I'll try to flesh this out a little for you, seeing as there's more to it
than meets the eye.
What ever technique you use to remove the hair is OK. Didn't the Indians use
a clam shell to pinch the hairs and pull them out one at a time?
As some of you mentioned the feeling of bed sheets and the basic visual of
nice clean legs is definitely better than being an old grizzly bear.
Esthetically the image of nice clean legs for an athlete with bare limbs is
much more pleasing to the paying public, swimming, running, etc.
How about the feeling if not actual benefit of smooth legs in performance
and the aero/ wind drag effect?
The advantage of clean legs for massage and rub down is quite obvious.
Imagine all the road grime sticking in your leg hair with an oily salve.
When the masseur is working on your legs for warm up or restoration, imagine
the pull on your skin and difficulty your soigneur has while working with
you. How much easier it is to clean your legs with cleaning fluid when they
are lean, supple, and smooth.
Now comes the less friendly part of cycling.
Every once in a while we may fall down. Ouch!
When we get a big area of road rash and as the scab forms, long hair
follicles could infect much easier when the skin is injured. As a scab forms
and gets harder if hairs are growing through and with it, they tend to pull
and hurt.
It's so much safer, cleaner and less painfull when the hair is shaven off.
If bandages are put on and taped, smart money shaves where the tape should
adhere. Riding and having a bandage come loose while performing could be
even more fun if it gets caught in spokes, or?
These things have all happened. When you have one or more sections of your
bod adorning the pavement and want the remaimder of your Corpus Delecti to
heal quickly, cleanly, with minimal scar tissue forming, then you will
appreciate the less apparent but far more critical professional reasons for
leg hygiene.
If some of you are riding 3/4 times a week, doing centuries, or whatever,
you might consider shaving your legs.
Tell your detractors who don't understand that you do it because it's sexy
and the other gender likes it.
You will know the REAL inside scoop, and need only to take the extra time
explaining if you are so inclined.
I've got a few spots where the skin didn't regenerate hair and is numb to
the touch, but their location is a secret. No unauthorized probing will be
allowed.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
> If you had ever slipped into cool, crisp, clean sheets, with
> freshly-shaven
>
> legs, you wouldn't have to ask. Amazing sensation.
>
> I have to agree here!! ;)
>
> Kendra Coatney
> SEA,WA
>
>
> On 8/24/05, pbridge130@aol.com <pbridge130@aol.com> wrote:
>> If you had ever slipped into cool, crisp, clean sheets, with
> freshly-shaven legs, you wouldn't have to ask. Amazing sensation.
>>
>> I speak from pre-1984 experience, when I was riding various Eisentrauts,
>
> Paramounts, Colnagos, and other on-topic race mounts.
>>
>> :-)
>>
>> Peter Bridge
>> (might still have some long, narrow scars on my achilles tendons, from
> high-speed shaving)
>> sdcausa
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Fred Rafael Rednor <fred_rednor@yahoo.com>
>> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>> Sent: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 15:17:16 -0700 (PDT)
>> Subject: Re: [CR]Origin of leg shaving
>>
>>
>> I thought it had to do with massage...
>> Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
>>
>> > When did all this business start of shaving one's legs to
>> > make it
>> > easier to treat road rash? I recognize the benefits of doing
>> > the
>> > procedure, but I seem to remember seeing photos of some old
>> > timers who
>> > apparently shunned the practice. I am one of those who
>> > doesn't shave
>> > and I need a little history on the matter to put things into
>> > perspective with the guys from the friday morning ride.
>> >
>> > Garth Libre in Miami Fl. (I may have hair on my legs, but at
>> > least I
>> > have no Epoetin in my urine).
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ____________________________________________________
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