CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

To shave, or not to shave...

(25 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by Baldcyclist
  • Latest reply from nearefare

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  1. Baldcyclist
    Member

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2013/apr/17/male-cyclists-shave-legs

    I'm not deluded enough to think it helps performance in any way, but maybe helps after a fall? Pulling plasters/bandages off scabs?

    I did shave my legs once (last summer), and can't comment on healing powers as I didn't fall of whilst my legs were hairless.

    I can comment that it looks really quite weird for a hairy man (scalp excluded of course) to be hairy on top half, and not on bottom half. </TooMuchInformation>

    I wouldn't do it again.

    Well, who knows, maybe?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. amir
    Member

    If shaving is purely for injuries, then you'd "want" to shave more widely than the legs.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Some people claim it's to help with the massages / rubbing in embrocation oil / deep heat / deep freeze etc.

    I subscribe to the "fuzzy tennisball goes faster than a smooth tennisball" school of thought.

    Hirsute pride!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. wingpig
    Member

    My personal/triathlon-training brother-in-law cites sweat-rash as the main reason why he shaves.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. Darkerside
    Member

    I read a description of a person looking like a 'hair lollipop', and decided it probably wasn't a good idea...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. amir
    Member

    "My personal/triathlon-training brother-in-law cites sweat-rash as the main reason why he shaves."

    I cite razor rash as the main reason why I shave as little as permissible.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Just as you can be over-biked for your ability, so you can also be over-shaved. Let your leggy freak-flag fly.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Training more, drinking less ale and eating less cakes are going to give me a lot more marginal gains than taking a razor to my hairy pegs.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. Arellcat
    Moderator

    If shaving is purely for injuries, then you'd "want" to shave more widely than the legs.

    Chicks digs scars (on other people, presumably, rather than on themselves). Go gnarly! Pick those scabs!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. Charterhall
    Member

    Thirty years ago when I got into riding the bike for sport it was considered seriously abnormal if you didn't shave your legs. There was was one guy in a neighbouring club was was often identified as 'the one with the hairy legs'.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. Uberuce
    Member

    My legs are smooth as the mirror on the Hubble.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Uberuce: "My legs are smooth as the mirror on the Hubble"

    I think my leg hair could probably be seen from space.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. DeathbyPompino
    Member

    I'm regularly accused at work of shaving my legs. *Sigh* I've got the legs of a slightly oddly toned eight year old

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. fimm
    Member

    I shave my legs - because it is the done thing for women. So if you shave your legs because "that's what cyclists do" then I don't have a problem with that.

    (I suppose it does contribute to the "cyclists are "other"" problem...)

    My b/f shaves areas you don't want to know about to reduce sweatyness/itchness. He made me laugh one time - as a cyclist/triathlete he'll shave his legs, and especially before races. Anyway he was doing the Pentland Skyline fell race and remarked that he hadn't had time to shave his legs - I think he'd have stood out if he had shaved his legs!!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Wow thats a lot of effort to avoid any aesthetic reasoning. I like shaved legs, they are definitely hot, however I dont bother doing them myself because it takes ages! When your over 6ft thats a lot of surface area and I always miss a bit. Several bits. I get away with fishnets no bother, but then my body hair is blond.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. Arellcat
    Moderator

    When your over 6ft thats a lot of surface area.

    Tell me about it! By the way, the Wilkinson Sword Quattro razor is rubbish.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. Smudge
    Member

    Hmm dark hair + too much of it means that on the infrequent occasions when I feel the need (Rocky Horror or multi day hard rides) I'd far rather pay the nice Sam at Sinwaxing to remove it all for me. Requires a lot less gymnastic ability than shaving the back of your own thighs too :-o

    Posted 11 years ago #

  18. ruggtomcat
    Member

    bic singles all the way.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  19. Smudge
    Member

    Oooh sod that! My shower room would look like the aftermath of that famous scene from psycho if I used them, the back of my knees especially (shudder)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  20. Arellcat
    Moderator

    That's because you're not locking your knee out properly when you do the back.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  21. Smudge
    Member

    Fair one, though even locked out mine are not smooth :-/
    (And bics=nicks!)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  22. Baldcyclist
    Member

    The time I did, I used my wife's cream stuff that she uses. Seems to do what it says on the tin without any pain, or blood.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  23. Smudge
    Member

    Sometimes this forum can seem strangely like a confessional lol

    Posted 11 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    You said it...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  25. nearefare
    Member

    This is going viral but on topic so ... :)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000KKNQBK

    Posted 11 years ago #

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