[Closed] So...road bikes, lycra and body hair!

Only shave my legs when it gets warm enough for shorts.

I don't shave in winter, it looks worst on night rides if you look down when there's a car coming up behind you!

I'm dark, so other people can't really see them. If you're a ginger, you could try orange tights. 😉

Nope, not ginger...blonde! It does look pretty bad against the black...not sure I'm fast enough to wear white!

I think I can deal with the leg hair poking through....it's the man garden that's worse. Especially once off the bike!

Shaving is pretty complex...shave and you'd better be able to hand it out, cause it says something to other cyclists....don't shave, and you'd better be able to hand it out to those that shave....

I jokingly mentioned it to the other half and she wasn't impressed...according to her only ladies should have smooth legs.

I jokingly mentioned it to the other half and she wasn't impressed...according to her only ladies should have smooth legs.

They all say that. Then IME 75% change their minds.

I used to train with a particularly naturally hairy triathlete back in the days when we raced in speedos and a mincey crop top. He used to shave down (as we all did) but wearing that getup you had to shave much higher. He'd get in the shower after a swim and take off his budgie smugglers to reveal a super hairy (chewbacca would have been proud) pair of speedos underneath! It looked flippin hilarious. He'd have been better to go the full back sack and crack but his girlfriend said it was like going to bed with a 12 year old if he whipped the whole lot off.

Convert...that is not a nice image! Sounds like a full on hair nappy.

I'd be having a word with her if she knows what going to bed with a 12 year old is like... 😯

Personally, I can't see beyond my waist for some reason so don't notice the problem.

I used to train with a particularly naturally hairy triathlete back in the days when we raced in speedos and a mincey crop top. [s]He[/s]SHE used to shave down (as we all did) but wearing that getup you had to shave much higher. [s]He'd[/s]SHE'd get in the shower after a swim and take off [s]his[/s] HER budgie smugglers to reveal a super hairy (chewbacca would have been proud) [s]pair of speedos underneath[/s] ladygarden! It looked flippin hilarious. [s]He'd[/s] SHE'D have been better to go the full [s]back sack and crack[/s] brazillian wax but [s]his[/s]her [s]girlfriend[/s]boyfried said it was like going to bed with a [s]12 year old if he[/s] a piece of sandpaper if she whipped the whole lot off.

FTFY

I think I can deal with the leg hair poking through....it's the man garden that's worse. Especially once off the bike!

Either way, stop it right now. Cross dressing is one thing, but road riding!?

I think the reason for shaving is so you don't zip up your hair when putting on your bib-longs.

Makes you panic for a second, that.

[s]I'll never buy a road bike[/s]
[s]I'll never go full lycra[/s]
I'll never shave my legs..... 😯 😐

Worst thing is Klumpy that I've really really enjoyed the road bike. Since having it the SX and BFe haven't had a look in. The BFe hasn't even been ridden yet and was like a kid on Christmas Day when that arrived (admittedly ill have more time for the mountain bikes when I'm not running as much...I've got a half marathon next week).

They're definitely men's Lycra, not ladies tights (making it even worse, they're bib tights too!). No relation to a fly either.

Always said that Toxicsoks....its over isn't it?

Gone are the days of riding big silly bikes and planning trips to Chicksands. Next I'll spend all day thinking about cadence.

[i]IME 75% change their minds.[/i]

my experience is that 100% of women change their minds. Often on a second by second basis.

mindmap on race podium last summer..

[img] [/img]

That is awesome... 😆

But I'm not that hairy honestly...I'm nearly 30 and still only have to shave every other day. It's just that its blonde so what does poke through shows up...a lot, especially against black.

wear white shorts so they don't show up?

I don't wear lycra so this is probably some sort of faux pas but is it not possible to wear some, like, pants underneath your shorts to protect your man garden ?

midlifecrisis - Member
wear white shorts so they don't show up?

Except if it rains for 10s everyone else on the ride will know far more about his undercarriage and crack than they would like.

OP - shave up to hot pants kind of level then beard trimmer

In winter thicker tights should prevent your man garden poking out with thinner 3/4 it is not totally reliable, and it is minging if a few find their way out

but - its a bit ****ing cold to be talking about this yet?

Forget shaving, get a cheap Philips epilator. Then you can learn about pain (behind the knees in particular). The benefit is that regrowth takes much longer than shaving, and only needs a repluck every two weeks or so.

Or spend £20 on a leg wax to boxershorts.

i shave the whole bod , bar my hair on top, 😀

yeah, never epilate. Pain levels was mental.

Just MTFU and shave. I do full legs, chest, back, arms down to the elbows and pubic area ( leaving a small area but trim it all with scissors). Once you grasp the idea and do it, then realise that 1000's of professional male athletes do it ( swimmers, runners, cyclists , gymnasts , footballers etc)you begin to be o.k. with it and keep it going. You end up doing legs tues, friday, chest and arms on wed, sat to keep time in the bath/shower to a minimum.

Its pretty easy, your GF becomes accustomed to it pretty quickly ( altho you'll find she uses your razor).

If its your first time tho, start with veet for men. Gets 80% of it off pretty quickly and pain free

You also start getting brilliant tans and tan lines, and your legs look amazing during race season and with lycra on

Just MTFU and shave. I do full legs, chest, back, arms down to the elbows and pubic area ( leaving a small area but trim it all with scissors). Once you grasp the idea and do it,

Why? Ive heard loads of theories- easy to treat gravel rash, ease of post-race massage etc but never bought any of them.

then realise that 1000's of professional male athletes do it

Oh, conformity?

and your legs look amazing during race season and with lycra on

Which I suspect is the real reason so chapeau for being honest.

mindmap3

I've recently bought a road bike and am really enjoying it, [b]the lack of faffing is brilliant[/b]

Does not compute with...

I do full legs, chest, back, arms down to the elbows and pubic area ( leaving a small area but trim it all with scissors). Once you grasp the idea and do it, then realise that 1000's of professional male athletes do it ( swimmers, runners, cyclists , gymnasts , footballers etc)you begin to be o.k. with it and keep it going. You end up doing legs tues, friday, chest and arms on wed, sat to keep time in the bath/shower to a minimum

Jesus wept. The only reason to do it is vanity.

There is no question it is cleaner if you fall of an have shaved legs, especially the congealed blood.

But why should anyone care if you shave your legs. Just sounds like some folk have nothing better to do than moan.

stevewhyte

There is no question it is cleaner if you fall of an have shaved legs, especially the congealed blood.

I've heard this bandied about before, and yet I draw blood everyother time I'm out on the mountain bike. Same for most people I know. Roadies probably come off on average what? once or twice a year?

But why should anyone care if you shave your legs

It's a forum

He'd have been better to go the full back sack and crack [b]but his girlfriend said it was like going to bed with a 12 year old[/b] if he whipped the whole lot off.

Perhaps somethings are best not shared on the internet, but you do wonder how she knew what a 12 year old boy was like.

Shave all year, in fact just lubed up with moisturiser after tonights shave.

Steve, I don't care what the OP (or the poster I quoted) does, as a recent road convert I'm questioning why a strange practice has become so engrained in the culture with no overwhelmingly obvious justifiable reason. I'd be perfectly happy to start shaving my legs if I could find reasons beyond convention and vanity.

As for crashes not sure they even shaved my legs when they opened it up and put a pin in my knee...

The first epilation is pain. The second better. Every other week and it's fine. Regrowth hairs are much finer. Apparently some men do their whole bodies 😯

crashtestmonkey - Member
Steve, I don't care what the OP (or the poster I quoted) does, as a recent road convert I'm questioning why a strange practice has become so engrained in the culture with no overwhelmingly obvious ustifiable reason. I'd be perfectly happy to start shaving my legs if I could find reasons beyond convention and vanity.

As for crashes not sure they even shaved my legs when they opened it up and put a pin in my knee.

Because it's easier to clean.

I'm a non-shaver but can completely see that the crashing/regular massage reasons make perfect sense.

Anyone else have hair loss on their legs? I'm 46 and lost a lot of hair on my head, but now my legs are going bald as well. Sort of balding from both ends - I might have no hair at all in 10-20 years 😯

Don't shave my legs (or body) though

the massage and healing of injuries is the correct answer. It makes absolutely zero aero advantage.

Personally i prefer it, it feels so much better when riding as well generally and you look alot better than wearing lycra with hairy legs. Some people dont want to do it and others do, its personal preference. At the professional end of the sport is what pro's do so natural progression means semi-pro, amateurs do it and it filters down. Alot of people enjoy getting on board with it. All i would say is try it, if you dont like it then wait 8 weeks and nothing will be lost. You never know though, you may like the smooth feeling

It's all to do with massage, then pride in your appearance. Matt Seaton says in his excellent book The Escape Artist that you'd get laughed out of the peloton if you turned up wuth hairy legs and he also reckons that a shaved leg makes it much easier for an experienced eye to size up an opponent's muscles and guess his likely strengths and weaknesses.

It's all to do with massage

This seems true. When I raced relatively seriously I had a massage once a week. If I turned up at the guy's place in the winter with hairy legs he'd roll his eyes and complain about his poor hands.

Mostly it's a vanity and looking like a pro thing though.

Mostly it's a vanity and looking like a pro thing though

What he said, especially if you get them tanned and embrocation on them too, for uber shineyness. Veins jutting out for extra points.

Only time I shaved anything was if I had to repeatedly tape it up, but you inadvertently "wax" yourself the first time you rip the tape off anyway.

I can buy the "shave because it's easier for the masseur to do his/her job" argument, but hell, I can hardly afford spare inner tubes, let alone a post training ride massage.

I've heard it's easier to do if you get a women's razor if you really want to go that way.

nope, mans 5 blade everytime. Would suggest as i said before to veet first time, really helps.

One thing to prepare for though is itchiness. You now and again will get unbearable itchiness so buy some anti-itch cream, eurax, lanacame etc

Embrace your man-hair guys. 🙂