Who wears short shorts?
Posted in Uncategorized
June 7, 2008
Ganked from CyclePig, Coach Levi’s tutorial on How to Shave Your Legs: A Guide for First Timers.
Whoah, men shaving their legs? That is awesome. That is sexy. How do I get my (mostly not into sports) boyfriend started!? And then it hits me…
Wait… Wait wait!… Men shave their legs but… not their arms? That just looks so wrong! Why put all that effort into making your legs easier-for-roadrash-cleanup and aerodynamic only to totally forget about your arms? Do men cyclists ride with shorts and long sleeve shirts? So, to all you silken-legged yet fuzzy-armed men out there: If I am staring at you, it is not because I think you’re a geek or gay or something. It is because I am apalled at your lack of aesthetics that prevents you from recognizing how off-kilter you look.
Anyways. Some tips:
- It doesn’t grow back thicker. If it did, I wouldn’t do it. It only seems thicker when it grows back because it 1) hasn’t been worn down by the elements and whatever abuse you put your skin through and 2) it’s short enough to feel more prickly.
- I second sticking with mens’ razors. I think womens’ razors have handles better suited for being held in a wet shower but mens’ razors are made of harder metals because mens’ hairs are thicker. Though, if you must have that better-for-shower handle and therefore don’t mind using changing blades after every limb, then by all means go ahead.
- Any ultra-moisturizing liquid body wash will do instead of shaving cream/gel — unless mens’ creams/gels are, like blades, much superior to womens’ creams/gels. In that case, let me know.
- I like to shave against the grain whenever possible, including arms, shins, calves, thighs, hamstrings, back of knees. Kneecaps are tricky, whatever gets the job done without nicks is my approach for that area.
- If you have time and money to burn, a trip to a salon for a wax job means going longer between hair removal sessions. Pain is only a fleeting moment.
- Nair… It made my skin feel funky. But obviously it must work for other people if the depilatory industry, the Nair brand included, is still going strong.
- Post shave, aloe and moisture are your best friends. Whether in a cream or lotion or gel, any would be fine. Much cheaper than aftershave.
- Regarding hard to reach spots, it helps to be flexible.
As for you men out there already shaving, how far do you go? Do you stop at where the bike shorts start? Or do you go all the way and do a brazilian shave? Somewhere in between? And what about gawkers or rude comments? Any tips for preventing n00bs from cutting themselves and accidentally committing suicide?
This is fascinating. Really. Honest.
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5 Responses to “Who wears short shorts?”
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thePig says:
Thanks for the mention of CyclePig.
I see what you mean about the off kilter look at cyclists not shaving their arms. Although I can’t remember ever seeing a cyclist with smooth legs and hairy arms.
I will keep a look out. I think we need some photographic evidence.
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Levi says:
Road rash on your arms is less common than on your legs, and I don’t know many cyclists that get daily forearm massages, so it doesn’t seem like a big deal to have some hair there. For people struggling to find the energy to shave their legs, it can be too much to shave arms too. (Unless they care what other people think, in which case they probably shave/wax their entire body already.)
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June 9th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Was at a bookstore over the weekend and there’s some photographic evidence in Bicycling Magazine. Google Images is also a good source, and if you really want to see detail, limit the search to extra large images.