I am new to tri’s (about 12 months now) and also new to cycling. I see a lot of what I would call “serious” athletes whom shave their legs. Talking about males here.
What are the benefits of shaved legs ? Show off your leg muscles - ha? Reduce infection from leg hair in a wound after a fall?
I have done about 5,000 km (3,000 miles) on my bike in 12 months and have not fallen off once (I guess I am lucky). Are bike falls common for cyclists such that it warrants the dreaded shaving?
Sorry - I guess I should have done a “search post” first before I duplicated this question of shaving. Seems that it has been asked and answered many time before. Sorry.
I shave. I consider myself pretty serious about the sport but I do it just incase there is a nasty fall. As once stated by someone on this forum(sorry, I don’t remember the name), there are three types of cyclist: Ones that will fall, ones that have fallen, and ones that are both.
Plus it’s a lot faster in the swim, if you don’t wear a wetsuit. I have also heard from many swim coaches who are freaks about the shave and taper thing(like myself), that by shaving, it reduces lactic acid in that part of the body. Don’t ask me to explain why because I have no clue how, I’ve just heard it from many people and it seems to work.
Yup, #1 reason. Chicks dig it. Even a long-entrenched wife will dig it. Its a hassle sometimes, but I’d never go back. And you quickly get over the ego-infested ribbing from the “manly” men out there. They don’t know what they don’t know.
The #1 reason for me is because it keeps me racing. Sounds strange, but I’ve been shaving my legs since I started racing about 15 years ago. Now that I’m so used to it, I can’t stand the thought of letting the hair grow back, but if I’m not racing, I have no excuse. So see, in some twisted way I race so I can shave my legs.
I’ve posted on this before and I think you can put the answer very simply: It’s SexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexySexy
I don’t think any ladies here have ever posted that they were very turned off, or thought shaved legs were horrible.
My wife was horrified when I first shaved them but now she has grown to like it. Everybody does it to look cool. All other reasons are bull@#$%. Seen the TV comercials for the show 54321? “Don’t be THAT guy”. Same principle.
I currently do not shave, but my wife keeps nagging on me TO shave. She is tired of seeing me in bike shorts and speedos with hairy legs. She says it just not a flattering look.
Here’s the thing, the people that can shave, will (they aren’t ever hairy guys anyway). What ever the “reason”; a commitment to the sport, falls, easier to get the wet suit off or sex appeal, it’s just another tri sub-culture. Try it out, but beware of the in grown hair once you get tired of shaving every week! I’m a guy who gets 12 o’clock shadow, let alone 5 o’clock. I’d never do it!
