What do you girls out there think of male cyclists shaving their legs? Do you think it looks good?
Shaving the Legs
- Thread starter BestYoungRider
- Start date
meh... if they have the legs for it it looks great, if they dont they look like sausages.BestYoungRider said:
still, i take any excuse i can not to shave my legs, but unfortunately the amount of riding i do and the likelihood of road rash is not worth the fuzz... if guys dont want to shave then i can totally understand!
Forgive my ignorance...but WHY are they shaving their legs??
If it's for some sports/aerodynamic reason, then what does it matter what it looks like?
If it's because they think it looks good....well I have to wonder why a man would want to look like a little boy with no leg hair. Besides, shaving the legs is such PAIN IN THE BUTT to do, why would anyone WANT to do it??
I always thought it was funny how tv wrestlers and builders shave under their arms- to me it looks pretty silly for men to be hairless there.
I stopped shaving altogether years ago when my husband pointed out that my "cute animal fur" was much more soft and appealing than ugly stubble. When you leave your fuzz "au natural" for a while, you gets used to it and then people who shave or wax look weird and artificial to you.
If it's for some sports/aerodynamic reason, then what does it matter what it looks like?
If it's because they think it looks good....well I have to wonder why a man would want to look like a little boy with no leg hair. Besides, shaving the legs is such PAIN IN THE BUTT to do, why would anyone WANT to do it??
I always thought it was funny how tv wrestlers and builders shave under their arms- to me it looks pretty silly for men to be hairless there.
I stopped shaving altogether years ago when my husband pointed out that my "cute animal fur" was much more soft and appealing than ugly stubble. When you leave your fuzz "au natural" for a while, you gets used to it and then people who shave or wax look weird and artificial to you.
Lisa, shaving your legs as a cyclist is beneficial if you happen to come off your bike and onto the road at reasonable speed. Road rash is nasty and it helps if you are as hair-free as possible in affected areas. Hair traps oils and dirt closer to your skin which can lead to infection.Lisa S.H. said:
Thats why most male road cyclists shave. Wouldnt have a clue about body builders or wrestlers... im guessing its just for show.
Thanks for the interesting reply Asterope.
I would think that anyone would thoroughly clean/disinfect a wound or road rash anyway, so the issue of hairs "trapping dirt closer to the skin" in the area seems odd to me. The road dirt's already ON (and IN!) the abraded skin, regardless of any hairs being nearby. Do they shave their arms too in case of road rash there??
Also, having a layer of hair, however fine, on your legs (and arms) can help keep one insulated from the weather, especially if you're wearing tights for warmth, and that can be useful!
Oh well, just my thoughts on it.
I would think that anyone would thoroughly clean/disinfect a wound or road rash anyway, so the issue of hairs "trapping dirt closer to the skin" in the area seems odd to me. The road dirt's already ON (and IN!) the abraded skin, regardless of any hairs being nearby. Do they shave their arms too in case of road rash there??
Also, having a layer of hair, however fine, on your legs (and arms) can help keep one insulated from the weather, especially if you're wearing tights for warmth, and that can be useful!
Oh well, just my thoughts on it.
The trapping dirt argument is a furphy - if you clean the wound properly (and that does NOT mean scrubbing it with a brush) then the presence or absence of hairs is an irrelevance. Where it does matter is when you try and stick on a dressing to cover the wound, then it becomes a problem on a very hairy leg.
The other reason for shaving which actually does make sense is that it makes massage easier. If you have hairy legs and someone is giving them a thorough and vigorous massage, then it can get quite uncomfortable even painful.
The other reason for shaving which actually does make sense is that it makes massage easier. If you have hairy legs and someone is giving them a thorough and vigorous massage, then it can get quite uncomfortable even painful.
Heh...I guess a lot depends upon how much hair you are talking about. I found out after my first summer of midday training that once my legs got sweaty the salt would dry and mat the hair down into a perma layer, so that it was like I was riding around wearing frikkin leg warmers. The first time I shaved my legs and rode the same training route, my heart rate dropped down about 15 bpm. And it definitely felt that much cooler. I wish that I could do the same thing with my arms, but at least they are not as hairy as my legs.
And yeah, road rash on my arms from the same slide was taking longer to heal than it did on my legs. I have gotten to where I just shave the scrapped area on my arms post crash if I have to to get it good and clean. Now doesn't that sound fun.
And yeah, road rash on my arms from the same slide was taking longer to heal than it did on my legs. I have gotten to where I just shave the scrapped area on my arms post crash if I have to to get it good and clean. Now doesn't that sound fun.
Men shave their legs for road rash and massage, like said above. However, I think the road rash reason is due to the painful removing of bandages---rips all the hair right out. Yikes! 
My husband shaves his legs during biking season. He's had enough road rash I sure don't blame him. Funny thing is, when I ride with guys who don't shave their legs, it looks weird to me now!
My husband shaves his legs during biking season. He's had enough road rash I sure don't blame him. Funny thing is, when I ride with guys who don't shave their legs, it looks weird to me now!
On a guy with nice looking legs it looks fantastic!Chili Pepper said:Men shave their legs for road rash and massage, like said above. However, I think the road rash reason is due to the painful removing of bandages---rips all the hair right out. Yikes!
My husband shaves his legs during biking season. He's had enough road rash I sure don't blame him. Funny thing is, when I ride with guys who don't shave their legs, it looks weird to me now!
I think for some guys shaving their legs helps them psychologically to prepare for serious training and racing. A lot of guys i know do it in the lead up to a racing season - it's a little bit of peer pressure too. Because so many male roadies shave their legs, the ones who don't can be the odd ones out in a group. Also, the fact that most pros do it probably encourages it - they want to look like the pros.
Before I started riding I was amoung most to think that men who shaved must have a screw loose. But now I must admit that I have come to appreciate the work it takes to get a set of legs looking so damn good. There is nothing better to get you home on a long ride than checking out the legs in front.
In my travels, I have seen only a small number of dedicated female riders who ride in the same bunches as I have. But without question, they are absolutely feminine and anyone who thinks women cyclists must be butch or something, have got it wrong. They are the nicest ladies I have ever met. They are not tree-hugging hippies who never shave under their arms, etc...
my 1 cent worth
my 1 cent worth
I admire the ladies who persist with cycling especially doing the big Kms because they must cop it from most of their female relatives/friends who don't understand why they do it....and they won't bend to the peer pressure, but they know what they want and why they do it...mikesbytes said:
Shaving does help keep a wound clean- even after its already been thoroughly cleaned. Hair will catch all sorts of dirt and debris- and then it hangs and moves around and can contaminate the wound with whatever its carrying. IMO there's less chance of that if someone shaves. Then there's getting the hair trapped in the bandage. Ouch!
I am a vet tech- and we see lots of wounds on dogs that have all sorts of different hair length. We ALWAYS shave the wound site before we clean it as a matter of routine. (Granted- Fluffy isn't exactly the same as a cyclist but still.)
Honestly- if a guy/girl does or doesn't isn't my business. Stubble, no stubble...who cares? I think a lot of guys who are quite muscular like to shave all their body parts (chest, arms, legs, whatever) because it makes it easier to see the muscle- but isn't that why ladies shave their legs? To show 'em off?
I don't care what someone else chooses to do with their body.
I am a vet tech- and we see lots of wounds on dogs that have all sorts of different hair length. We ALWAYS shave the wound site before we clean it as a matter of routine. (Granted- Fluffy isn't exactly the same as a cyclist but still.)
Honestly- if a guy/girl does or doesn't isn't my business. Stubble, no stubble...who cares? I think a lot of guys who are quite muscular like to shave all their body parts (chest, arms, legs, whatever) because it makes it easier to see the muscle- but isn't that why ladies shave their legs? To show 'em off?
I don't care what someone else chooses to do with their body.
I think any removal of body hair looks better to be honest! I see a lot of shaved legs out and about and a lot of hair ones too. Saw a guy with hairy shoulders last Saturday, freaked me right out, I have never seen hair shoulders before!
I'm a male. I think it's horrible, I believe in natural bodies as superior, don't shave legs whether you're a girl or a man, don't shave anything just leave it all natural because it's much more valuable than the nonsense today.
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