Psycho-Social Aspects of Leg Shaving

Triathlon Forum
1

Discussions on leg shaving for men center on pragmatic concerns, namely potential performance benefits. Here is my submission, for peer review, regarding the oft-overlooked psycho-social components of leg shaving. I posted it here because it’s historically a performance-based discussion.

I: Psychological
“I’ve heard pros do it because they get massaged frequently. Supposedly it’s for aerodynamics, but I suspect for amateurs it’s mostly motivated my narcissism,” was my reply to my girlfriend’s inquiry regarding cyclists and leg shaving. I followed up with, “But, in fairness, I’ve kinda’ wanted to do it strictly for narcissistic purposes.”

“Well why don’t you?” she replied. This was all the motivation I needed.

After bushwhacking my legs with a hair trimmer and dressing them with a razor, my legs were buttery-smooth. I looked in the mirror, fully expecting to see Lance Armstrong-like thighs, networks of veins, and rigid muscle striations.

They looked almost exactly the same, just paler.

II: Social
At a wedding the next day my friend look at my legs and casually replied, “Going hard core are ya’?” I laughed and gave the entire story I’ve recounted above, followed with, “And I’m never doing it again. It’s horrible.” And they looked silly- the legs of a women’s collegic track star on a 33 year-old man.

A week passed. I shaved my legs again this morning. They looked as though they’d been on a week long-bender, or lost in the woods for a month. June is a dumb time for a first shave because you’re stuck with them all summer, unless you’re fond of the waist-down Grizzly Adams look.

III: Pragmatic
I don’t feel cooler, faster, or more aerodynamic. Massages are definitely better. I don’t look any more muscular than before (12 years of running wasted!). I am just as narcissistic. I figure I’m stuck with them until September. By then I’ll be used to it and keep doing it.

2

Anyone who has ever crashed with hairy legs knows the real reason for shaving them. Let’s have someone examine the psycho-social aspects of having half the pavement stuck to a hairy patch of road rash.

3

iiiiii don’t know… Slowman said it best. The number one reason we shave out legs is peer pressure. period. But hey, he also point’s out that’s as good a reason as any other.

Peer pressure made me buy my aero helmet, and every time i race, peer pressure is what makes me ask myself “wonder if i should wear my aero helmet”…

4

Why try to over analyze? Just shave them.

5

At a wedding the next day my friend look at my legs

You were wearing shorts at a wedding?

6

Anyone who has ever crashed with hairy legs knows the real reason for shaving them. Let’s have someone examine the psycho-social aspects of having half the pavement stuck to a hairy patch of road rash.

So are you going to shave everywhere then? Including head and eyebrows? Last crash I had a large laceration above my eye. The bandage pulled everything. And then the modern bandages that are used also take skin off including any hair. In fact, they only thing that was not bloodied after my crash were my legs.

7

I’ve done the clean shave once or twice and didn’t like it. Now instead I go after them with an electric razor and a short guard about every 2 weeks. Keeps the grizzly adams hair in check without the hassle of a full shave.

8

Why try to over analyze? Just shave them.

Someday I’ll go a week without being told I’m over-thinking, over-analyzing, or “talking too smart”. I suspect my death will have something to do with it.

I’m a thinker. It’s a bitch, I know. Ironically, I’m a staunch advocate for the immediate execution off all thinkers. They just get in the way off beer, sex, and football, ya’ dig?

Side note: I’ve decided to become a leg model. My sticks are simply FABULOUS.

9

If you have girly legs, you may need to let the hair grow to keep the gay guys away… Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

I’ve been shaving mine for so long I can’t remember the last time I grew them out. Because I work at a health club, it’s difficult for me to let them grow, because everyone there has seen me shaved for five years. Not only that, I happen to be both narcissistic and conceited, and my legs look awesome shaved.

What’s really a drag is trying to do something about the dense foliage that wants to grow on my back. I find back and shoulder hair extremely off-putting (again, not that there’s anything wrong with that for you Alley Oop kinda guys, I just don’t like it on me). So I shave everything outside of the Speedo except for my armpits and have to repeat about every two weeks. When I get old(er) and stop competing, I’ll have no more excuse for shaving. At that point, I’ll probably disappear inside of a large hair ball…

10

“So are you going to shave everywhere then? Including head and eyebrows?”

No, because you, or at least I, don’t generally get big patches of road rash on my head or eyebrows. If you do, I suspect you need to take a class in how to fall.

11

I do it because:

  1. I do a lot of bike racing in the spring, and scrubbing hair out of road rash is about as unpleasant as it gets. The most hideous rash in the wrecks I’ve had is confined to the legs, so I dont go crazy shaving my whole body.

  2. I’ve got some damn hairy legs, and with all the repetative motion involved in riding/running, it leads to some bad chaffing.

  3. It makes me feel hardcore/fast

  4. Some chicks dig it.