Smooth legs?

ALaPlage

Okay so I want to know why some cyclists choose to shave their legs? When I used to cycle in my teens and joined a club I was told that leg shaving was not about aerodynamics but to help in the event of coming off the bike - in so much as cuts and grazes were a lot easier to deal with (and less painful later) if there was no hairyness to get in the way!

So keen amteur cyclists - do you shave or not and if you do whats your reason for it?

Most I am surelike to look their best in Lycra and smoooth legs do tend to flow better with the lycra but is that a reason to go smooth?

What say you.....

hopper1

Mine are smooth!
My legs were never hairy, as such, but I think it looks better.
Plus, as you mentioned, there is the hassle of cleaning out 'road rash', if I fell off.
Oh, and massages are nicer...

a_n_t

looks better, no other reason for me.

CarleyB

I shave/wax mine.. but I'm a woman so I suppose my answer doesn't count lol

STEFANOS4784

I don't but then i'm naturally fairly bals (but not my head thankfuly) 8)

Airwave

Less chance of being shot with a traquilizer dart if i'm out riding anywhere near a zoo

ALaPlage

CarleyB wrote:

I shave/wax mine.. but I'm a woman so I suppose my answer doesn't count lol

All replies count and I guess you being a woman that's another vote for the "'cos it looks better" rather than any other reason

Unless the real reason that ladies shave/wax is to avoid road rash problems and I've missed the point all these years

rjh299

Hairy legs in lycra are not good. Better tan and makes my skinny legs look more muscular. Easier than actually building up muscle!

Flasheart

I have hairy lycra :roll:

Bunneh

because we're real men Paul, not like these girly girls

Matt the Tester

lol i have pretty much no hair on my legs and i dont even shave them

yes i am silky smooth :roll:

CarleyB

I have to say i like my men to have hair on their legs. something a little disconcerting about a man who shaves his body hair.

robbiedont

All off here, just because it looks better

balthazar

It's nice, and impressive, that everybody's so honest here! These discussions usually kick up all kind of dubious claims (from men) about dressing wounds, massage, and so on – anything to avoid admitting it's for looks, and conferred membership of a "club"; good enough reasons both.

lucan

CarleyB wrote:

I have to say i like my men to have hair on their legs. something a little disconcerting about a man who shaves his body hair.

"my men" plural? How many have you got?
:shock:

CarleyB

Well ok I have 1.. does a son count? he's only 3 though

STEFANOS4784

CarleyB wrote:

Well ok I have 1.. does a son count? he's only 3 though

Hopefuly not, else i'll be contacting social services

softlad

balthazar wrote:

It's nice, and impressive, that everybody's so honest here! These discussions usually kick up all kind of dubious claims (from men) about dressing wounds, massage, and so on – anything to avoid admitting it's for looks, and conferred membership of a "club"; good enough reasons both.

it only 'looks better', because we are surrounded by pics of the pro peloton with shaved legs. If the pros all had hairy legs, we would say that 'looked better'.

But the pros don't do it for looks, as you say - they do it for hygeine and all the other dull practical reasons...

CarleyB

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

CarleyB wrote:

Well ok I have 1.. does a son count? he's only 3 though

Hopefuly not, else i'll be contacting social services

lol

Matt the Tester

hehe :shock:

Team Banana Spokesman

softlad wrote:

But the pros don't do it for looks, as you say - they do it for hygeine and all the other dull practical reasons...

the first team to do it did it to keep their sponsors happy. that was back in the days of gravel roads and they felt no need to do it for those reasons you say. it doesnt make a difference when in a crash really.

mark cavendish said he hated doing it and its the worst part of racing for him. he mentioned something about 'having to do it' for the team/sponsors.

stokepa31

ive not long started doing it and its just for vanity. shows muscle definition much better.

The only problem i have is the wife stealing my cream. did one leg the other evening then reached into the cabinet to get the other tube id got and it was gone. shouts down 'do you know where my veet is' gets reply 'oops sorry, i used it'

had to use a razor on the other leg to avoid looking a complete plonker

Hals1967

Hairy legs n proud.

softlad

Team Banana Spokesman wrote:

the first team to do it did it to keep their sponsors happy. that was back in the days of gravel roads and they felt no need to do it for those reasons you say. it doesnt make a difference when in a crash really.

mark cavendish said he hated doing it and its the worst part of racing for him. he mentioned something about 'having to do it' for the team/sponsors.

did you make that up..?

have you ever crashed and needed treatment for road burns..?

Cav was shaving his pins long before he turned pro and had any sponsors...

Team Banana Spokesman

no

yes I have

How is shaving your legs?
I hate it. Hate it. There are some guys who are 60 and still shave their legs, because they think it looks nice, but it just doesn’t feel right to me. The day I stop riding my bike for a living is the day I stop shaving my legs. Fact.

softlad

Team Banana Spokesman wrote:

How is shaving your legs?
I hate it. Hate it. There are some guys who are 60 and still shave their legs, because they think it looks nice, but it just doesn’t feel right to me. The day I stop riding my bike for a living is the day I stop shaving my legs. Fact.

and that is evidence of what, exactly..?

dukegledhill

i'm full hairy and have no intention of shaving. it does make the wounds harder to clean and maybe my legs don't look as muscular but i'm not a pro and at the speeds i go it won't have any effect on wind resistance lol

carrock

I think there's been a definite shift in attitude

I have shaved my chest for years simply because it looks better, esp. in public, on beach etc it does look better than the david hasselhoff look, and just feels cleaner

My wife removes hair off my back for same reason

A few guys I know from the gym do the same thing

I guess for the same reason legs etc would also be worth doing for aesthetic reasons, and would be easier to clean up if grazed

Not sure about shaving armpits/pubic area though :shock: very much a swinger/gay thing I would guess

CarleyB

I would be devastated if my hubby shaved his chest, or his legs..or anything else lol

EKE_38BPM

The question I have to ask of the shavers is:
Where do you stop shaving?

Just above the line of your shorts (leaving you looking like you are wearing long-legged hair shorts)?
Around the crotch (leaving you looking like you are wearing hair speedos)?
Fully shaven (leaving you looking like a wannabe porn actor)?

andyxm

The question I have is, do you not have better things to do? I shave my face twice a week as I can't be arsed to do it more often, and if I leave it any longer it gets annoying, I'm certainly not going to start shaving other parts of my body because it 'looks nicer' Very suspect behaviour in my opinion. You sound like the type of chaps who might like musicals.