So, yesterday I shaved my hairy legs in preparation for a race on the weekend. When I reached the top of my thighs, I kept going, shaving everything below my neck before my SO had time to cry foul. Today, I went for a one hour ride, realizing half way through that I’d made a huge mistake; even with a heavy helping of chamois cream, the buzz cut I’d given my rear acted like sandpaper against my bibs and saddle, leading to a really painful rash.
I’m a hairy individual so hamster pants are a real threat. Do I just have to wait until a rest week to shave, or am I missing something? Has anyone else experienced this?
Haha this just takes me back to the first couple times shaving for swim meets. There you also trained and warmed up at races in a speedo so you also wanted to shave relatively high. Things I took away from that were…
Shave to a couple inches above where your race suit will go (or bibs in this case) and then just trim above there (with a facial hair trimmer) and kind of taper it and let it get longer as you get to the top of your leg
Do not shave your taint area
** As you discovered, pubic hair plays a pretty great role in reducing friction. But only if its longer. Once it starts to grow back the short, sharp hairs just wreak all kinds of havoc.
Luckily in cycling we don’t have to worry about shaving stomachs, chests, arms, or armpits. But think of shaving you legs like you are styling the hair on your head/face. Below the bibs you shave like you would a beard and then above there you style like a fade for a hair cut. Start short so you don’t just have leg hair shorts and then let it get progressively longer.
A fade is a funny way of putting it. In the past, I used a hair trimmer with a length guard, but I lost the guard and I guess I never realized how important it was.
Is there anything I can do in the meantime to reduce the pain? I’m supposed to ride two hours tomorrow to get to where the race is, then short distances over the next few days.
I mean… Just stop up high?
I stop 2 inches from the top of my thighs. That is enough clearance for bike shorts and racing run shorts…
no need to go all crazy here!
Also, if you keep doing it, things will get better.
I shave once a week or two.
Yeah. Good point. Do a fresh shave the day before your ride until you can give it a week or two to grow out. I shave twice a week on off bike days and it’s enough.
Shave from ankles to mid thigh. Beard or hair trimmer from mid thigh up to side burns or beard. Backblade on the back.
Yeah, learned the hard way that shaving certain areas isn’t great as you can get ingrown hairs and associated discomfort. Its nice not feeling like a yeti all the time.
This may sound silly, but this morning I lathered up my undercarriage with shaving cream while in the shower and left it sit for a while in hopes that it would soften up the hairs. I also applied double my usual amount of chamois cream.
I’m not sure if it had any effect, but my ride today wasn’t so bad. It was more itchy than painful.
Having shaved for swimming and water polo for many years, followed by years for cycling, I suggest the better solution: waxing. Hurts like a… the first time (or few times) but the hair grows back thinner and less of it and you get used to the pain. The partner tends to prefer (she’s the one who suggested it) as there isn’t the stubble that’s comes with shaving. No, it’s not as cheap as the opportunity take off a thin layer of skin on your achilles or anything else, but it lasts (for me) about 6 weeks, more really and it makes for a better massage, and you don’t feel it as it grows back.
Did that once in my (bearish) back, and replaced the hair with pimples for 2 months. By the time the pimples were gone, the hair was back. Apparently, my wife decided she prefers the hair to the bubble pack.
I’d say probably “medium.” I think waxing is an easier argument to make when there’s more hair. I’m not going to lie: it’ll hurt that first time. (And the second…) But, when the hair grows back it come back less dense and often as thinner hair.
That’s the general rule and I suppose your mileage may vary. I only know my experience and what I’ve been told. The pain will vary by the type / quality of the wax being used and the skill and care of the person doing it. (But the pain will be high the first time, no matter what. I know I’m really selling it with that frequent reminder, but you’ll be grateful.)
