Bodily shaving cyclists

Civilian_Target

Hey,

Was talking to a cyclist friend at work today who'd do about twice the amount of urban cycling that I do, and got a lengthy rant about the bacteria that grows due to all the sweating you do while cycling, and how a shower fails to wash it out of your armpits and crotch because of all the hair.

Now, while I haven't noticed this smell myself (and I wash at least once a day), its possible that I have it, particularly if I'm being told about it.

Anyway, I'm curious to get a second opinion on this one - I'm cycling about 25-50 miles a week in town - and have not even considered shaving my armpits and crotch. Do you people do that, and should I be doing (or at least considering) same?

FX Meister

I cycle about the same as that and I smell sweet as roses. Shower once a day on average.

uberwolf

Em, no.


I've raced for many years and yet to see a cyclist who shaves either of your targets...

You exercise, you sweat. Shaving for cyclists is to i) aid regular maasages during stage races, ii) application and removal of embricants iii) stop/reduce road rash in the event of a crash. there are prob other reasons as well. But proper clothing will reduce sweat remaining on your body and you should just ignore the fun boy.

FX Meister

Whats an embricant?

uberwolf

FX Meister wrote:

Whats an embricant?

it's a misspelling for one which mustn't be aiding your google attempts

in short it covers just about any ointment of application applied to a piece of skin, for cyclists this the legs unsurprsingly. They typically aid the warm, stave off cramp, prevent the damp getting at you, etc, etc. They come in diff strengths and stuff depending on the conditions.

A home made one is olbas oil rubbed in then baby oil over it to prevent it evaporating off. You ever spot a cyclist with glistening legs, that'd be why.

FX Meister

Ahh yeah, memories of the stink of winter green are coming flooding back from my pops cycling days.

mockerydawg

Sure the fitter you get the less you stink anyway. That said I do shave my pitts in the summer, but only to stay a little cooler on the warm days sunbathing on Fairy Castle.

leeroybrown

People seem to forget that human beings have underarm/pubic hair for a reason. It's structure actually helps remove sweat/oil from the skin surface where it would otherwise build up. That's a good thing...

Uberwolf mentioned some valid reasons for a serious cyclist doing it but if it's purely for cleanliness reasons then there are plenty of inexpensive anti-bacterial cleansers that can be purchased.

uberwolf

from eurosport today

As we troll through the Eurosport e-mail bag, one contribution stands out amid all the 'Can Lance do it?' speculation: this gem from Tim Krstic in Utah, USA: "What's the real reason for leg shaving in cycling? Do riders ever wax their legs to give the continuous shaving a break during the Tour?"



HIGHLIGHTS: TDF Stage 14
2005 TDF: The race in pictures

"Waxing? Never!" says Danny Nelissen, Eurosport's Dutch cycling commentator and a former eight-year veteran of the pro peloton. "I don't know anybody who ever resorted to waxing -- and if they did, they'd probably never admit to it."

Waxing, therefore, must be considered an overly effeminate solution for hair removal?

"Well, yes... but primarily it just hurts too much," admits Nelissen, who shares every good cyclist's shaving routine: "With a razor, every two days in the shower."

As for the "why?" to your question, first forget the common assumption that it has something to do with aerodynamics. Unlike swimming -- where smoothness equals speed in the medium of water -- the drag of a few leg hairs blowing in the wind is negligible in cycling.

"The main reason for a smooth shave is massage," says Nelissen, winner of the amateur world road race championship in 1995.

Particularly in a three-week race like the Tour de France, recovery is essential to survive to the finish. Daily (and sometimes twice or thrice daily) massage works out the toxins, soothing seized muscles and increasing blood flow back to the heart.

After training and diet, there's nothing more important in pro cycling than massage, says Nelissen, pointing out that leg hair would make massage messy (because of the oils used) and painful during deep-tissue work.

Shaving's other primary plus is hygiene, notably after a crash.

Cycling injuries -- the raw skin surface burns known as "road rash" -- require a lot of disinfecting to scrub out the imbedded gravel and any thing else picked up from the asphalt.

"Having hair mixed up in all that just increases the chance of infection," says Nelissen.

So what about you? If you don't have a personal masseuse and you haven't crashed in years, should you still shave your legs?

Absolutely.

"At the end of the day, it also looks good," Nelissen says. "When you don't have the hair, the muscles are more exposed and your legs look more developed."

"Of course it's a little bit about vanity, but it's also psychological," he says. "Riding can be a mind game. If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you ride good. It's that simple."