WHY CYCLISTS SHAVE THEIR LEGS! Busting myths and revealing secrets!

One of the most misunderstood and confusing aspects of cycling culture is the fact that most cyclists shave their legs. Never mind wearing colorful lycra uniforms or the desire to ride 30 miles out of your way just to go up a steep hill, shaving the legs is always the topic that really gets your family members confused.
Don't worry, I will not be including any tips on how to shave your legs for the first time - suffice to say that you will gain a whole new appreciation for what women do all the time. But since VeloDiet aims to introduce cycling to the masses, or at least get your relatives a little less puzzled about our bizarre culture, the question must be asked: Why do cyclist shave their legs? Well, there are 5 common answers to that question and I've listed them below (going from least to most truthful!)

Be a part of cycling culture and gain a whole new respect for women!

Massage -  After riding 200kms for the 6th day in a row, and knowing that you have another 2 weeks of similar riding ahead, professional cyclists need all the help they can get to aid in muscle recovery. A big tool for this recovery are deep tissue massages following a hard day on the bike. Shaved legs are beneficial during massages as leg hair can be pulled when the masseur really starts working on the muscles and the smooth clean skin reacts better to the massage oil. Some also say that shaved legs feel better while getting massaged, but I wouldn't know because I am not a professional cyclist and I have never had a team masseur give me a recovery massage after an epic ride. And to be honest, the great majority of the cyclists who shave their legs haven't either, so I don't really think that massages have much to do with that razor blade.

Aerodynamics - Coming very close to the least truthful answer is the concept that smooth legs make you aerodynamically faster. The concept sounds pretty good and actually is real. A smooth surface has less drag and accordingly, a hairy surface would have more drag. More drag equals slower and cycling is all about speed - so off with the hair! The problem is that any aerodynamic gain would be miniscule, especially for amateur cyclists riding to the coffee shop on the weekends. Cycling pros do work on getting every miniscule advantage and wear even specially designed shoe covers to aid in optimum air flow during time trials - but again for the average cyclist, it's just not a remarkable difference. So, although being "aero" is probably the most common answer to the question, the reality is that air flow charts on hair follicles also have very little to do with the razor blade.

Appearance - now we are getting close to the real reasons! Cyclists can be very aware of their appearance (see the comment above regarding matching lycra uniforms). There is always a concern within any cycling group to look as "pro" as possible, and there are discussions about what is the correct socks color or how high they should be worn. Shaving does help make your leg muscles more visible (basing this on all the bodybuilders out there) and riding with shaved legs does look and feel cleaner. And appearance is important - after all, if you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you ride better! But here comes another one of the commonly used sentences in this blog: everybody is different, and as we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Many cyclists out there don't care for shaved legs, and don't need to do it in order to feel good about their appearance. So, whether or not appearance is the reason for the razor blade, depends on your own personal taste.

Before and After Shaving - notice any difference?

Healing - unfortunately, here is an answer that I can personally vouch for being true. Crashing your bike is never fun, but it's even worse when you are riding fast and wearing no protection. And the result of almost every bicycle crash will include some lost skin and road rash. This will sound a bit like a stretch, but the hair on your skin has a funny habit of picking up bits of dirt and tarmac as your skin is reaped from your body as you scrape yourself on some rural road. Hair also makes it tough to treat the wound and to keep it clean as it heals. I have had the unfortunate opportunity to confirm that this is real. I am not going to get graphic, but the road rash on my legs hurt a lot less and healed a lot quicker than the road rash on my arms. So much so, that I seriously considered shaving my arms if I were to continue racing - the difference was alarming. So, if you don't think you will enjoy scrubbing off bits of pavement from your own live flesh (literally), this might be enough reason to go get that razor blade!

Commitment - all excuses and lame answers aside, here is the reason I started to shave my legs, and I suppose why most cyclists do the same. Shaved legs are a big part of the tradition of cycling and it is symbolic to your commitment to its culture. It means that you care about the tradition of the sport more than the taboo of the mainstream culture. I am not saying that those who do not shave their legs are not real cyclists, but shaving your legs is a symbol that you truly embrace being a cyclist, with all its quirkiness, and are not afraid to show that commitment to all your confused relatives!