Shaved or unshaved?

[Fixey]

Originally posted by Jim's ride
I have to laugh at this. I was at the TourDownUnder and spotted a bloke with shaved legs (very fat shaved legs). He had a very nice bike though. I think it was called a Pinarello or something like that. The bike had Campagnolo gear all over it and the rider had fat all over it.
Now please explain to me why a fat man with a very nice bike would feel he needed to shave his legs. Don't tell me it was for Massages,bacteria,time etc..........Wannabe's get to me sometimes.

Dude, I am WAY fat at the moment, I ride a a $10k road bike and my Track bike is worth $8k with disk and quad spoke. I ride em because they help me go faster, probably why the pro's ride em too I think! I also shave my legs, Why? coz im a wannabe? Coz I want to look cool? NO, because I have been around abit, crashed a few times and know what happens when hairy legs hit ashphelt. I find your post to be offensive......you think becouse someone is fat they cant be serious? I have riden at top lvl, have you?

 

[Brizza]

Fixey, I think the issue is more how many km's are you doing now rather than what you've done.

I ride only on weekends, and I can't see the point of shaving for those km's. I crash rarely.

Brian

 

[Fixey]

K, I do about 10 hours a week at the moment, enough to win 10 - 15 road races a year even at this weight, but if I didnt train at all and just raced as a limit rider I would still shave. I have seen guys crash with hairy legs, it tends to stick to the ground and rip rather than slide over and burn. As you may have quessed by my other posts I am a sprinter. Like most sprinters I tend to be quite agressive so mabey I am more likely to crash than most but I havnt hit the deck (properly) in years. It still isnt worth the risk IMO, burns heal fast and clean (relativly) and lead to less recovery time and back on the bike sooner (and prettier scars )
My parting shot of haveing riden at top lvl was aimed at the guy who called me a wannabe, a guy who wants to impress people by posting here on subjects he obviously knows little about.

 

[Brizza]

The other guy was reiterating a point I made earlier.
I won't shave until I can see the muscle fibres in my tibiaralis anterior. It's a nice goal which will look great when I do shave (wax).

Shaved and untonned legs are the (steriotyped) posser look in my area. The real riders can be picked by their legs (no-one trains indoors in Aust).

Brian

 

[Fixey]

So lesser riders should let there legs get ripped to pieces because people might think they are posers if they shave?

 

[Brizza]

Do you really crash that often?

Try XC riding/racing you'll learn how to handle the bike.
I crash regularly on the dirt but never on the road.
Road is almost a simple as point and pedal, but XC will teach you cornering, balance, jumping, and tyre traction when turning and climbing.

XC riders almost never shave, and that ain't cause they don't crash.

Brian

 

[Fixey]

Originally posted by Brizza
Do you really crash that often?

Try XC riding/racing you'll learn how to handle the bike.
I crash regularly on the dirt but never on the road.
Road is almost a simple as point and pedal, but XC will teach you cornering, balance, jumping, and tyre traction when turning and climbing.

XC riders almost never shave, and that ain't cause they don't crash.

Brian

LMAO, yes, I crash often, if you dont crash at all and are that sure of yourself then you are riding pretty tame stuff. When you learn abit about our sport you will realise that in a bunch of 30+ traveling in excess of 60kmh your skills can be useless. As I said, I am a track sprinter so I take risks, if someone shaggs up infront of you there is no skill in the world that will save you. As far as track riders go my bike skills are probably average, but I would back myself against most roadies......BUT all this is really aside from the point......IMO EVERYBODY from Ullrich to the very unfit should shave, not to pose, not to look or feel kool but because on the off chance you do come down it will be alot less painfull. As for crashing on dirt, I do believe I made it clear hairy lags and ASHPHELT dont mix

 

[cuervo]

I don't shave,

I'm primary a MTB XC racer and starting with the road fever. In the mountain the shaving thing is not so common, you fall, you get cut, you get infected with or with out hair.

I'm no so hairy, maybe i will leave it that way to remember my mountain wild origins.

 

[Brizza]

Gravel and hair doesn't mix either, but I don't like the assumption that all riders will crash and should shave in preperation.
Hopefully some of us have good riding skills (being able to watch other riders being one of those skills).
I've pushed riders (been punched once), cliped a pedal with my front wheel on a hairpin, hit my pedal on the ground on a fast corner, but riding skills will get you through these incidents without losing skin.

Shaving shouldn't need to be an insurance policy.

I'm buying a Scott Team Issue at the moment, not sure how long I will remain hairy (peer presure ).

Brian

 

[OLMO]

Brizza, perhaps you should produce a video or DVD collection of your repertoire of riding skills, and crash-avoidance manoeuvres. I would probably purchase it.

In fact, I have an entire army of cycling compatriots who would also probably buy. Most of us, doing 15 to 20 races per year, over at least 5 to 10 seasons, plus innumerable group rides, commuting, solo rides, etc etc. Well, we seem to crash. A lot.

Lance, in fact, might like to buy. He's gone ass-over-tea kettle a few times himself.

...Let me know.

 

[Brizza]

Fixey was trying to say that anyone who rides a bike should shave for when they crash. I had stated that those who do the miles and have the legs to show for it are probably the one's who should be shaving.

Only 20 races a year?

Brian

 

[Fixey]

Originally posted by Brizza
Do you really crash that often?

Try XC riding/racing you'll learn how to handle the bike.
I crash regularly on the dirt but never on the road.
Road is almost a simple as point and pedal

Brian

That is one of the silliest and most arogant statements I have seen on these boards... you are insinuating that everyone who crashes on the road needs to improve there skills AND that your skill is beyond crashing. 3 people who come to mind immediatly that would dispute this are Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich and Joseba Beloki, all of whom crashed on the road last year. Perhaps if they do XC racing they might get as good as you....people who race bikes on the road or track should definatly shave there legs so when cocky little buggers like Brizza, who think they are bullet proof, bring the bunch down they get less gravel rash and heal faster. Its that simple.

 

[Brizza]

Say what you wish, but you're the one with the crash problem.

It also appears you don't do the same km's that the pro riders do; I'm surprised you place yourself in the same category.

As I said above, I have no objections to riders who do the miles and have the legs shaving, however I question the need to shave if you only ride on the weekend and your legs don't look like cyclist legs.

OLMO, the best crash avoidance manoeuvre is looking up the road/bunch for any sharp movements or obstacles. Bunch sprints require experience which riders should pick up as they move up the grades.

Cadel Evans had a bad run of crashes last year, but XC, BMX and DH skills do make a difference on the road.

Brian

 

[SRA]

It seems to me that you get more respect from serious cyclists when you have shaved legs. IMHO!

 

[Brizza]

That's a fair comment and I agree. I prefer to show the roadies my ability during the race, but you're right they rarely expect me to go the distance or outlast them.

But do you really care about their opinion of you? Just do what you can and enjoy your ride/race.

Brian

 

[Fixey]

Originally posted by Brizza
Say what you wish, but you're the one with the crash problem.

It also appears you don't do the same km's that the pro riders do; I'm surprised you place yourself in the same category.

Brian

I never put my self in anyone's catagory...
I do not have a crash problem....
I do however have a problem with beginners like yourself who dont understand why people who know what they are doing do things, and wont listen to reasons, yet still insist on insulting people like myself for doing things that people like you just dont understand.
Get a clue, learn how to ride and wait till you know abit more before you mouth of to people who have been riding most thier lives, when you do that mabey I will start responding to your posts again.

 

[Brizza]

Fine. I find most road racers in Newcastle are posers, I keep my legs hairy so I can show them up when they think they can outclass me.
It's fine to ride a European bike with the latest colours and accessories but its about how you ride not how you look.
To me it's about the attitude of the rider.

Brian

P.S. I got 3rd in A Grade on Sat, the hair means nothing, its about the attitude.

 

[Mufasa]

Originally posted by xc_gumby
waxing... I'm already over shaving my face & the thought of the extra sq. metre-age is just too much.

I get a lady to tear them out by the roots every month or so.

I wax too but find i have to shave every few months cos of ingrowns -the hair gets too soft and the occassional shave makes them a bit stronger.

do u have same problem

 

[Brizza]

When I waxed I used an epilady to maintain hte regrowth, it's painless (compared to waxing) and has the same advantages as waxing.

Brian

 

[stone61cm]

Dude.....when you're in the middle of a pelaton and some overzealous noob trips up and crashes in front of you, nothing in the world is going to keep you on your bike, no matter what skills you think you have.

Or, look at what happened to Lance in the last Tour.....riding along and snags someone's handbag. How can you look ahead for that? Just today I was riding in a shady area and went through a mess of vines....still not sure how I made it through that one. You can't see everything.

I personally shave for the look. I have rather toned legs and also like to show off my battle scars. Very proud of those scars....heh