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Do have to shave my legs now?
Ok, so after 16 years mountainbiking I've finally taken the plunge & treated myself to a road bike. Thing is my legs are kind of hairy - do I have to shave them - will I look like (or be seen as) a complete numpty with spider legs sticking out the bottom of my lycra - & IF i do shave where do i stop?
All comments - sensible or not - gratefully received
Thanks
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19 comments
Where do you stop???
Who says you have to stop? Just keep on going. In for a penny...
that's put me right off my tea (toad in the hole as it happens)
don't forget that shaving your legs puts you at a slight aerodynamic disadvantage, for similar reasons to the ones that mean that the hulls of racing yachts aren't smooth. apparently. or something. so make sure you're at least 0.1 seconds quicker than any mates you take down the evening ten, or it may all end in disaster.
Yeah but Yachts are in water - I think it's to trap a bit of air under the hull - some surfboard designs have channels to do the same (useless bit of info) Please correct me - I know it rains a lot but!!! - F1 cars are polished to the n-th degree & they're pretty quick
They do have a blimmin' big engine though, and they weigh bugger all too + isn't there a rule (just like in cycle racing) to stop them being too aero.
When it comes to aero advantage isn't the right kind of 'rough' better than smooth - hence dimpled golf balls travel further than smooth ones…
That's why I eat plenty of cake, in an effort to get dimpled legs and a world-beating aero advantage.
It's the summer that really makes any difference, as you tend to get a much better tan on shaved legs, so you can show off tanned and defined muscles, which has the effect of intimidating your friends/opponents.
I shave my legs all year 'cos I like it, but carpet legs will work just as well if that's your thing.
I shave for no other tangible reasons than vanity, and the opportunity to taunt my hirsute riding buddies.
Si
Never shaved mine.
I find that sliding down the road in Lycra tends to remove all the hair anyway so you don't have to worry about it getting in the way of wound cleaning plus I don't have a masseuse on hand at the end of a ride like the pros so hairy legs don't cause any extra arm ache or extra use of baby oil to overcome any hair induced friction… So no reason to shave 'em.
I've had some stick, but so what. And anyway if you're wearing longs who's gonna know.
Freaked the missus out! she just cant understand the commitment needed to get that extra 1000000th of a sec.. not that it makes any odds when doin a training ride on me sen in the rain! lets face it, its just vanity but if it makes you feel faster then go for it.
Yep, that's commitment, the real commitment is though that you've got to keep doing it… particularly if you go too high
oooooh sir! sounds nasty..
Had to shave the old 'nards when I had a certain Gentlemans op. Horrible when the little blighters grew back
Did you do any wind tunnel testing?
Absolutely not - would have been far too cold without any isulating hairs - ye olde skin contracteth when cold - exagerating the discomfort the short spikey hairs caused - mind you, had this conversation with a chap in the pub, he reconed the "plucked chicken" look suited him fine (& his missus!!) so i should keep-em groomed- personally i think not
What you can get talking about in the pub. Was the conversation cycling related, or shall we leave it there…?
Pub related rather than rather than cycling - can't think how shaven g'nards would help cycling - please enlighten me if you think it could - otherwise probably better leave it there!!
Yeah, best leave it… maybe it could cut the airflow through your shorts when you standing up out of the saddlle… nah, I'm clutching at straws.
Not entirely sure of the aero, or otherwise, advantages of shaven g'nards off the bike either, but then I've led a very sheltered life
It's more aero dynamic when you ride naked, and helps reduce the air turbulence over your bottom (which is probably worth approx 0.8s over a ten mile TT.)
Where do these naked TTs take place?
Or is that what the "U" stands for in some TT course names? "Undressed"
... is TRADITION.