To shave, or not to shave

God knows where she got it from, perhaps picking through a copy of 220 left in the bathroom, but the wifey has just asked me if I plan to shave legs etc for the Outlaw. I have never even considered it. So how better to get a straight answer and not ridiculed at all that ask my fellow forum members. So what is it to be? Smooth as a baby's bum or my best Richard Keyes impression? Does it really make a difference or is it just a hygiene thing? Thoughts appreciated as if it is the razor, this is going to take some planning, I have no idea where to even start!
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Comments

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I waxed my Squeeze's legs for him last year image

    Have you seen "40-year old Virgin"? image

     

     

  • An all over body wax is good for an extra 6.7 secs over the Ironman distance

    Personally its just a tri/roadie thing having pretty hairy legs the only advantage i have found is its so much quicker drying off coming out of the pool and i can get away with a much smaller towel when running there

    Also it shows off my vacarous veins a treatimage
  • Who did it last year...wasn't it Cat........it made him look like he had girlie legs........His legs were shaped much better than mineimage

    I for one thought he looked sexier pre shaving and silly with shaved legs...but I'm sure some thought it looked good....

    I take it that speed has nothing to do with it and its all to complete the look of elite athlete in pirate kit image

  • Stanners... you start at the bottom and work up.  It's knowing where to stop that is the dilemma... do you stop at the line of your shorts, or your swimmers, or your pants, or do you keep going.  If you keep going your old man will be itchy has hell for a few days and you will wonder what the feck you have done!  If you want real pain get some veet and leave it on too long....  then having passed the line of no return do you do the torso etc.  It's a nightmare.

    Best advice, stay hairy.  Shaved legs is road cyclists bullshit in my opinion!  Been there, done it, felt wrong and slightly kinky! image

  • An elite athelete in pirate kit,,,,,,,theres a few notable exceptions but........ image
  • PSC. Nail. On. The. Head.

    I don't think my OCD could cope with half a job and I'd be Duncan Goodhew before you know it. Decision made, wifey is talking nonsense and the hair stays!

  • It has nothing to do with hygiene. Nobody ever caught anything from not shaving their legs. If you prefer it, if you think it helps peformance (swimmers shave off all their body hair) then go for it.

  • image The hygiene aspect is suppose to relate to the fact that if you crash on the bike, the wound is easier to clean if hairless - apparently!

  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭
    I spend so much time with Tri boys now that when I see a man who doesn't shave/wax his legs now, I think it looks a bit odd.



    The guys I know who do it do so because of the road rash reason stated above. Allegedly it's faster but only negligibly so.



    I'm the opposite of Seren, I think blokes look sexy with shaved legs.



    Give it a go if you fancy it, not if you don't. What did the wife say? You never know, she might fancy itimage
  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭
    Oh and apparently it makes sports massage more comfortable.
  • +1 for massage especially if you are having deep stuff done and also less messy my physio prefers shaved
  • They can save on oil if you have shaved legs........hairier the legs the more oil they have to use......image

    I don't go for the speed as I think having a fart would make you lighter and less bulk than the hair arguemnet...

     road rash......how many times do you come off the bike and get road rash....and once again it just makes the job of cleaning take a little more time and attention.............but  alot les time that shaving your whole body image

    so it boils down to if you like the baby smooth style or the hairer style..........so i think the most impoortant person in this equation is your wifeimage

  • I'm surprised that so few people on here knew it was for road rash. Road Cyclist bullshit? I'm sure it isn't bullshit when you are trying to pick out the hair from the blood and the skin.
  • Trimmed with hair clippers is the way forward, no itchyness and when you do go for a massage you don't get the hairs ripped out, and as  sufferer of road and MTB rash, I wish I had shaved my legs prior to crashing

    Chris

  • OK, opening myself up for ridicule here, but i have done it before, in fact I have done it before each IM distance race.

    It might not make a difference to your times but it feels like it does, you seem to swim quicker and ride quicker, might be all in my head but I recon if it feels quicker then why not.

    I do it with the hair clippers first, then use hair removal cream like veet, then keep on top of it for week with a razor.

    Mrs SA doesn't like it, she says its like sleeping with another women, how she knows this I don't know

  • Agree that is probably true Chris. Never shaved my legs but my beard trimmer works under my armpits and never itches afterwards. Just stops me smelling like a tin of spam. No other reason.
  • never shaved my legs, probably never will

     

  • Stanners, I have electric camping at Outlaw, so I'm happy to bring my epilator for you to try ... image

  • This is old news, but reading the post reminded me of the Veet for Men reviews page on Amazon. If you haven't seen it yet you must, it's one of the funniest things I've read.



    http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000KKNQBK
  • I used to do it when I was just a cyclist. Everyone did.



    Not bothered for triathlon - apart from IMDE a few years back when it was hot. No wetsuits - so I got the benefit of the swim, and cooler legs for the bike and run.



    In Nottingham you'd probably be glad of a bit extra warmth.
  • DF that must be some rapid hair growth going on down there!
  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭

    If you are tempted to try it don't use a razor straight off - as someone else said hair clippers or veet - you can use a razor on it after but if you try and chop 40 years of leg hair off with one you'll end up looking like you self harm - I'm sure there are serial killers who get less blood on their bathroom than I did.   

  • D0MD0M ✭✭✭

    I would think the theory of `marginal gains` applies here. If you do all the little things which will/can improve performance, even if the gain is very small, they all add up to a few percent improvement. I shaved my legs for my one and only (so far) tri (Oly).  Did it make a difference, don`t know, but shaving them was a statement of intent to race fast.

  • and not shaving is sticking 2 fingers up to those who do when the hirsute win...image

  • Thanks, but I'm going to give it a miss, although I'm curious to know what an epilator is Nurse!

    I'm gald I asked the question, I feel my life is a little better from crying with laughter at the Veet for Men reviews. Thanks for that Richardsdrr

  • Stanners from the Bridge wrote (see)

    Thanks, but I'm going to give it a miss, although I'm curious to know what an epilator is Nurse!

    Trust me, epilators are only for the likes of humans daft enough to push babies through very small orifices ... and yes, I do have one, but it is not enjoyable, and would definitely not be worth the % gain, in my opinion. (it does a great job on my legs, though - once the mental toughness kicks in image)

  • Britrisky wrote (see)
    Stanners from the Bridge wrote (see)

    Thanks, but I'm going to give it a miss, although I'm curious to know what an epilator is Nurse!

    Trust me, epilators are only for the likes of humans daft enough to push babies through very small orifices ... and yes, I do have one, but it is not enjoyable, and would definitely not be worth the % gain, in my opinion. (it does a great job on my legs, though - once the mental toughness kicks in image)

    image A baby, a very small orifice, or an epilator?

  • baby? God no - adopted two ready mades image

  • Stanners from the Bridge wrote (see)

    Thanks, but I'm going to give it a miss, although I'm curious to know what an epilator is Nurse!

    Pain-free hair removal.  Trust me, I'm a nurse.

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