Leg shaving

[J-Dude]

I know real devotees for any drag-related sports (or roadburn related sports) shave their legs.
And anybody who has ever shaved anything repeatedly knows what the hair grows back like.

I'm wondering if any of you have tried alternate hair removal products for your legs besides shaving. What is good? What is pain free? What should one avoid at all costs? Or should i just say, "screw it," and shave?

I await your responses ;)

J-Dude

[ShoreIH]

chop off your legs, its easier.

[heckler]

What's wrong with lycra tights? I thought that was the rage.

[thewalrus]

Hairy legs are good enough for Eddy Merckx.

Unless you're a cat1 pro... don't shave!

[XXX_er]

leg waxing

I never did it myself but when my x-wife told me what she paid to have it done I was pretty sure I could do it better/faster /cheaper . We got some kit for 30$ that plugged in and heated up a wax applicator,apply the hot wax ,stick the linen strips down ,rip them off in the reverse direction of hair growth ... didnt hurt a bit


did I mention we are no longer married ??

[thebigchin]

Or should i just say, "screw it," and shave?


I've always said, "Shave it and screw"...

[sanrensho]

Or should i just say, "screw it," and shave?

Affirmative. Go at it first with hair clippers (or a trimmer) if you have wookie legs.

[trout]

I know real devotees for any drag-related sports

I'm no expert but any sport that requires you to dress in drag would necessitate some clean shaven legs.

[sprinter]

I tried these strips that you warm up with your hands then stick to you legs. You then rip them off. Lets say I'm never doing that again.

Since then I stick to leg shaving.

[J-Dude]

We got some kit for 30$ that plugged in and heated up a wax applicator,apply the hot wax ,stick the linen strips down ,rip them off in the reverse direction of hair growth ... didnt hurt a bit

did I mention we are no longer married ??
Well, i do like this option... but i'm kinda put off by the fact that you're no longer married... :argue:

I'm definetly no pro, but the reason, my coach tells me, for the leg shaving is that if you crash or whatever, your hair becomes like velcro and sticks to the road, and a lot of ripping occurs. This slows down the healing process as well as gives these huge, ugly scars...

I think i'll take his advice, but i'm still considering my options. Thanks for the humorous advice... ;) love it :P

[Hack On Wheels]

Don't do it....

[J-Dude]

Don't do it....
When i show you (and gross you out) with my newest roadburn/hair-velcro patch (GOD FORBID), you'll wish i did ;)

[johnathan]

This is wrong dont you know chicks dig scars or so they say... Anyway if you must shave but eventually when you do let it grow back it will be about nine times as thick as it grows back with avengence. My honest opinion dont do it sounds and seems so wrong.

[wallyjames]

Not the old 'grows back thicker' myth again. Bro, it ain't so. If this was true, you'd have a beard birds could nest in, and chicks could braid their pit hair 3 days after a shave. I've been shaving my head for 3 yrs now, and still only half of it grows back, just like before... experiment failed, I guess?!?!

[mtbsrule]

well if it isnt true how do guys get stubbles... and how come if some girl doesnt shave there legs in 2 weeks it feels like sandpaper.

EDIT: my advice, use nair thats what girls say is the best :S

[sanrensho]

but eventually when you do let it grow back it will be about nine times as thick as it grows back with avengence.

Sorry, but leg hair is not like the hair on your palms.

[johnathan]

I dont have any on my palms!?

[DARTHYOGA]

From a woman who knows, wax is the only way to go. Alot of spas will wax a man ( anywhere!) and they love it when guys come in. Its not exactly cheap but you get to wear a cool bath robe and the women are fun.
It takes a few weeks to grow back and eventually it will grow in thinner as the folicle is damaged when the hair is yanked out. The spas will usually have some sort of after care for you to put on that will make you smooth and take away any lingering pain.
When I do the home kit I always miss spots as I can't reach, and I get it everywhere and it is eally hard to get off.
One warning though, the thicker the hair the more it will hurt. I suggest seeing "the 40 year old virgin" before any Wookie waxing.
For a real treat go Brazilian !

[wallyjames]

I never said it doesn't grow back at all!!! But shaving it doesn't change the rate of growth, it still grows the same amount each day. I dunno about legs but my scalp and face stubble growth haven't changed in years.

[the flying moose]

hahah the man-o-lantern.

[mtbgal]

all i gotta say is WAX...for the woman(en) in your life, please!!

You think that our leg hair is stubbly and sandpapery when it grows back?? men who's leg hair is growing back feels like it's gonna rip off your skin - so i've heard.
Besides, what Darthyoga says is right, waxed hair doesn't grow in as harshly and as coarse as it was. shaved hair grows in the same. and get it done professionally the first time, so that you know what to expect. it will be over before you know it, and you won't have to worry about it for a couple weeks!

[sleeper72]

As for the "it grows back thicker" myth, if you shave it seems to grow back coarser because the very end of the hair is chopped off, rather than tapered like a normal hair (or one that has grown back after being yanked out via waxing). It's like a normal tapered tree vs a stump.

[sleeper72]

I'm definetly no pro, but the reason, my coach tells me, for the leg shaving is that if you crash or whatever, your hair becomes like velcro and sticks to the road, and a lot of ripping occurs. This slows down the healing process as well as gives these huge, ugly scars...

Under the same logic, shouldn't you shave your arms as well? Hair doesn't cause infections, and if it's a serious gash there will be a lot more dirt than hair in there. Nor does hair have some magical pavement-gripping ability or the ability to remove flesh. Do chunks of flesh come off when women pluck their eyebrows? In the case of road rash, since you'll be painfully scrubbing the dirt out with a brillo pad you may as well shave the wound at that time.

Cyclists shave their legs for looks, fashion and tradition. I think men are afraid of being perceived as "womanly" by non-cyclists if they can't come up with a grimly practical reason, preferably involving painful injury of some sort.

[pete@nsmb.com]

Cyclists shave their legs for looks, fashion and tradition. I think men are afraid of being perceived as "womanly" by non-cyclists if they can't come up with a grimly practical reason, preferably involving painful injury of some sort.

Nope - (well, maybe some do it for "fashion" but that's lame) but there is some other misinformation in this thread as well. Mainly, cyclists shave because bandgaes come off easier if you're not hairy. Reason #2 is for the pros who get massages every day: massages on hairy legs hurt as hair gets pinched between the masseur's hands and your skin. Some cyclists claim a psychological effect, but there is not a noticeable decrease in aerodynamic drag as most people think.

[wallyjames]

Sleeper I think you are right on the mark. The excuses about road rash, aero and so on are just that: excuses. "Looks, fashion and tradition" are the real reasons.

[sanrensho]

The excuses about road rash, aero and so on are just that: excuses.

As Pete already pointed out, "aero" was NEVER given as a reason for shaving legs, at least in modern times. In the pro peloton, the reasons for shaving are due to road rash but most of all, for the daily massages during racing.

If you've ever seen a team masseuse at work, the reasons for shaving are pretty apparent.

[pete@nsmb.com]

If you've ever seen a team masseuse at work, the reasons for shaving are pretty apparent.

No doubt - can't be as nice as it sounds to have a leg massage every day. None of the soigneurs/masseuses are women, as far as I know, so you can throw that wet dream right out the window...

[enduramil]

As Pete already pointed out, "aero" was NEVER given as a reason for shaving legs, at least in modern times. In the pro peloton, the reasons for shaving are due to road rash but most of all, for the daily massages during racing.

If you've ever seen a team masseuse at work, the reasons for shaving are pretty apparent.

My fiance is a retired national team volleyball player. If I din't shave my legs I would be in even more pain when she does massage work on me. And the kind of massage I'm talking about isn't what you find at an airport departure lounge or the Number 5 Orange.

Though have noticed one thing, Both road and trail riding cuts and such heal faster without all the hair in the way.

[enduramil]

From a woman who knows, wax is the only way to go. Alot of spas will wax a man ( anywhere!) and they love it when guys come in. Its not exactly cheap but you get to wear a cool bath robe and the women are fun.
It takes a few weeks to grow back and eventually it will grow in thinner as the folicle is damaged when the hair is yanked out. The spas will usually have some sort of after care for you to put on that will make you smooth and take away any lingering pain.
When I do the home kit I always miss spots as I can't reach, and I get it everywhere and it is eally hard to get off.
One warning though, the thicker the hair the more it will hurt. I suggest seeing "the 40 year old virgin" before any Wookie waxing.
For a real treat go Brazilian !

You just want to enjoy watching a man suffer through this. Admit it you will take pleasure in it.:P

[sanrensho]

Only noobs ever mention the whole "shaving=aero" urban myth. Actual cyclists who ride day in and day out, and maybe shave, NEVER claim any aero benefits.

Believe it or not, roadies do not sit around in cafes bragging about how they shaved x seconds off their TT time because they trimmed their leg hair the night before. Nor do they shave their eyebrows or heads for the same reasons.

[stuart@nsmb.com]

One of the things I like best about shaved legs is that they don't get nearly as cold when I'm riding in wet or cold weather.

[sleeper72]

One of the things I like best about shaved legs is that they don't get nearly as cold when I'm riding in wet or cold weather.

Finally a good reason! Sweat must evaporate better on hot days too.

Plenty of people with hair get massages without significant hair-related pain, but that is personal preference so I can't argue that point.

As for bandages coming off easier, why not shave AFTER the crash?

I still think that a large part of it, among recreational riders, is simply tradition and emulating the pro riders you admire. Does anybody but a pro get daily massages, or crash enough to pre-emptively shave future wound areas? Seems like a lot of trouble for minor benefits for anyone but a pro.

Anyway, this started as a "how to" thread and not a "why" thread. sorry to hijack it.

[wallyjames]

So the 99% of roadies who don't have team masseurs shave because why?

[sanrensho]

Finally a good reason! Sweat must evaporate better on hot days too.


I notice that as well. Also much easier to get on a good even coat of sunblock on sunny days.

[pete@nsmb.com]

Believe it or not, roadies do not sit around in cafes bragging about how they shaved x seconds off their TT time because they trimmed their leg hair the night before.

True. Instead they sneak uppers into their double espresso while sandbagging about how tired they are, and then work your ass into the pavement on the second half of a 4 km, 12% climb.

Some of the guys I ride with used to race, but they keep shaving because it looks and feels "tidy". No other reason...just habit. And yes, some sort of twisted vanity.

[pete@nsmb.com]

Isn't one of the functions of hair to transport perspiration further from the body so it evaporates more efficiently? I' not buying that one, or the warmth argument. Hairy legs must be (ever-so-slightly) warmer than shaved ones, if anything.

The even tan thing - yeah, that makes sense (if you have legs like Chewbacca).

[Tracer Tong]

The reason I always heard was because when you get road rash you don't want hair in the scab. Not the bandages, the scab.

As a new roadie I too am contemplating the leg shaving debacle.

[pete@nsmb.com]

Don't bother shaving, just ride with hairy legs like a real man. Over-eager shavers look like racer wannabes.

[J-Dude]

But it feels so goood!!!! ;)

[the flying moose]

just sahve your ass. you still get the excitment of shaving a body part but you dont look like some keener pro wanna be racer.

[Tracer Tong]

thanks for the advice. How would I explain that one though? "Hey man, you gay or something with that smooth butt?" "No, I just road bike."

[the flying moose]

it doesnt have to be your ass. it could be your sack, back, feet or whatever.

[pete@nsmb.com]

thanks for the advice. How would I explain that one though? "Hey man, you gay or something with that smooth butt?" "No, I just road bike."

Who should you have to explain that to? Lots of guys looking at your bare ass or something?

[Tracer Tong]

I live in a dorm, an oldschool dorm.

[wallyjames]

it doesnt have to be your ass. it could be your sack, back, feet or whatever.


What you need is the good ol' back, crack & sack wax.

[the flying moose]

What you need is the good ol' back, crack & sack wax.

hahhaha. my woman is a hairstylist. i used to call up the salon she worked at and asked for that.

[Tracer Tong]

hahhaha. my woman is a hairstylist. i used to call up the salon she worked at and asked for that.

Um yeah, sounds like fun.

[J-Dude]

Look what my thread evolved into! :P

[hooli]

this will help everyone

http://www.shaveeverywhere.com/