Sianelle 

Agree +++

supton

If I can muddle the situation further: could the two possible answers allowed for the poll be one of those questions meant to illustrate the bias of the responder? As in, if I could expand the answers, "Yes, it looks good: I'm not ruled by what others think of me" and "No, it's for chicks: I'm afraid others will think I'm gay"? Sorta like the old question, "Have you stopped beating your wife today", only that this question allows for one right answer instead of none.

I'm probably phrasing it poorly, though. And it does seem like the question is aimed solely at men.

StephenH

Don't forget all that weight left behind instead of toting up the next hill. Why, it's probably equivalent to a full spit.

xcracer13

i do know that girls ride bikes, but this question was mainly directed to the guys. I was just wondering to shave my legs or not.
and im 14 thank you

xcracer13

Im a guy, and was trying to get other guys thought about it and i do know there are women on this forum. If yout think its affensive then don't read it.. The ''girls'' didn't have to flip the original question and turn it into some political argument. I put ''chicks'' b/c most of the time if I ask a fellow ''man'' that dosen't shave his legs i usually get ''No shaving is for chicks'' i did not in tend for it too be a sexist comment and i dont see how it was. All the women that I know shave their legs and all the women that i have seen shave their legs and in todays society people suspect that women shave their legs. I did not in tend for the OP to be a sexist comment and it wasnt to me.

donnamb 

I edited your thread title. Perhaps that will help women understand that you meant for this poll to be for men, as none of the women who are on Bike Forums are mind readers.

neilfein

You have hair that sticks out through spandex? Steel wool, perhaps?

DataJunkie

Yes, briefly. Then I wrecked for the first time on an ice patch and after the fun of cleaning my road rash... no more leg hair.
Wrecking is inevitable for me. Hence my title.

Nachoman

Not vanity? Do you comb your hair before you go to work? Why?

croscoe

Indeed.

neilfein

Part of my wants to sit back and be entertained by this train wreck of a thread. But I'm bad at shutting up when it comes to political correctness.

Um... people are speaking as if vanity is a bad thing. Honestly, it's a value I don't have much time for, but if it's within reason, I don't see how it harms anyone. Keeping in mind that the argument that shaving your legs is only for looks could be made for lycra cycling clothes as well.

As to the wording of the poll... I honestly think people can be far to oversensitive about these things. It's pretty obvious to me that the way these questions was worded was both meant to be funny and aimed towards men exclusively. If anyone wants to be offended at this, that's certainly a point of view.

StephenH

"Keeping in mind that the argument that shaving your legs is only for looks could be made for lycra cycling clothes as well."

That would explain why I see people walking in this stuff.

Cyclist01012

I hit black ice at the end of my drive way one winter a few years back. Road rash in January and having to wear work jeands 5 days a week was not much fun. Having hair ground into it was evan worse, think infection. I can wear short sleaves at work so the arm rash wasnt bad. Btu I wont go with out shaving now.

SSP

The two main reasons I shave are:

1) Vanity
Shaved legs just look better than unshaved (and most of the women I've polled on the subject agree).

I've spent thousands of hours cycling tens of thousands of miles, and climbing hundreds of thousands of vertical feet. After all that, why would I want to hide my muscles under a layer of hair?

2) Tribal Ritual
I typically ride with the Big Dogs...and most of the Big Dogs shave.


As for the fear of appearing different - I've never been worried whether or not some overweight slob with sexual insecurities might think I'm "gay".

neilfein

Because only fat guys are insecure. (My turn to be oversensitive, now, yeah...)

jimblairo

Shaved looks hot and hairy is not!

neilfein

That's a matter of opinion, friend.

discosaurus

I like that cycling guys shave legs. It's slowly dismantling the patriarchy, and they don't even know it!

I hate that leg shaving is such a gender specific thing in our culture. It sucks, but it is. The more men that shave, the less it becomes a girly thing to do. I don't know if I buy the wind drag or road rash arguments, but whatev. I'm down with leg shaving.

Truth. For guys and gals.

spencejm

I'm offended that you appear to assume we all have enough hair to comb.

GeoLes

Because they are gay??

(being silly)

Seriously.

It's a matter of personal hygene. Some find that it is easier to treat road rash without hair in the way.

I would imagine there are aero advantages as well. That 1/100th of a second slip stream advatage can be huge at 15mph.

The serious answer is it is easier to clean and treat wounds on a shaven leg. - feels great too. If you don't believe it, ask the next shaved cyclist you see if you can touch his legs.

Boudicca

Maybe when you are a tad older than 14 you will understand that women don't like being called "chicks" and don't like being called "girls" unless we are also 14, in which case we probably don't have enough leg hair to make it worth shaving anyway.

kjmillig

To the original poll question: Yes. Feels cool, and because I grow sparse little areas of whispy leg hair that look silly.
A male must be comfortable in his manhood to shave his legs. I guess he could be comfortable in his feminine side as well, but that's a different discussion

Rosso Corsa

Lol I clicked on walking like 20 times before I realized it wasn't a link!

gkb

i don't shave now, but i will if i ever race. its part of the uniform.

polara426sh

I shave my legs a) because I tend to crash more often than most and b) my girlfriend likes it.