Being a teenage road cyclist

[Velostage]

We thought since we're heading into the new year, we may as well give the site a new look, so check it out. Plenty of new content on there as well. There is currently a giveaway for a little prize going (latest post). Cheers.

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by bgoetz .

It is somewhat more realistic if you will be going from a standard road bike to a good TT setup, but 5 minutes is still a lot to ask for and will likely take multiple years of training, unless you really bombed your 1st effort.

A 23 minute 10mile TT is highly attainable by a lot of folk, especially the younger lads. Although my first "10" wasn't a 28, I ended my first season racing with a long 23 minute ride... and this was back in the day when men were men and sheep were very very scared (ie - tri bars weren't even on Boone Lennon's drawing board, let alone bikes.

It's getting a couple o' three minutes more off your 10 time when you're down to a 23 that's a bit more of an issue. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by doiturself .



That is because there is no valid reason for leg-shaving other than vanity, LOL! I tried it a couple of times and the itching and bother drove me nuts and I sure as hell wasn't any faster and the lack of protective hair created more itching when running into bushes, grass, etc.

The best answer you could give, plausibly, is that it makes skin care a lot easier because we cyclists need to apply lots of sunblock and lotions due to a great deal of exposure to the elements. Try that one; the old urban legend about the hair creating more possibility of infection or being painful when removing bandages is also viable but also bs but maybe someone will swallow it and not think you are effeminate in the process, /img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif

Vanity would be the easy answer if every racer was Mario Cipollini but the answer is still pretty simple, it's bike racing's equivalent of Abraham's covenant with God, except it's a little hair instead of well, you know. Folks who don't race usually don't get it. And no, riding a lot does not count as racing.

Other reasons which may or may not be based in reality:
- The massage being easier to take (and give) is true, this coming from an ex-massage therapist and recipient of many hours of massage.
- The bandages coming of with less fanfare is true, this coming from a hairy ape like me. However non-sticky self-adhesive bandages are slowly rendering this excuse moot. This also doesn't explain why arms aren't usually shaved too.
- It's more aerodynamic /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif