Shall I shave my legs if I want to become a 4th cat?

chrisw12

Just though I'd start a 'what do I need to do to become a 4th cat' thread.

Apart from actually turning up and TRYING it, what else is needed?



Sorry!

phil s

Do you really need to ask? Of course you should bloody shave your legs

sward29

Based upon my own experience the first thing you need is a bike which costs way more than your ability deserves and a set of preprepared excuses for why you didn't win. These should revolve around:

The weight of your bike or a particular component
The lack of grip afforded by your tyres.
Someone else cutting you up or boxing you in (use one then save the other for your next race)
The poor quality of the circuit/roads used for the race.

But never ever relate your lack of success to:

Excessive consumption of pies or booze
An inability to drag your ar*e out training over previous weeks or months

And yes you should shave your legs. It's the law. Otherwise you're a mountainbiker.

Ramanujan

Of course you shouldn't shave your legs.
There is no valid reason to.
The only reason people do it is to fit in with everyone else in an attempt to convince themselves and others that they are serious cyclists.

Be yourself and don't follow the herd.

shockedsoshocked

Ramanujan wrote:

Of course you shouldn't shave your legs.
There is no valid reason to.

It makes your legs look great.

There I said it.

chrisw12

Also

Will I need a power meter?

What weight do I need to be to be a 4th cat? I currently train at 13st but now and again like on the weekend I can go up to 13.5 st. Sometimes I go out with the fat boys have a chineese and go up to 14st. So are these average weights heavy enough. Do I need to get my weighing scale calibrated?

Lazarus

As far as i'm aware tri-bars aren't allowed so i know Chris isn't serious about racing

nicknick

All you need to be a 4th cat is a racing license!

chrisw12

Oh, yeah, forgot that one, are tri bars allowed?

Also do we all go at the same time or is there minute intervals like in PROPER CYCLE races. Seems a bit dangerous otherwise, all these new comers with so many questions, watching their speedos/power meter/hr monitors/gps riding together.

Tino4444

chrisw12 wrote:

Just though I'd start a 'what do I need to do to become a 4th cat' thread.

Apart from actually turning up and TRYING it, what else is needed?



Sorry!

Shaving your legs will not make you any more aerodynamic, the only reason for road cyclists to shave their legs is for when they fall off their bikes and cut their legs open so its easier to clean up and stick plasters etc....

.....do you think you will fall off? if so get them shaved!

Tino.

Jeff Jones

Ramanujan wrote:

Of course you shouldn't shave your legs.
There is no valid reason to.
The only reason people do it is to fit in with everyone else in an attempt to convince themselves and others that they are serious cyclists.

Be yourself and don't follow the herd.

Following the herd is a very valid reason

On a broader level, it's a fundamental aspect of the behaviour of many of the inhabitants of this planet. It's also an important energy saving tactic in road racing (following the herd that is, not shaving your legs).

It's not unreasonable to link shaving ones legs "to fit in" to the whole pack mentality of road racing.

JohnWilky

the only way to make a 4th cat is to shave your your scrotum. If that fails to win you a race you can give them a good scratch and try to lose a bit of weight and do some more training.....

SteveR_100Milers

So Mr Woolley, what is the likelihood of you and me going head to head in the final sprint at Upavon on Saturday then?? I'm not even going to wear my HRM so ner! Might even use my winter hack just to provide ample excuses for being nowehere near the front

Doobz

JohnWilky wrote:

the only way to make a 4th cat is to shave your your scrotum. If that fails to win you a race you can give them a good scratch and try to lose a bit of weight and do some more training.....

I roared out laughing when I read this.. the whole office must of thought I had lost the plot!!!

thiscocks

I have said to myself, I will only shave my legs when I make 2nd cat. Otherwise I'm not good\committed enough to warrant reaching for the ladyshave.

stjohnswell

keep your legs hairy, wear a camel back & fiddle with you ipod at the top of every hill while they catch up.

when the hammer really goes down near the finish it's polite to make conversation about wattage.

terongi

Tino4444 wrote:

the only reason for road cyclists to shave their legs is for when they fall off their bikes and cut their legs open so its easier to clean up and stick plasters etc....

.....do you think you will fall off? if so get them shaved!

Tino.

Rubbish!

Haven't you ever seen a cyclist fall off and cut his arms?

Have you ever seen a cyclist with shaved arms?

Stop hiding behind ridiculous excuses and admit that we shave because it looks good. Nothing wrong with that. I read somewhere that cyclists have been shaving their legs for longer than women have, so plenty of precedent for it too.

Tino4444

terongi wrote:

Tino4444 wrote:

the only reason for road cyclists to shave their legs is for when they fall off their bikes and cut their legs open so its easier to clean up and stick plasters etc....

.....do you think you will fall off? if so get them shaved!

Tino.

Rubbish!

Haven't you ever seen a cyclist fall off and cut his arms?

Have you ever seen a cyclist with shaved arms?

Stop hiding behind ridiculous excuses and admit that we shave because it looks good. Nothing wrong with that. I read somewhere that cyclists have been shaving their legs for longer than women have, so plenty of precedent for it too.

''We shave?''

You may do mate but I dont see the need! I know for a fact that it does not make a scrap of difference to the aerodynamics on the bike and if I fall off and cut my legs I will just grit my teeth when pulling off the plasters.......It looks good? To who? Ha Ha

Tino

Doobz

hmm..

some people get so touchy about leg shaving... Does anyone really care?

I believe the "pros" shave their legs for two main reasons

- Keeping things hygenic and easy to keep clean after they have had an off. Pulling hairs out of scabs is not that nice and feels pretty nasty when your trying to ride a bike.
- Have you ever had your legs massaged full of hairs? I believe this is the most important one..

Correct me if I am wrong.

mclarent

This conversation reminds me of a joke...

The Chelsea Board
The Met Police
The lady with the itchy crotch

They all regret going for that Brazilian

Doobz

hahahah - very good

chrisw12

This has backfired. :oops:

I posted this as a joke to all the other 'what do I need to be a 4th cat threads'

I don't actually care if you shave your legs, head, arms or balls.

Good work though lads, some funny quotes in there.


and Steve unfortunately I no longer own a road racing type bike. All my bikes are set up for proper racing i.e. timetrials. Even my mtb has tri bars on it. So I can't take you up on that offer

JohnWilky

Are you serious about tri bars on your mtb?? If so it's not shaving you need.......

SteveR_100Milers

Hey Chris, our club "run" on sunday will consist of riding 2 up on TT bikes around the A40 raglan circuit for 3 hours getting ready for the PTW 2 up 25! how sad is that.... :roll:

chrisw12

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Hey Chris, our club "run" on sunday will consist of riding 2 up on TT bikes around the A40 raglan circuit for 3 hours getting ready for the PTW 2 up 25! how sad is that.... :roll:

Sad, that seems really enjoyable to me, bit like the 12hr. Who are you ridding it with?

I'll often get up really early and ride the Neath bank courses. Saves on the entry fee.



To JohnWilky

and yes I was serious, tri-bars on mtb but they're only mini-ones and I do sometimes use the mtb for a 17 mile road commute, but hey don't knock it until you've tried it.

JohnWilky

why would I put tri bars on my mtb......... why would I even try it??? :shock: What purpose will it serve? Reducing drag when you have a pair of knobbly tyres on? Comfort - I doubt it! Do you wear your aero helmet disk wheel and skin suit for the same commute??

Post us some pictures please!! I need to see this......



:twisted: :twisted:

Lazarus

JohnWilky wrote:

why would I put tri bars on my mtb......... why would I even try it??? :shock: What purpose will it serve? Reducing drag when you have a pair of knobbly tyres on? Comfort - I doubt it! Do you wear your aero helmet disk wheel and skin suit for the same commute??

Post us some pictures please!! I need to see this......

Chris works on the theory that if he uses tri-bars then the hunched over postion covers a large proportion of the frame and it then requires less cleaning :twisted: either that or it reduces his frontal area and gives his pupils a smaller target to aim at when they throw stuff at him :evil:

peanut

wear some 3/4 longs then no one is going to know you have neanderthal legs
With any luck knowing our weather you should be able to get away with that through the summer

chrisw12

JohnWilky wrote:

why would I put tri bars on my mtb......... why would I even try it??? :shock: What purpose will it serve? Reducing drag when you have a pair of knobbly tyres on? Comfort - I doubt it! Do you wear your aero helmet disk wheel and skin suit for the same commute??

Post us some pictures please!! I need to see this......



:twisted: :twisted:

Ok

I have used an old skin suits in winter (under a jacket) they're quite warm.

Tri bars on the mtb for comfort really. You get used to ridding on your elbows after a while and my wrists are very weak from over use anyway.

I might be forced to use a wheel cover (aka poor man's disc) in a few weeks time as I have only one wheel for my fixed wheel bike and the cover's going on in the racing season.

Pointy hat, no, I've resisted that (so far).



and thanks Laz. for the kind words of support, you know it's difficult keeping a bike clean when you're training all the time, you should try it.

SteveR_100Milers

chrisw12 wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Hey Chris, our club "run" on sunday will consist of riding 2 up on TT bikes around the A40 raglan circuit for 3 hours getting ready for the PTW 2 up 25! how sad is that.... :roll:

Sad, that seems really enjoyable to me, bit like the 12hr. Who are you ridding it with?

I'll often get up really early and ride the Neath bank courses. Saves on the entry fee.



:

PaulFallon from ross & district. we will be in pointy hats and disc wheels on sunday

Lazarus

Training ??? C'mon chris you know me better than that