Shaved or unshaved?



I was quite surprised to see that more of u guys have hairy legs than those that shave. I personally dont have a problem with this as i have only been shaving for about 4yrs, but have been riding for over 10! I have a couple of reasons for shaving.......firstly because you heal cleaner and faster with no hair, secondly because it looks and feels great, and thirdly because i believe it is a mental thing. If u have smooth legs u feel fast therefore u race fast. Like Brizza says "To me it's about the attitude of the rider." I think shaving is as much mental strategy as anything else, it's as close as i will ever get to being a pro, and u dont see them with hairy legs!!!
 
Originally posted by Fixey
I never put my self in anyone's catagory...
I do not have a crash problem....
I'm with you Fixey. If you race (at any serious level), you are going to crash. Bumping handlebars and touching pedals and wheels is normal bunch-riding stuff, Brizza. The skill level required to keep you upright in that situation is not sufficient to keep you from getting wiped out when the pack goes down because someone rolled a tub going around a corner (ask me how I know). What size bunches are you riding in when you're racing? Looking out in front is not enough to save you when you're boxed in and the pack goes down in front at speed.
I don't race these days, but, back when I did, I doubt if there was anyone I raced against who didn't crash at least once per year. I've eaten ashphalt through other riders' taking me out, through equipment failures and through my own misjudgements. I've hit bikes, cars, kerbs, traffic islands, ditches.....but I don't consider myself to have a crashing problem, either. If you are not riding at a level where crashing is a very real possibility, then you are not riding at your full potential. I've crashed road racing, track racing and out on training runs. I never crashed in a Time Trial, but plenty of my mates did - and they were all better at TT's than me (I avoided TT's like the plague). I grew up riding dirt bikes so I understand the skills of staying upright while your tyres are sliding, but that is not always enough.
Fixey isn't saying that he's at the same level as the Pro's, he's merely pointing out that the very best riders also crash. They crashed when they were coming up through the ranks - and they crash when they're on top of the ranks.
WHEN (not if) you crash on the road, shaved legs are better. IF you NEVER crash, try riding harder. You may yet achieve that lofty level.

Eoin C
 
Originally posted by EoinC
I The skill level required to keep you upright in that situation is not sufficient to keep you from getting wiped out when the pack goes down because someone rolled a tub going around a corner (ask me how I know).
Eoin C

LOL thank god for Clincher rims :D
I rolled a tube once as a youngster, nothing like the feal of sudden steal on asphalt going around the bend at pace :rolleyes: Where you riding when multisport first became popular? we got a whole lot of very fit people fast enough to ride A grade with zero bunch skills, that was fun.......
 
Originally posted by Fixey
LOL thank god for Clincher rims
I remember one time when my mate had just fitted 180mm cranks as he figured they were going to help him in the hills. We were riding a short pre-season race in the morning, and then going on a training ride over the nearby mountain range afterwards.
This race was (I think) 3 laps of a 10km loop. We were all just having fun and planned on hammering it at the end. There was a short left-hand turn over a small rise a couple of hundred metres before the Start / Finish Line. It had a small traffic island seperating it from the oncoming traffic lane (no closed roads for these races). We were all lit up in the approach to the corner and were flying around it when ol' matey (on the inside and just ahead of me) hit his inside pedal down, hopped the bike and rolled his front tub off. Most of us went down like skittles (in fact, if it wasn't a strike, it was at least a spare). Those who missed the big road-nap ended up sailing blissfully over the traffic island into the oncoming traffic (which contained humans with eyeballs of the wide-open variety). Oh how we laughed and laughed and.....
Just to bring a tiny bit of thread-relevance back in....I had shaved legs and my clothes were worse off than I was (I went on the training ride after). I'd like to know what sort of skills I should have developed that would prevent me going down in the build-up to a bunch sprint, when I was fully boxed in as we went into the chute and his bike was getting close to horizontal when it hit me? Perhaps I have a crashing problem, too?

Eoin C
 
Originally posted by EoinC
I'd like to know what sort of skills I should have developed that would prevent me going down in the build-up to a bunch sprint, when I was fully boxed in as we went into the chute and his bike was getting close to horizontal when it hit me? Perhaps I have a crashing problem, too?

Eoin C
800 meter track race, I get a 40 meter head start with a roadie, about 6 riders behind us, 6 in front. I say to my roadie comarker....come up to my hip on the bell and STAY WIDE (forcing the people behind to go the long way) and we split the $$, it was a big race. I hit the front with 400m to go, on the bell Roadie comes up onto my hip as planned, trouble is his idea of wide was to come up to me and lock handle bars, I looked at this kids face and though "#$%@" and sure enough he paniced and tryed to pull away from me. Bugger I wish I had Brizza's skills for these situations. Anyhow, lost all the skin on one thigh, side, bum and was on a bike 2 days later. 6 of us came down, all shave thank god.
 
But don't you wonder about those who havn't looked at their bike in the last 6 months and still shave?

My original comment was:
Originally posted by Brizza
There is no mental edge against hairies (except the uneducated), I look at shavies and unless I can see their muscle fibres or serious tonning from training I subconsciously think "poser" .

Sorry but shaving doesn't make you look fast, good legs sure do.

Brian

Fixey took offense at this as he appears to be returning to form, hopefuly his legs will take shape soon, but I stand by my comment as many non-serious riders shave for the poser look (while others admit its about feel and look).

Brian
 
Originally posted by Brizza
But don't you wonder about those who havn't looked at their bike in the last 6 months and still shave?
I don't think the asphalt or wood actually cares whether you're serious or not when you hit it at speed. It has a strange tendency to chew you up, no matter how good-lookin' your legs are. It may be a tad old-fashioned of me, but, during my years of racing, I never really paid any attention to the shape of peoples' legs. I just tended to focus on riding hard / smart and staying upright (most of the time). I guess things are different now - you watch the legs, make decisions about whether another person is a poser, and don't ever crash - hardly seems much point in racing, really? I mean, you could do all that down at the pub, and down a few beers while you're there.

Have fun, Eoin C
 
Originally posted by lumpy
Remember in "Breaking Away' when his dad walks in and sees his son shaving his legs? I'm with the dad!

I don't fall down enought to justify it and I don't race. If I did shave, then it would be the only part of my body I shave. I'd feel too girly if my legs were slick yet have a full beard!

Tim
im with you on that one and bein 16 it isnt the coolest thing to do either!
 
Who cares whether someone shaves their legs in order to feel and look like a better, more experienced rider? Call them a poser and rip on them as you fly by them on a climb? Why do so many of you care so much?

If shaving their legs makes them feel more a part of the sport and keeps them motivated to ride more often, all the power to them!

The rest of you need to relax a bit. If I got aggravated everytime I blew past some 45 year old lawyer on a $6000 De Rosa with shaved legs, I would never enjoy a single ride I've been on.

I prefer to smile and say "Hi!" But maybe that's just me.

P.S. I take offense at all the comments about "white" legs. I'm only 30 and have had skin cancer three times. The SPF 45 I use for rides keeps my legs white and hopefully me from ever needing chemo. :)
 
hear hear. i shave for two reasons :

1) my matched set of X chromosomes
2) my fixed hub...

and i find no fault in those of other persuasions who do or do not shave...if you want to, great. and thanks for the reminder about the sunscreen...



Originally posted by jhodder
Who cares whether someone shaves their legs in order to feel and look like a better, more experienced rider? Call them a poser and rip on them as you fly by them on a climb? Why do so many of you care so much?

If shaving their legs makes them feel more a part of the sport and keeps them motivated to ride more often, all the power to them!

The rest of you need to relax a bit. If I got aggravated everytime I blew past some 45 year old lawyer on a $6000 De Rosa with shaved legs, I would never enjoy a single ride I've been on.

I prefer to smile and say "Hi!" But maybe that's just me.

P.S. I take offense at all the comments about "white" legs. I'm only 30 and have had skin cancer three times. The SPF 45 I use for rides keeps my legs white and hopefully me from ever needing chemo. :)
 
I don't shave my legs

A: Because I just couldn't be bothered.

B: I don't crash often enough to warrant it

C: My wife hates the idea

D: and most importantly I would suggest that any mind games that are being played go in favour of the hairies. Shavers tend to think your less experienced and less fit....

Cheers

Goldfishboy...
 
One reason that doesn't receive enough attention is the heat issulating properties of a carpet of hair.
It's winter in Aus, and while it's not that cold and I race every Saturday I don't think right now is the time to start shaving.

Granted you can look like a Fred if you're on a nice bike with your forest of leg hair.

Brian
 
I'm a bit of a hairy guy but I shave from the waist down just because it makes me feel pretty. I don't even care if I win.
 
I used to shave, but stopped because I suck at racing. My new motivation is once I can break a certain time in one of my time trials, I'll start shaving thing. To some of us, it's a matter of honor or pride.
 
Has anybody considered laser treatment?

It takes about two or three sessions and you'll never grow hair again...

I have a friend that works at a salon and they do laser and waxing, she did it twice to her legs and she's been hair-free for about one year now, if you shave your legs often I think it's worth it, it should cost about $300 to $500 for both legs (depends on how many laser shots you need) .

A lot of guys do their whole face so they won't have to shave again, I don't like that...
 
Shave the legs when in season and when I ride enough. Looks silly to shave when you have little or no muscle definition and the little rolls of fat show through the lycra.

Sure you all appreciated that.