To shave, or not to shave - Triathlon

Stanners from the Bridge

01/03/2013 at 07:04

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!

Wilkie

01/03/2013 at 07:10

I waxed my Squeeze's legs for him last year

Have you seen "40-year old Virgin"?

Edited: 01/03/2013 at 07:11

Ridgebackmax

01/03/2013 at 07:19

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 treat

seren nos

pirate

01/03/2013 at 07:27

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 mine

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

PSC

pirate

01/03/2013 at 07:31

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!

Ridgebackmax

01/03/2013 at 07:32

An elite athelete in pirate kit,,,,,,,theres a few notable exceptions but........

Stanners from the Bridge

01/03/2013 at 08:03

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!

Screamapillar

01/03/2013 at 08:09

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.

Rafiki

pirate

01/03/2013 at 08:27

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.use

01/03/2013 at 08:35

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 it

M..o.use

01/03/2013 at 08:37

Oh and apparently it makes sports massage more comfortable.

Ridgebackmax

01/03/2013 at 08:41

+1 for massage especially if you are having deep stuff done and also less messy my physio prefers shaved

seren nos

pirate

01/03/2013 at 08:47

They can save on oil if you have shaved legs........hairier the legs the more oil they have to use......

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

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 wife

Sussex Runner (NLR)

01/03/2013 at 09:15

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.

Chris68

pirate

01/03/2013 at 09:21

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

The Silent Assassin pirate

pirate

01/03/2013 at 09:24

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

Sussex Runner (NLR)

01/03/2013 at 09:25

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.

fat buddha

01/03/2013 at 09:45

never shaved my legs, probably never will

Nurse Ratched

01/03/2013 at 09:59

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

Richardsdrr

01/03/2013 at 10:37

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

Edited: 01/03/2013 at 10:37