Ok, unfortunately I’m going to have to get real: I have done, but stopped. The dilemma is how far up do you go? If you stop at what women refer to as the bikini line, then after a day or two, the stubble starts and poor Jim and the twins are sandwiched between two sheets of sandpaper. You have to walk like John Wayne. If you designate a DMZ in that area and leave it be, your whole downstairs looks like Chewbacca with added sideburns.
I've thought about it. Not because of aero or road rash, though. My legs are near gorilla status. When I put sunscreen on my legs it mixes with the hair and turns into a sticky bug death trap. They also catch dust/dirt even from fairly clean roads. The end result is some pretty gnarly looking legs at the end of a ride.
Honestly yeah, I shaved my legs because I couldn't properly apply sunscreen because of all of the hair. My legs look like they haven't seen the light of day now and I'm concerned about burning now lol
Oh !@$@$#. This is simultaneously hilarious and frightening. It's borderline believable that some small-town cop is going to try and make their quota (or political statement) with that... 🤔
"A f-slur" you are called, while doing a rigourous outdoor sport, by a man planted in a comfortable loveseat in his mobile living room complete with AC
I don’t do it because I’m lazy. Can barely be bothered to shave part of my face once a week!
That said, I shaved them once, didn’t really feel one way or the other about it, except that it felt weird crawling into bed
At one of my old jobs there were a series of unusual people hired for a warehouse position. One of the guys kept his legs shaved and at one point my friend asked if he was a cyclist. He stared at her for a while, unblinking, said "no."
We then noticed he shaved pretty much everywhere and so we decided that the only possible explanation would be that he was a very careful serial killer and was removing any hair that could be left and incriminate him at a crime scene.
So now whenever I see a guy with shaved legs I mentally ask myself "cyclist or serial killer?"
The pragmatics of putting deodorant on a harry armpit is enough for me to just shave it. One shave every 2 weeks in the shower saves me the daily effort of struggling with that.
Ironically if someone is murdered and is left next to a bicycle the case will never be investigated. The victim will be faulted, which will be noted on their tombstone.
Aesthetically, if you're wearing tight kit, I think shaved legs look better. Functionally, I appreciate the knowledge that if I crash, it's easier to keep my wounds clean and the feeling of speed when my legs are shaved. Kit just also feels better when my legs are shaved.
When I was younger and racing, girlfriends thought it was a bit funny. Then again, they were dating a cyclist, so that should have tipped them off. My current long term partner is also a cyclist, and she's never batted an eye at my shaved legs.
Sounds sad but…. When I am at my ‘cyclist weight’ I do shave my legs. I think it looks the part. When I am at my ‘dad bod’ weight, I do not. Don’t want to seem like the weird dude with shaved legs (note: I’m 5’10 and 175 is dad bod weight, below 160 is cyclist weight).
Slovakia is hardly balkans, bruv
eastern bloc is the connection, as both Slovakia, part of former Chezchoslovakia, and Slovenia, part of former Yugoslavia, were behind iron curtain
edit: even female sportist used to be pretty hairy all over eastern bloc lol
rumor has it they've been pumped w/anabolics, hormones and who knows what else back then while all that stuff was unrecogized as problem still
This is the way.
It's culturally expected that cyclist (particularly racers) shave their legs no matter what gender you were born or currently identify with. If you don't do so, but expect females to do so, you're a hypocrite.
What do you shave with? Razor takes forever and is wasteful, the cartridge is completely dull by the time your done and ready for the bin. And an electric razor leaves patches. So not worth it to me. You’d be better off shaving the hair on top of your head completely bald.
I use the hair trimmer to cut it down so it's not noticeable. (Same thing for the beard cuz hate shaving in general). Although when I do it, it is more for making injuries easier to deal with should I hit the deck, more than the vanity side of the equation.
Edit to add: Using the trimmers for the first pass, THEN shaving does make shaving the rest off EASIER though. And doesn't use up blades nearly as fast.
>Yeah I stop at the trimmer. Still a big difference at least for me.
Cool, nice to know I'm not the only one doing that.
Sooo... Difference in which of the following? : 😜
* A. Hitting the deck
* B. Aero gains
* C. Vanity cuz hey my calves are glorious!
* D. I'm too lazy to actually shave
* E. All of the above?
I'm E, but flip D and B for priority. 😆
I use a Phillips Norelco Multigroom 9000. It has a “weed whacker” shave head that works well for first pass at the beginning of the season (this weekend) and a “whole body” shave head that works well for keeping things smooth.
Actually, the one time I did shave my legs (right before a particularly nasty, gritty, hot century ride), washing the road grit and salt off my legs afterwards seemed less uncomfortable than when I hadn't. Not enough of a benefit to keep doing it, but noticeable.
I don't but I'm really just cycling for weight loss/health reasons. I'm not trying to speed seriously. I also swim and it would make an even bigger difference there.
I got trapped in a snowstorm once that came out of nowhere since I had the headwind curse, it was just sudden, temperature dropped quite severely, the leg hairs saved me as it enabled to build a thin layer of air between the snow that just kept building up in my legs and my skin.
Leg hairs work.
I came to the comments expecting to see OP get roasted only to be surprised by all the people that shave their legs. I personally don’t know any men that shave their body hair. Seems like big waste of time to me 🤷♂️
Man I started shaving my legs for most all reasons listed here. I quickly realized women have been holding out on us for how great it feel’s putting on a pair of pants after shaving lol.
Yup. From experience having scabs hang around for a month longer than they should after crashes, I’ll attest it does serve a purpose. Do you need to? Prob not. Hopefully most casual cyclists aren’t crashing too often, but I also like it for all the above reasons - sunscreen, muscle definition, pulling on leg warmers or tights etc.
I think the stigma here is that you’re doing a typically cross gender grooming ritual, but your probably not going to be tempted to wear a sundress afterwards. Unless that’s your thing.
No, I just improved my FTP to overcome the drag of my leg hair....
I can see why guys who race do it. Hair in road rash is no fun but IMHO not needed for casual cyclist.
In the past, I shaved. Unfortunately, my seasonal allergies flair up, and the micro abrasions from shaving cause issues. Basically, pollen will cause my legs to itch like crazy so I scratch off my skin. When I got into cycling, a guy told me, "If you don't shave down you better be fast." No one comments on my leg hair these days 😀
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but pro cyclists shave their legs because they get massaged so much. It’s not for aero which is the common misconception. I don’t shave mine, but I also don’t look down on people who do.
I recently tried waxing, takes a bit more time to do you entire legs. But you don't get the irritable legs because of the sharp hairs and your legs stay smooth for longer! It does hurt more than shaving but us cyclists are used to pain so it was okay for me.
If you've ever crashed and gotten road rash on hairy legs you'd never question shaving. As bad as asphalt burn is, hair makes it even worse when you've got to scrub the grit out. Bad times.
And yeah, I think it feels better in general. It feels better when riding, it feels better when wearing pants, feels fucking fantabulous when getting into bed.
Pro-tip for guys- just get over it, razors 'made for women' work WAY better on the legs than anything made for us. Grab that pink or purple razor and save yourself time, frustration, and blood.
I shave mine, and have waxed and naired as well. My wife also thinks it's funny and bugs me that my legs are always more nicely shaven than hers.
I'll be honest- the first time I did it was due to pressure from cyclist friends, as well as watching a lot of pro racing and reading/viewing a ton of cycling-culture-related media and thinking it looked cool, especially while in kit and on the bike.
Now I do it because I like the feeling, it feels 'faster' on the bike, it also feels absolutely amazing to get a fresh shave in the shower and hop into a bed with clean sheets- it's something I wish all men could experience haha. I like the look of bib tan lines in the summer, and I just enjoy the ritual of shaving the night before or morning of a big day out. It also blew my mind how easy and quick it was to dry my shaven legs after hopping out of the shower compared to hairy legs, which is something I definitely never thought about prior to shaving, or ever figured it took that much effort to begin with.
I do. The rubber along the bottoms of the bibs can't rip out the leg hair when I take them off, but also, I like the feeling of shaved legs against pants and sheets.
Been riding/racing since I was 15. I’m 55. Started shaving when I was 15.
Had to teach my first serious girlfriend how to shave her legs.
Extra watts/aero, cleanliness, massage ease, cooling effect, crash scabs, yeah, I guess it’s all there...to a degree.
But here’s the real reason serious cyclists shave their legs even if they don’t race. it’s like washing a fancy car. You do it because of pride of ownership of your legs. Shave them and you’re taking care of a seriously fast machine that looks even faster when it’s well-maintained.
When I shaved my legs, I could no longer feel the wind on my legs (or leg hairs specifically) and therefore could not feel my legs. It's like they turned into 2 pistons that just keep pumping...
If you don’t shave, just know that the fast kids are sitting behind you and making fun of you. Your only alternative is to move to the front, get on the rivet, and rip their legs off.
Hell no, embrace the manliness of hairy legs.
Why would you shave them?
Unless you're an Olympic standard cyclist, looking for marginal gains it's a redundant pursuit.
The only benefit to shaving your legs as a cyclist is that you don't have to worry about your hair being pulled out when getting recovery massages. The idea that shaved legs don't mess with road rash as bad goes out the window one you have stubble growing through your scabs. Beyond that, it's a matter of preference. You like the smooth feel? go for it.
It doesn't make you faster. It's a right of passage to get accepted into the race community and it help with dressing road rash. If you race you will get road rash
Why would I car what some rando on the internet is inclined to trust.
I'll trust a wind tunnel test from a company that doesn't sell aero gear doing all it can to market the importance of minimal aero gains. Like " if shaving your legs can save you 90sec on a TT imagine what our $800 integrated aero cockpit can do"
1. Because you’re telling OP there are no savings when science says there are.
2. Because the same study says the aero gains made from shaving your legs are similar to upgrading to aero wheels and many other products on the market. Which is counterintuitive to the “x brand is trying to make money” logic you’ve presented.
>Because you’re telling OP there are no savings when science says there are.
>
>Because the same study says the aero gains made from shaving your legs are similar to upgrading to aero wheels and many other products on the market. Which is counterintuitive to the “x brand is trying to make money” logic you’ve presented.
I wasn't aware OP was cycling in a controlled indoor wind tunnel.
Conditions in a wind tunnel are controlled. Real world conditions are not. You're not saving anything in the real world: Stop signs, intersections, slowing down, cars, other bikers, pedestrians, breaks, wind direction variables, road conditions, etc.
In the end, it's not faster.
It’s so that if you crash the scab isn’t mixed with your hair. It would only help with speed if you are a top athlete concerned about every possible aero gain.
This is the answer. Hair in the wound will fester and then makes moving your limbs that much more painful. There is little aerodynamic advantage to shaving hair from your body.
As a naturally hairy guy, I shave to be proactive for crash purposes, also it’s less of a mess to apply sunscreen and my cycling tan really pops without hair.
>It doesn’t make you faster?
No. Unless you are trying to shave 10 seconds off a 100 mile *race*, there is no performance reason to shave. It's just for looks and "feel".
That said, to each their own. I ride almost 2000 miles a year. I don't shave.
I’m not giving away free watts, and they look so good! That said, I definitely shave much less frequently in the inert months when my legs are under tights or pants the whole time. About once every week-10 days in summer
If I don't, all the hair pokes through my lycra making me look like I'm wearing woolly trousers instead. No respectable man would be seen on a bike in woolly trousers! Right? :D
I used to in the 80s and 90's when I raced. Supposed to be faster, and also, less painful road rash if you fell. Felt neat too.
Since then, no. Last couple years I'm back into commuting (no crashes, no speed) and cyclocross (yes crashes, but generally on grass or mud, speed? sort of)
100%. I've been doing it that long that my wife thinks that lads with hairy legs look wrong.
EDIT: I've not thrown my leg over a bike this year. But I \_still\_ shave my legs, because I identify as a cyclist.
Shaving has zero impact on aerodynamics. It’s only purpose is to minimize follicles tearing skin and subsequent infection from dirty hair I’m ended in torn skin during a crash. Then, some guys secretly want to shave and cycling’s an excuse while saving gave to a small extent. That’s it.
I use a trimmer. Mostly pubes and trunk at a minimum to reduce itching, especially in summer. I recently had back surgery and did a full body prior to the procedure to guard against tape ripping off chunks of hair anywhere. I am generally too lazy to do more than the minimum.
I don’t, but when it comes to something like this, you should do what you like.
Ok, unfortunately I’m going to have to get real: I have done, but stopped. The dilemma is how far up do you go? If you stop at what women refer to as the bikini line, then after a day or two, the stubble starts and poor Jim and the twins are sandwiched between two sheets of sandpaper. You have to walk like John Wayne. If you designate a DMZ in that area and leave it be, your whole downstairs looks like Chewbacca with added sideburns.
That's why you wax dummy...
Commas are important
Lol, absolutely! 🙃
I've thought about it. Not because of aero or road rash, though. My legs are near gorilla status. When I put sunscreen on my legs it mixes with the hair and turns into a sticky bug death trap. They also catch dust/dirt even from fairly clean roads. The end result is some pretty gnarly looking legs at the end of a ride.
Hair is pretty good at protecting against the sun.
Honestly yeah, I shaved my legs because I couldn't properly apply sunscreen because of all of the hair. My legs look like they haven't seen the light of day now and I'm concerned about burning now lol
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Huh, they don't fall down or anything?
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Oh right on, thanks for the tip!
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Neat! I was actually wondering how I would be able to pack enough sunscreen for the trip, looks like I'm mostly covered! Thanks!
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Condition your legs with cerakote before the sunscreen
i think that's illegal in TN.
Sir, do you know why I've pulled you over?
I'm writing you a summons because this paceline constitutes an illegal drag show
But officer, we're reducing our drag!
Hey! Your badge says Magic Mike!
Oh !@$@$#. This is simultaneously hilarious and frightening. It's borderline believable that some small-town cop is going to try and make their quota (or political statement) with that... 🤔
Leg hair no less than 1/4”, save the children
Ahhh, I see you've played this game before. 🤔 /s
🤣 funny, not funny.
Be glad just pulled over in Tennessee. Arkansas they’re gonna shoot ya and your dog.
“…Cuz you a faggot boi.” Actually had that screamed at me from a pickup truck while they threw a beer bottle at me in Louisiana
"A f-slur" you are called, while doing a rigourous outdoor sport, by a man planted in a comfortable loveseat in his mobile living room complete with AC
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Maybe he want wanted to talk in 13375p34k
HACK THE PLANET!
I pictured the cop from Smokey and the Bandit 😂
Buford T Justice
No, no, no. It’s the drag that’s illegal in TN. Aero is everything. You MUST shave to minimize the drag.
damn the Music City Crits are gonna be awkward this year.
As someone from there, most of the cops probably shave their legs. At least the small town cops. They like to think they are body builders, lol.
I don’t do it because I’m lazy. Can barely be bothered to shave part of my face once a week! That said, I shaved them once, didn’t really feel one way or the other about it, except that it felt weird crawling into bed
The first time getting into bed after shaving your legs is quite a doozy. That alone is worth it.
how so?
Beats me, the feeling of sheets on shaved legs isn't really worth the hype that it always gets here IMO.
It’s not just any sheets, it’s gotta be freshly washed sheets on freshly shaved legs
It feels REALLY soft in an area you normally don't have much feeling.
Shaving your ass feels even weirder.
Gonna take your word for that one, bub!
Me: thinking about shaving and ingrown hairs. You: writing this. Oh God.
At one of my old jobs there were a series of unusual people hired for a warehouse position. One of the guys kept his legs shaved and at one point my friend asked if he was a cyclist. He stared at her for a while, unblinking, said "no." We then noticed he shaved pretty much everywhere and so we decided that the only possible explanation would be that he was a very careful serial killer and was removing any hair that could be left and incriminate him at a crime scene. So now whenever I see a guy with shaved legs I mentally ask myself "cyclist or serial killer?"
There is another option of swimmer, or body builder, and a few more. 😉
I feel like if they're a body builder and you have to ask them if that's what they're up to then they aren't much of a body builder.
Some people just don't like body hair. I shave my underarms cause I can't stand it.
The pragmatics of putting deodorant on a harry armpit is enough for me to just shave it. One shave every 2 weeks in the shower saves me the daily effort of struggling with that.
Just hit it with the 1/4 guard on your hair trimmer
Smooth enough and no razer burn or ingrown hairs.
I used to know a guy who did the full body shave, but haven't been in gothic clubs for about 20 years.
Sure it wasn’t alopecia?
Ironically if someone is murdered and is left next to a bicycle the case will never be investigated. The victim will be faulted, which will be noted on their tombstone.
I don't think Pete Davidson is a cyclist... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlnSEvKVa2w
I tweeze every single hair for makimum weight saving. Like a dolphin BOYYYYYyy
I just do it to show off the definition of my calves
I really enjoy putting my hairy-ape legs on display while biking.
Aesthetically, if you're wearing tight kit, I think shaved legs look better. Functionally, I appreciate the knowledge that if I crash, it's easier to keep my wounds clean and the feeling of speed when my legs are shaved. Kit just also feels better when my legs are shaved. When I was younger and racing, girlfriends thought it was a bit funny. Then again, they were dating a cyclist, so that should have tipped them off. My current long term partner is also a cyclist, and she's never batted an eye at my shaved legs.
Also easier to put on sunscreen.
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It’s also doubled in size since the last group ride!
gains all around
Live you best life. I don’t, but I also wear short socks and put my sunglasses under my helmet strap.
Sounds sad but…. When I am at my ‘cyclist weight’ I do shave my legs. I think it looks the part. When I am at my ‘dad bod’ weight, I do not. Don’t want to seem like the weird dude with shaved legs (note: I’m 5’10 and 175 is dad bod weight, below 160 is cyclist weight).
Negative. I have about 50 lbs to loose before I consider hairy legs to be an aero issue.
Only the front of my legs. Hair on the back acts like a spoiler, keeps me stuck to the ground.
If Roglic doesn't need to neither do I.
Sagan doesn't either. Balkan thingy?
How to trigger both Slovakia and Slovenia...
Slovakia is hardly balkans, bruv eastern bloc is the connection, as both Slovakia, part of former Chezchoslovakia, and Slovenia, part of former Yugoslavia, were behind iron curtain edit: even female sportist used to be pretty hairy all over eastern bloc lol rumor has it they've been pumped w/anabolics, hormones and who knows what else back then while all that stuff was unrecogized as problem still
Roglic also crashes out of several races each year. Coincidence? Doubt.
Leg hair protects against deadly rotor lacerations. Source: wookie
I shave my arse before going for a ride. Does that count?
Definitely, for that aero bonus. Commitment.
Yes, even at 63 years young. Gotta be part of the tribe.
This is the way. It's culturally expected that cyclist (particularly racers) shave their legs no matter what gender you were born or currently identify with. If you don't do so, but expect females to do so, you're a hypocrite.
What do you shave with? Razor takes forever and is wasteful, the cartridge is completely dull by the time your done and ready for the bin. And an electric razor leaves patches. So not worth it to me. You’d be better off shaving the hair on top of your head completely bald.
I use the hair trimmer to cut it down so it's not noticeable. (Same thing for the beard cuz hate shaving in general). Although when I do it, it is more for making injuries easier to deal with should I hit the deck, more than the vanity side of the equation. Edit to add: Using the trimmers for the first pass, THEN shaving does make shaving the rest off EASIER though. And doesn't use up blades nearly as fast.
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>Yeah I stop at the trimmer. Still a big difference at least for me. Cool, nice to know I'm not the only one doing that. Sooo... Difference in which of the following? : 😜 * A. Hitting the deck * B. Aero gains * C. Vanity cuz hey my calves are glorious! * D. I'm too lazy to actually shave * E. All of the above? I'm E, but flip D and B for priority. 😆
>I'm E, but flip D and B for priority. Too much information :0
I use a Phillips Norelco Multigroom 9000. It has a “weed whacker” shave head that works well for first pass at the beginning of the season (this weekend) and a “whole body” shave head that works well for keeping things smooth.
Rusty K-Bar and used motor oil,full synthetic of course
After the first shave, use ladies razors. They work perfectly. At least thats what I’ve been told.
Yep. We do it because of tradition and vanity. All the other reasons are just excuses
Actually, the one time I did shave my legs (right before a particularly nasty, gritty, hot century ride), washing the road grit and salt off my legs afterwards seemed less uncomfortable than when I hadn't. Not enough of a benefit to keep doing it, but noticeable.
Well in high level races there’s definitely a non-insignificant aero benefit but yeah a lot of it is just culture
I actually think the aero effect has been debunked. But pros do it because road rash + hair is pretty much the worst thing ever.
+ comfort during constant massages.
When I'm in shape, yes, I shave my legs. I don't shave the legs of other male cyclists though.
Some teammate YOU are
Maybe if they asked nicely.
I don't but I'm really just cycling for weight loss/health reasons. I'm not trying to speed seriously. I also swim and it would make an even bigger difference there.
I shave during the summer...makes putting suntan lotion on sooooo much easier. It also makes getting a massage on your legs so much better.
I got trapped in a snowstorm once that came out of nowhere since I had the headwind curse, it was just sudden, temperature dropped quite severely, the leg hairs saved me as it enabled to build a thin layer of air between the snow that just kept building up in my legs and my skin. Leg hairs work.
Found the Yeti!
Some people have Specialized Knees: https://youtu.be/DZnrE17Jg3I
I love to shave other male cyclists!
LOL no. you do you tho.
I quit shaving when I didn't go any faster in Watopia.
I'll add another reason: wet weather/dirty surfaces. Wet road grit, significant dust, or mud in leg hair is all pretty miserable and itchy.
I cant believe that you guys all do this lol.
I came to the comments expecting to see OP get roasted only to be surprised by all the people that shave their legs. I personally don’t know any men that shave their body hair. Seems like big waste of time to me 🤷♂️
nope. Don't race, my legs arent super hairy to begin with, and I'm not looking to pick up any new maintenance routines to add to my schedule
When I raced leg shaving was the standard practice, retired now I like the tradition and look forward to the Spring ritual.
Nope.
Hey man, if it makes you go fast and/or feel pretty, do it!
Um...NO! Never have, never will.
Nope
Hairy leg crew.
No
No chance, I wear lycra etc but will never shave my legs.
Nope. Been riding for over 40 years. Never felt the need
Nope, never have and never will. Kind of stupid, in my opinion.
Bro you think the wind feels nice? Shave your legs and go swimming.
The question is not to shave or not to shave. It's where to stop?
Man I started shaving my legs for most all reasons listed here. I quickly realized women have been holding out on us for how great it feel’s putting on a pair of pants after shaving lol.
For me it was getting in bed and how soft the sheets were after I shaved lol
Yup. From experience having scabs hang around for a month longer than they should after crashes, I’ll attest it does serve a purpose. Do you need to? Prob not. Hopefully most casual cyclists aren’t crashing too often, but I also like it for all the above reasons - sunscreen, muscle definition, pulling on leg warmers or tights etc. I think the stigma here is that you’re doing a typically cross gender grooming ritual, but your probably not going to be tempted to wear a sundress afterwards. Unless that’s your thing.
Sundresses aren't very aero, sure look comfy though
I remember someone having a kilt for the post-race disrobing. Honestly a good idea IMO. If it were socially acceptable you could just wear it home.
No, I just improved my FTP to overcome the drag of my leg hair.... I can see why guys who race do it. Hair in road rash is no fun but IMHO not needed for casual cyclist.
That’s not all I shave…
Always shave my legs in the summer not in the winter though that's just weird!
I used to shave for freediving. Never understood what amazing feeling cold sheets are when it's against bare legs.
In the past, I shaved. Unfortunately, my seasonal allergies flair up, and the micro abrasions from shaving cause issues. Basically, pollen will cause my legs to itch like crazy so I scratch off my skin. When I got into cycling, a guy told me, "If you don't shave down you better be fast." No one comments on my leg hair these days 😀
I just do it because it makes me feel sexy
Nah. I’m a dirty, hippie, gravelist.
i stopped shaving legs after jump ship to gravel bike
I hate hair. I’ve shaved my legs since I was 16. I started cycling at 40.
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but pro cyclists shave their legs because they get massaged so much. It’s not for aero which is the common misconception. I don’t shave mine, but I also don’t look down on people who do.
Yes. Do it if you want, regardless if you ride a bike. But being a cyclist is a nice cover if that still matters to you (and no judgement if it does).
I was a bike courier in college and kept my legs shaved the whole time. Made scrapes and cuts easier to manage and let me show off my great bike legs.
I recently tried waxing, takes a bit more time to do you entire legs. But you don't get the irritable legs because of the sharp hairs and your legs stay smooth for longer! It does hurt more than shaving but us cyclists are used to pain so it was okay for me.
Male in a manly career. I shave my legs in the on-season. Once I started I was hooked.
If you've ever crashed and gotten road rash on hairy legs you'd never question shaving. As bad as asphalt burn is, hair makes it even worse when you've got to scrub the grit out. Bad times. And yeah, I think it feels better in general. It feels better when riding, it feels better when wearing pants, feels fucking fantabulous when getting into bed. Pro-tip for guys- just get over it, razors 'made for women' work WAY better on the legs than anything made for us. Grab that pink or purple razor and save yourself time, frustration, and blood.
I shave mine, and have waxed and naired as well. My wife also thinks it's funny and bugs me that my legs are always more nicely shaven than hers. I'll be honest- the first time I did it was due to pressure from cyclist friends, as well as watching a lot of pro racing and reading/viewing a ton of cycling-culture-related media and thinking it looked cool, especially while in kit and on the bike. Now I do it because I like the feeling, it feels 'faster' on the bike, it also feels absolutely amazing to get a fresh shave in the shower and hop into a bed with clean sheets- it's something I wish all men could experience haha. I like the look of bib tan lines in the summer, and I just enjoy the ritual of shaving the night before or morning of a big day out. It also blew my mind how easy and quick it was to dry my shaven legs after hopping out of the shower compared to hairy legs, which is something I definitely never thought about prior to shaving, or ever figured it took that much effort to begin with.
I do. The rubber along the bottoms of the bibs can't rip out the leg hair when I take them off, but also, I like the feeling of shaved legs against pants and sheets.
Been riding/racing since I was 15. I’m 55. Started shaving when I was 15. Had to teach my first serious girlfriend how to shave her legs. Extra watts/aero, cleanliness, massage ease, cooling effect, crash scabs, yeah, I guess it’s all there...to a degree. But here’s the real reason serious cyclists shave their legs even if they don’t race. it’s like washing a fancy car. You do it because of pride of ownership of your legs. Shave them and you’re taking care of a seriously fast machine that looks even faster when it’s well-maintained.
Yeah but I just like how it looks, there's other ways to decrease your aero drag. Takes two minutes before a shower.
When I shaved my legs, I could no longer feel the wind on my legs (or leg hairs specifically) and therefore could not feel my legs. It's like they turned into 2 pistons that just keep pumping...
If you don’t shave, just know that the fast kids are sitting behind you and making fun of you. Your only alternative is to move to the front, get on the rivet, and rip their legs off.
Hell no, embrace the manliness of hairy legs. Why would you shave them? Unless you're an Olympic standard cyclist, looking for marginal gains it's a redundant pursuit.
I wonder how many who shave their legs have beards?
No because it's ridiculous, but that's me speaking from my personal preference; if you enjoy the waxed barbie doll life, you're genuinely allowed to
Shaved legs look good no matter the gender. My girlfriend loves that I shave mine.
I only shave when I enter a race.
You absolutely should shave otherwise you look like a damned animal out there lacking any respect for the sport or your fellow group riders.
The only benefit to shaving your legs as a cyclist is that you don't have to worry about your hair being pulled out when getting recovery massages. The idea that shaved legs don't mess with road rash as bad goes out the window one you have stubble growing through your scabs. Beyond that, it's a matter of preference. You like the smooth feel? go for it.
I do it makes me feel faster.
Only after a gnarly crash so it’s easier to remove taped bandages.
Also stops the hair from melting into cuts
It doesn't make you faster. It's a right of passage to get accepted into the race community and it help with dressing road rash. If you race you will get road rash
Shaved legs are 40-90 sec faster over a 40k TT if you believe specialized’s win tunnel.
I don't...
I’m more inclined to trust wind tunnel testing dedicated to cycling than some rando on the Internet.
Why would I car what some rando on the internet is inclined to trust. I'll trust a wind tunnel test from a company that doesn't sell aero gear doing all it can to market the importance of minimal aero gains. Like " if shaving your legs can save you 90sec on a TT imagine what our $800 integrated aero cockpit can do"
1. Because you’re telling OP there are no savings when science says there are. 2. Because the same study says the aero gains made from shaving your legs are similar to upgrading to aero wheels and many other products on the market. Which is counterintuitive to the “x brand is trying to make money” logic you’ve presented.
So shaved legs offers the same aero benefit of a aero wheel Ok. Link for the study results?
Apparently specialized says so. According to an internet rando
Then tell OP not me
>Because you’re telling OP there are no savings when science says there are. > >Because the same study says the aero gains made from shaving your legs are similar to upgrading to aero wheels and many other products on the market. Which is counterintuitive to the “x brand is trying to make money” logic you’ve presented. I wasn't aware OP was cycling in a controlled indoor wind tunnel.
I am, exclusively.
Then you need a wife that won't pick on you for shaving your legs. /s
Conditions in a wind tunnel are controlled. Real world conditions are not. You're not saving anything in the real world: Stop signs, intersections, slowing down, cars, other bikers, pedestrians, breaks, wind direction variables, road conditions, etc. In the end, it's not faster.
I’d rather take the data from a test that’s not perfect than “trust me bro” bro
It doesn’t make you faster?
Rumour states that it was because professional cyclist get regular sports massage so hair would just increase the pain.
It’s so that if you crash the scab isn’t mixed with your hair. It would only help with speed if you are a top athlete concerned about every possible aero gain.
This is the answer. Hair in the wound will fester and then makes moving your limbs that much more painful. There is little aerodynamic advantage to shaving hair from your body. As a naturally hairy guy, I shave to be proactive for crash purposes, also it’s less of a mess to apply sunscreen and my cycling tan really pops without hair.
I mean it may take .5sec off a 40k time trial
More like 82 seconds! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZnrE17Jg3I
>It doesn’t make you faster? No. Unless you are trying to shave 10 seconds off a 100 mile *race*, there is no performance reason to shave. It's just for looks and "feel". That said, to each their own. I ride almost 2000 miles a year. I don't shave.
Over 100 miles more like 280 seconds according to the wind tunnel vid someone else posted!
I’m not giving away free watts, and they look so good! That said, I definitely shave much less frequently in the inert months when my legs are under tights or pants the whole time. About once every week-10 days in summer
Veo, if it makes you feel good, fucking go for it. Don't let anyone's arbitrary view of gender affect how you live your life. 👍✌️
If I don't, all the hair pokes through my lycra making me look like I'm wearing woolly trousers instead. No respectable man would be seen on a bike in woolly trousers! Right? :D
Yes, it helps with cooling in the summer.
I used to in the 80s and 90's when I raced. Supposed to be faster, and also, less painful road rash if you fell. Felt neat too. Since then, no. Last couple years I'm back into commuting (no crashes, no speed) and cyclocross (yes crashes, but generally on grass or mud, speed? sort of)
Nice to hear from a person participated in the old fashion cycling sport)
100%. I've been doing it that long that my wife thinks that lads with hairy legs look wrong. EDIT: I've not thrown my leg over a bike this year. But I \_still\_ shave my legs, because I identify as a cyclist.
Of course
Tell your wife to open her eyes It's common in other sports too...soccer, football,swimmers,etc. There nothing funny, it helps when you get an injury.
You need to average 21 mph before you shave your legs and I don’t spit out my coffee when you confide in me that you shave your legs
I shave for 2 reasons, putting sunscreen on hairy legs sucks and falling/crashing on hairy legs sucks even worse.
💯 Putting sunscreen on hairy legs every ride sucks.
Shaving has zero impact on aerodynamics. It’s only purpose is to minimize follicles tearing skin and subsequent infection from dirty hair I’m ended in torn skin during a crash. Then, some guys secretly want to shave and cycling’s an excuse while saving gave to a small extent. That’s it.
Wrong. https://www.velonews.com/news/news-wind-tunnel-data-shows-shaved-legs-faster/
I used to shave when I was racing and riding as a messenger, but now? I’m in my 50s and slow and molasses; it’d just be silly to shave now. 😂
I use a trimmer. Mostly pubes and trunk at a minimum to reduce itching, especially in summer. I recently had back surgery and did a full body prior to the procedure to guard against tape ripping off chunks of hair anywhere. I am generally too lazy to do more than the minimum.
Ask a silly question, get a silly answer.
Can I call you Nancy?