has some sort of wax or oil coating on it to make them slippery.

teacherman

Oh alright you all win with your logic and clever arguments although i was expecting someone to say that fish aren't hairy