Only guy at bike shop with unshaven legs

[Kim Young]

So I was at the bike shop the other day getting some work done on my old bike. I'm not one that usually looks around like this but I start noticing that I'm one of the few guys there with unshaven legs. Most of the guys working there and a few of the customers had their legs all shaved. So I was one of the few there with hair on my legs.

It reminds of a joke, a cyclist, swimmer and a crossdresser walk into a bar....

Ironically, the reason why I started noticing the unshaven legs is that I thought one of the ladies there had hair on her legs. She didn't, it was just the lighting. But that got me down the slippery slope of checking out everybody's legs at the shop.

I get that competitive swimmers shave their legs because tenths of a second matter in a race. But what's the hairless requirement in cycling?

[cupcake]

the big reason for cyclists to shave is road rash wounds heal better without hair in the way.

there are various other reasons as well
-the pros do it so why not me
-massages feel better with no hair
-vanity

[Jane G]

10ths count just as much in a cycle time trial as they do in a swim. Funnily enough it was once common for cyclists to wear nylon tights when out training in the winter months.:heehee: Alas the invention of lycra has put an end to that.:sad:

[Beverley Sims]

I would follow the majority here.Do you want to be the odd one out?
Maybe they will all be wearing dresses shortly, and where will you be then?:)

[Vickie_CDTV]

Some also claim it cuts down on drag and therefore being hairless makes them faster just as it does for swimmers (given both are moving through fluids, one water and one air.)

Whether it actually makes any difference I don't know (this would be a great test for the Mythbusters to try out.)

[susan54]

Cuts down on drag? Oh dear.

Saw an article a few years ago on some research about driver behaviour towards cyclists. It sems that male drivers give a wider berth to cyclists they beleive to be women (and I think the male researcher established this by wearing a wig and a dress). So you can claim you are wearing a dress for safety when cycling.

[JillyNylonz]

I used to ride a lot, and race. Cyclists shave their legs for a practical reason: if they get into a crash, there is reduced chances of infections. Leg hair picks up a lot of road dirt while riding, especially in inclement weather. If we got in an accident, a nasty infection would result, we do not stop to clean our wounds while riding hard/racing. It happened to me once, before I started to shave, and I had a discoloration maybe 2X3 inches in size, a red blotch left over from the infection, for years on my leg! Also nice to be able to rinse off ones legs and be clean in a snap after a long ride! It had nothing to do with wind resistance

[Laurie A]

The same reasons women shave their legs?;)


there are various other reasons as well
-the pros do it so why not me
-massages feel better with no hair
-vanity

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Kim, Any reason to shave your legs is a good reason.

Now instead of shaving your legs trim the hair to a 1/4" ang get an eppilator
and keep them smooth forever.

[Victoria StJohn]

Kim, doesn't this give you the encouragement to shave also. After all, you are a cyclist. Go for it, girl.

[Jay Cee]

there are various other reasons as well
-the pros do it so why not me
-massages feel better with no hair
-vanity


The same reasons women shave their legs?;)

There are pro women? ;)

[UNDERDRESSER]

I have been shaving full time since last Summer and I got a job that encourages me to cycle commute. I thought it was a great excuse. But these days, if the subject comes up, I just say, "I prefer it, I don't like the look of body hair generally, and I think hairy legs and cycle shorts looks,... weird."

[Cristi]

Everybody I bike with shaves. I think the 'air resistance' reason is BS, but the more practical reason is in case of injury.

If you've ever had to clean gravel/sand out of open road rash on hairy legs, you'd immediately realize how much less painful (and easier) it is to clean up cuts and scrapes when there is no hair in the way.

Plus, some of it is vanity. After a few seasons of cylcing, ones legs get a lot of nice muscular definition that looks a lot nicer without hair :) :)

[Badtranny]

Isn't it interesting that the CD is the only one with hairy legs?

Don't you people see that a confident person who is secure in who they are simply doesn't care what people think of them? Hardcore cyclists (roadies) are typically macho egomaniacs but they would absolutely wear a bullet bra if they thought it would make them faster. And you know what? they wouldn't give a damn about it, they would pull it off and wash it at the water stops, drape it on the bikes to dry and then brag about the efficacy of their new "speed sling".

It's just sad that a man who enjoys cross dressing for whatever reason is afraid to do something as benign as shave his legs, even when other men are openly clean shaven.
First you have to accept yourself and know that you belong, and then when you learn to respect yourself, others will follow along.

[STACY B]

No hair makes it way better an more easy to put on your support hose before you ride ,,Dont pull the hair out ,,Ouch ,, Well gotta think of some excuse . Oh yea if you dont realy want someone to notice your shaved leggs do what I do ?? I paint my toe nails red it keeps em busy while I make my escape ,,,LOL,,,

[Jolene]

As I look around my world, there seems to be more males with shaved legs nowdays, myself included. I have often wondered if there is some unwritten rule somewhere that guys have to be hairy.

[Bluesman]

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/why-do-cyclists-shave-their-legs

[Sam-antha]

Lets be honest, road rash hardly happens, knee scrapes do and if the leg is affected it is the front where the hair is thin anyway. Probaby the reason is that cyclists are cowardly and are afraid of the pull of the sticky wound dressing .
Actually I think that Christi has it, legs when browned and smoothed on a bike look good. Hairy legs, brown or not tend to look a bit daft on a bike. Its all in the appearance.
~S~

[Badtranny]

Lets be honest, road rash hardly happens, knee scrapes do and if the leg is affected it is the front where the hair is thin anyway.

Road rash on the knee? I have ridden a mountain bike for years and if I go down on my bike, (usually a pretty ugly downhill incident) I get all manner of abrasions on my legs but rarely the knee. Also, not having hair on your legs makes it HARDER to get a deep abrasion because your naked skin slides over things (like cement) better than hairy skin does. Hair catches more crud and blood as well so after a spill, the cleanup takes a lot more out of your water bottle. My legs take a quick squirt and there's no more dirt in my scrape. There are a million reasons to shave your legs for cycling and cowardice isn't one of them.

[Barbara Ella]

Gosh, if you needed a reason to explain to someone why, this is surely it. Just take them back to that shop and show them that you are a serious biker girl.

Then, just do it.

Barbara

[KellyJameson]

Body hair on a man can look sexy to me if it does not make him look like a gorilla but I sure don't want it on me. YUCK and GROSS are words that come to mind.

[Miranda G]

This is the exact reason I started cycling again a few years back. I swim too so it's win-win :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, triathlon is the greatest sport a CDer can take up. There's even a discipline in it called 'transition'! It's like it was invented with us in mind.

[StarrOfDelite]

Lets be honest, road rash hardly happens, knee scrapes do and if the leg is affected it is the front where the hair is thin anyway. Probaby the reason is that cyclists are cowardly and are afraid of the pull of the sticky wound dressing .
Actually I think that Christi has it, legs when browned and smoothed on a bike look good. Hairy legs, brown or not tend to look a bit daft on a bike. Its all in the appearance.
~S~

Samantha, I don't know what sort of riding you Scots do, but most serious cyclists use pedal toe clamps, which make it very difficult to get your feet out to maintain balance, and you usually slide a loooooong way before you stop. I had a crash in gravel left over from a winter snowstorm street plowing a few years ago, and afterwards my arms (also shaven) and legs were oozing lymph for about three days. And, it was the long bones in my forearm and lower legs not my knees, which took the brunt of the abrading.

[JessHaust]

I'vee been a cyclist, road, mountain and urban for 20 + years. I always loved the excuse to shave my legs. While there are many reasons cyclists shave, most have been quoted, but they really apply to the pros. The real reason most amature road cyclists shave is pure peer presure. Nobody wants to show up for a group ride and look like tne newbie.
As for clipless pedals, the misnamed system where your shoes attach to your pedals, any experienced rider can unclip in less than a second without thought.

[Debglam]

I ride a lot, have had my share of crashes, and have been shaving my legs for years. It makes wound care waaay easier. Legs were just the start though and frankly, I think I look good "clean" in both genders. I catch some flak for my shaved chest when I'm in guy-mode but so what. My answer is "I like it that way!"

Just do it!
Debby

[Rebecca Star]

the more practical reason is in case of injury.

If you've ever had to clean gravel/sand out of open road rash on hairy legs, you'd immediately realize how much less painful (and easier) it is to clean up cuts and scrapes when there is no hair in the way.

Bingo!

It also help to stop infection which can happen if hair gets lodged in a cut etc..etc.

[PretzelGirl]

Now that I have read this thread, I wouldn't consider being a cyclist. My legs are beat up enough already! :sad: I can't imagine going out after a spill.

[Rebecca W.]

Hi Kim,
I'm with Debby. I look good without the ugly hair and I feel better nice and smooth and the lotion absorbs better,too. Most of us, myself included tend to over think how we will be accepted in public and the bottom line is, what would you prefer to do?

Rebecca

[rachellegsep]

Having done road racing as an amateur up to provincial / state reprentatative level in Internationals I'll reveal all. Besides the crashing reason mentioned ,the main reason is massage. Try doing stage racing over a week and having a massage at the end of each day with hairy legs OWWWWW !!!!

[Jenniferathome]

Crashes are not the only reasons shaving makes sense. I ride about 400 miles a week. When you are onthebike that much, a crash WILL happen. Road rash is real but shaving makes it easier to put on sun screen, reduces bugs sticking to you, and, for me, has reduced my ingrown hair events to zero. On the rare occasion someone asks, I say yes, I shave my legs. Te response is either "Oh." or "you're a biker aren't you."

[prettytoes]

I ride every day and I have found several advantages. It it far easier to apply lotion, sunscreen, etc., as well as being far easier to clean my legs after a ride on wet roads. Dirt sprays up on my legs, and all it takes is a quick wipe with a damp rag to clean up. I find the same is true for my job. I am a cabinetmaker-refinisher, and I always have stain and finish overspray on my legs, as well as contact cement. It is far easier to clean them without hair!
I also like the way they feel much better without hair. I have not had one negative comment yet. Now that the summer heat is here, I also notice that I stay much cooler.
So many pros and so few cons!

[Darla]

Well I bike and inline skate and I'll shave for the reason that wound cleaning is much easier. I've had some doozies that are rashes feet long tht in hairy legs took months to heal. Sure they looked tough, but after it crusted over like three times, I decided that it might be a good idea to shave. I still got scabs but they fell off after they scabbed the first time. I'll admit that the look of shaved legs and the feminine thrill is a private thing I'm sure many other sport types don't share (well - maybe not!), but it serves those two purposes to me. Gotta try that epilator though!

[kimdl93]

If I had know that cyclists almost invariably shaved their legs - for whatever the reason - I'd have bought a bike decades ago!

[Daphne Renee]

hmm maybe its time for me to buy a bike. lol.. seriously though its been quite a while since I rode a bike. But the reasons listed all make sense. If you need a excuse to shave your legs sounds like cycling is a good one.

[darla_g]

I always knew that serious bike riders shaved their legs.

I was told once (and now I know its not true) that there was more of a chance of leg hairs getting caught in the gears of the bike if one slipped!

[Darla]

Oh - and lets not forget the benefits of biking as well too - nice shapely legs, excellent cardio, weight loss in all the right places, and a nice butt!

[Kim Young]

Thanks everyone for all the replies to just something funny, even ironic that I noticed at the bike shop. I'm now more informed about the sport of cycling. All the reasons are valid reasons to shave whether you cycle or not. Makes you wonder why all guys don't shave. Do guys still get ridiculed about shaving your chest? I thought guys got ridiculed for having hairy chests now.

I don't shave but I do trim. Some day maybe I'll just shave it off but I don't think the wife would be too impressed and she's not aware of the extent that I CD. But if her leg hair gets longer than mine, I guess we'll both have some 'splaining to do.

[Sam-antha]

Crashes are not the only reasons shaving makes sense. I ride about 400 miles a week. When you are onthebike that much, a crash WILL happen. Road rash is real but shaving makes it easier to put on sun screen, reduces bugs sticking to you, and, for me, has reduced my ingrown hair events to zero. On the rare occasion someone asks, I say yes, I shave my legs. Te response is either "Oh." or "you're a biker aren't you."

Like Jennifer ride miles weekly, day in and day out through the year. I agree that crashes must happen and in variety too.
That knee comment of mine was prompted by two consecutive spills in one month when i gouged first the left and then the right knee, seriously. Happily I was on a minor road and no one stopped to pick up the old lady on the ground - i am in my eighties -. for me it was on to the river that I was first aiming for and then down to the bank to scrub the muck from out of my flesh - including the clots, ( How does that hit you Sue ? ) Cleaning out does not hurt with plenty of cold water, longish nails and no imagination. (Still here, Sue ?)
Some of the reasons for leg shaving I have never dreamt of, massage, yes but never did I think of some of the others.

Here be I, about three years back....toe clips and all.



http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6218/6390691185_6272167a51.jpg



I might add that it is inviting a spill to do a self portrait on a bike, without a radio connect. Still I did manage it.

[Badtranny]

- i am in my eighties -

Wow! That is amazing and commendable. My own mother is barely 65 and she looks and acts like she's in her 80's while you look like you could be her hot much younger sister.

You are an inspiration.