shaving your arms?

I don't know about pro racers specifically, but I would guess some other people would do this... gorilla arms with smooth legs would look a bit strange, wouldn't it?

shming123 said:

Do pro racers shave their arms too? One of the Cat.2 guys I ride with shaves his arms.. is he just weird or do people do this?

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I know of swimmers who shave off everything...but cyclists? Never heard of it. It IS popular for women in Japan to shave their arms...myself not included.


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I think some are shaving them! If you watch attentive you will see...I don`t think adult men are hairless..

Virenque said:

I think some are shaving them! If you watch attentive you will see...I don`t think adult men are hairless..

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Definitely some yes. Cant really imagine a percentage, but it seems like about a third or so.

Third are shavin or are hairless?

shave everything. it promotes
- faster escape of heat
- less air resistance
- less weight. wet hair is heavy.

If I would have arms like Botero for example, I would definitively think about it!

Virenque said:

If I would have arms like Botero for example, I would definitively think about it!

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I dont think any cyclists shave their arms.
Swimmers do, but only just before really big races for both the physical and psychological advantage.
You feel really fast in water without hair, like a greased eel.
But now they all wear speedo fast skinsuits so it doesnt matter.

i had a decent crash last year. skin off both arms, both legs, face and neck. wound management was much easier and healing much faster on my shaved legs than on hairy arms. the plastic surgeon i saw also recommended i shave my arm from then on. resolved to keep wheels perpendicular to road surface instead...

shming123 said:

Do pro racers shave their arms too? One of the Cat.2 guys I ride with shaves his arms.. is he just weird or do people do this?

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About the only rationale I could give this is the wound healing thing...

Otherwise - if you shave your arms you're a freak!!!

The gains are marginal at best - maybe if you were taking on the hour record or are an olympic pursuiter.

I know how you can save 500g on your bike with little to no effort - drill a hole in your water bottle!

Eldron said:

About the only rationale I could give this is the wound healing thing...

Otherwise - if you shave your arms you're a freak!!!

The gains are marginal at best - maybe if you were taking on the hour record or are an olympic pursuiter.

I know how you can save 500g on your bike with little to no effort - drill a hole in your water bottle!

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Could the same not be said for shaving your legs then too?

Why do we do that even? Is it simply cos it's part of the "uniform" like lycra and if we didn't we'd look like freds in the pack??

The semi-valid I usually offer my non-cycling friends is for quicker wound healing.

How do you guys usually explain this?

littlefitzer

I know of one rider who does he said that the wind russling the hairs annoyed him during long rides

shming123 said:

Do pro racers shave their arms too? One of the Cat.2 guys I ride with shaves his arms.. is he just weird or do people do this?

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No point.

-noone gets their arms massaged.
-if you fall and lose skin on your arms, they can be cleaned and dressed like anyone else coz they don't have to pedal the next day.

i shave my arms because it shows muscle definition. i have low fat and it compliments my look nicely. i can cite the reasons given if asked about it but the real reason is asthetics. women do not usually indulge on hairy men as well!

****. God played a joke on many of us. Yeah...you know...no hair on top of the head, but the rest of the body?....hair sprouts in places you can not imagine (well, know you will). Thought of taking dip on a bathtub full of Nair. But then again...ouch!

Of course the joke never ends...the older you get more hair sprouts everywhere!

littlefitzer said:

Could the same not be said for shaving your legs then too?

Why do we do that even? Is it simply cos it's part of the "uniform" like lycra and if we didn't we'd look like freds in the pack??

The semi-valid I usually offer my non-cycling friends is for quicker wound healing.

How do you guys usually explain this?

littlefitzer

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The biggest reason by far for shaven legs is massaging - ever tried a massage with hair? OUCH!

Second is probably muscle inefficiency due to varying temperatue. There are varying amounts of hair on legs - the areas where there is more hair are cooler than areas without hair. This could all happen in one muscle which caused reduced power and possibly cramps (not sure I believe this one - have only rad an article or two on it).

Scarring - knees and thighs are always more damaged than arms in crashes.

Fashion! Got to see those muscles!!!

I wax my legs religiously - arms I think are overkill. Personal choice I guess. If you shave and can stand the 5'o'clock shadow on 60% of your body - carry on!

LS17 said:

i shave my arms because it shows muscle definition. i have low fat and it compliments my look nicely. i can cite the reasons given if asked about it but the real reason is asthetics. women do not usually indulge on hairy men as well!

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Shaved arms? My "look"??

Good lord...

When people ask, I tell them I shave my legs so I can look good in my pink dress. Heck, they don't understand any of the other reasons anyway. It's one of those "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand" kind of things. Never really considered the arms. The legs are enough trouble as is.