Yes, shaving again

some snickers but screw um.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by bdmcdd
I realize that there are other leg shaving threads out there (so don't call me a newbie for not using search 🙂 ), but I have a slightly different question about it.

Does anyone receive any hassle about it in public? Specifically, highschool? Highschool is pretty unforgiving.

I can deal with the guys.. however I don't want to ruin my chances with the ladies if you know what I mean. I know most girls (and mostly wives.. wow i feel young) you have talked about on here love shaved legs... but I am trying to entertain a slightly younger and pickier audience.

Overall..how does the public treat you about it?

I'm in a different age category than you but I would certainly have the same reservations about repelling the ladies. There really is no one correct way to answer your question. Some women like it and some don't. Perhaps the question you should ask yourself is if a person who judges you strictly on your choice to remove hair from your legs is someone you'd be interested in or not. It doesn't sound to me like they're really interested in you if they'll remove themselves from your company because you've chosen to shave.

Having said that, I don't make a point of advertizing my choice and I find that people rarely even notice. In fact, as I was starting to cycle I knew several people and noted that their legs looked like cyclist's legs but never really paid enough attention to realize that they were shaved.

I don't envy you the choice at high school level. Just as with any fashion, if you're in the minority and people become aware of that, you're in for some teasing. Certainly some of the girls will avoid you just to avoid the teasing. Maybe that will help you weed out the ones with weak character if you so choose. It's just a sign of insecurity on the part of those that feel compelled to attack you for it but that doesn't make it any less difficult to deal with.

I was a swimmer for 15 years and now im 21 and i shave for cycling too. all through highschool i never got made fun of although the first time my fiance meet me i was shaved legs and cycling outfit so there are some out there that loved the shaved legs and spandex to all the others out i say screw umm too

Beastt, very nice point about people's characters.. If they can't deal with it then thats their own problem.

Thanks

I was going to mention swimmers...do the guys on the swim team get grief for shaving?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jstraw
I was going to mention swimmers...do the guys on the swim team get grief for shaving?

Mostly the ones who shave their eyebrows...😄
(...right before they read that cilia may actually improve
the hydrodynamic efficiency of many aquatic species:eek: )

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by serenaslu
Mostly the ones who shave their eyebrows...😄
(...right before they read that cilia may actually improve
the hydrodynamic efficiency of many aquatic species:eek: )

only the jokers on the team would shave their eyebrows. anyone that was fast did not shave them.

Other day my teen daughter asked if i shaved my legs, i said yes she said kool, most boys in her school shave there legs so maybe its a new trend not only for athletes, shave em.

Well I did mine the other day, what as I'm racing in the new year, plus full zebra Dom Vac kit doesn't look too good with hairy legs!

I see it as sort of a mark of a cyclist. Some people have symbols to mark their membership of a group of people, the cyclists is just shaved legs. If anyone asks you why you shave your legs just ask them why do women shave theirs. Cyclists shave theirs for similar reasons - it is part of the culture, it is odd if you don't.

JERRY: Well, women do it!

KRAMER: Well, I'll tell you what - I'll pick you up a sun dress, and a parasol, and you can just sashay your pretty little self around the town square!

A great quote and very apt for this discussion. Men are not women. And let's face it kid, you're asking a group of people who think its normal for guys to shave their legs and wear tight lycra. The posters on this site are not a representative sample of the rest of the population. I'm a cyclist myself and even I think its weird for guys to do this. Although admittedly I think male cyclists just look horrible in general. The lycra, the shaved legs, the emaciated upper body. Its not a good thing.

In my opinion men should have hair. On their faces, their legs, their chests, their armpits. Mmmm, Saucy likes it! Maybe that's just me. Hmm, I think I will start a poll in the women's discussion thread about this.

Just giving you another POV. Not everyone thinks this is normal. I would think especially being in high school you would want to avoid any unecessary attention. The best advice for high school: do what everyone else is doing (as far as shaving legs is concerned). Especially if you are in a conservative school/area. Also, in your post you don't actually say WHY you feel the need to shave your legs. So, why?

[QUOTE][i] The best advice for high school: do what everyone else is doing. [/B][/QUOTE]

Bleat. . . bleat. . . Lamb Chop

By the way, whilst shaving is largely for the association to the sport, it is also REALLY helpful if you fall and have a severe case of road rash. So, you go ahead and scrub away to get the mop of hair and the bits of dirt out of the wound.

It's people with that sort of attitude that make people think we shave just for pose factor. Another benefit is when you go for a weekly massage (if you do.) It's both more comfortable for the cyclist, and the masseuse for deep sports massages.

Of course, you could always expose an exceptionally hairy chest and adorn it with thick gold chains. Goes especially well with a gold tooth and a motor-home.

Woolly mammoths are extinct.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Saucy
In my opinion men should have hair. On their faces, their legs, their chests, their armpits. Mmmm, Saucy likes it! Maybe that's just me. Hmm, I think I will start a poll in the women's discussion thread about this.

Yes, go ahead lad. The continuing "women and spandex" thread is hilarious.

As a lady, I understand the why and wherefore of gentlemen cyclists removing excess hair, but I prefer fellas with hairy legs+more. 😉

the question is, are you comfortanle enough with yourself to do it ? If you feel comfortable that you have done it for all the right reasons (as mentioned by lab rat) then you dont have to fear the taunting of class mates. When I was in school there were a few guys that shaved, they shaved for either body building or cycling and they were accepted as such and not taunted.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Gonzo21
Well I did mine the other day, what as I'm racing in the new year, plus full zebra Dom Vac kit doesn't look too good with hairy legs!

I dunno Gonzo, leg hair might be alright with DV kit if its bleached/dyed in zebra stripes too. 😄

When my hands get oily after something goes wrong on the bike I do tend to add zebra stripes onto my legs.

And thinking about my earlier post, The clever reply would be - because they want to atract blokes. But hey...

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by bdmcdd
I realize that there are other leg shaving threads out there (so don't call me a newbie for not using search 🙂 ), but I have a slightly different question about it.

Does anyone receive any hassle about it in public? Specifically, highschool? Highschool is pretty unforgiving.

I can deal with the guys.. however I don't want to ruin my chances with the ladies if you know what I mean. I know most girls (and mostly wives.. wow i feel young) you have talked about on here love shaved legs... but I am trying to entertain a slightly younger and pickier audience.

Overall..how does the public treat you about it?

From a female perspective and thinking back to being at High School...(no, it wasn't THAT long ago...lol) I personally don't think I would have noticed if I had an interest in the particular guy. If things got more I am sure anyone would simply ask out straight and from there you would be able to reply directly.

There is so much more to people being attractive than leg hair or not. BUT, how many male swimmers for example shave and do we look at the 'Torpedo's' of this world and think he looks stupid or damn right gorgeus?!! As a woman, I say, damn right gorgeus! Same thinking back to being alonside the riders on the TDF. Stunning......too thin and tiny for my liking minus the Hincapies' of the sport but all round delicious! Be proud of having super toned calves!!!

If anyone; and I think it would come more from your male peers makes fun then take them out on a nasty descent and wait for them to crash (sorry, harsh lesson) and then cry like a sissy when the dressings need to be redone and their leg hair gets ripped out or grows into the wound. You won't be questioned again!

Stand tall :p

Alice

FYI, I've set up a poll for the ladies in the "Soapbox" forum about this and other appearance "issues" relating to male cyclists.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Saucy
FYI, I've set up a poll for the ladies in the "Soapbox" forum about this and other appearance "issues" relating to male cyclists.

Ohhh, nice one, will go and have a look! Cheers Saucy

Alice :p

sofar none said a bad word about my shaved legs. some may find it weird or interesting, but no bad experiences yet. at the beach i get a lot of looks from girls and jealous looks from guys, and also on the bus if i'm there in shorts, but i think from the size of my muscles clearly tell people that i'm a cyclist, so that's the reason for shaving, not something else. i even noticed, that apart from a few, most girls like shaved legs more than hairy ones. at least they find them more exciting.

ps. i also shave my armpits, my gf finds it sexier this way. thanks god my chest and back is naturally hairless. 🙂