To Shave Or Not To Shave, That Is Not A Question

Probably one of the most debated subject of all time in modern cycling is the benefits of having shaved legs. If you didn't know many serious cyclists (female and male) shave their legs, surprise! I could go on for paragraphs why cyclists shave their legs, but here's a list of some popular arguments:

Those legs be gleaming.

1) It's more aerodynamic
- Personally, I do not buy this argument that having shaved legs is more aerodynamic. The real world difference is negligible and there are better things to improve on such as positioning that betters aerodynamics.
2) It makes it easier for post-race massages
- Seriously, who can afford a personal masseuse after every race? Unless you are a professional rider, this excuse is not valid.

3) It's easier to clean up road rash after a crash
- This argument is more subjective, but it certainly is nice not to have leg hairs more than an inch long stuck to you bandages when you want to remove them. Pro-tip: get Tegaderm to treat road rash.
4) It's a cycling tradition 
- Perhaps the most compelling reason, having shaved legs as a cyclist proves that you are dedicated to the sport. Lycra makes one's body look smooth; by having hairy legs, they mess with the lines. Also, your leg muscles look more impressive with shaved legs.

Which side looks better? Obviously, the bare side.

Many athletes in other sports shaved their legs, and sometimes more, such as swimmers, bodybuilders, etc. What separates us cyclists from them are shaved legs + tan lines. Grab a razor and have at it.

Faux Pas Friday: Kinky Bike

Forward facing seatpost and abnormally low stem. Seems kinky, but eww. All the geometry is wrong.

Podium Shoes

So you won a race, hopefully in style; the next task to accept your prize in style. Here are some tips for podium footwear:

Trainers are cool, especially if they are sponsor correct. These are the feet of a Radioshack rider, thus the black, red, white and yellow shoes. Inappropriate sock length, though.

+1 If your podium shoes are the same as your cycling shoes, but with a rubber sole.

Avoid wearing your cycling shoes on the podium; only do so if you don't have time to change before getting on the podium. Though wearing cycling shoes is not as bad as wearing socks and sandals...

Faux Pas Friday: "Track Ready"

Gotta be aero, but still retain a comfortable riding position. Best coffee shop bike ever...

Two-Face Bikes

This is Two-Face. Two-Face is a villain from Batman and he is hideous.

This is Radioshack's team bike in the 2010 season. The mismatching wheels are trying to match gray-to-black fade paintjob on the frame, which makes the bike look like Two-Face, ergo hideous. If they had put a black front wheel, it would look better.

This is an SE PK Ripper collaborated with The Hundreds. It's a 26" BMX cruiser with mismatching wheels and tires. Don't make me say it, all right I'll say it: it, too, looks hideous. Another fail is that the picture is of the bike's non-drive side.

Never intentionally mismatch wheel colors to match the frame colors or color scheme, it's ugly. Except for time trial bikes and track bikes, try not to mismatch wheels (unless the situation calls for it, e.g. flat during a race). When buying used bikes, a bike with mismatched wheels is also an indication that it may have been in a severe crash, needing a front wheel replacement.

Faux Pas Friday: Jersey-less Revisited

Too shy to wear bibs, but not shy enough to ride jersey/shirtless? Some things people do, I just don't get.

No Glove, Yes Love

As kinky as the title sounds, what we'll be talking about today is gloves for your hands. Riders wear gloves for a few reasons, including palm protection in the event of a crash, something to wipe off your nose with, for warmth in cold weather, etc. Some people may argue that gloves with padding are good for cushioning road vibration, but the best gloves are unpadded ones; there's a smaller chance of getting blisters on your hands and you get better road feedback from the handlebars. Here are some tips for gloves:

Gloves shall be half-finger in white or team colors.

Light full-finger gloves for colder weather, preferably white.

Racing gloveless is awesome.

Glovelessness also cool in time trials. Wear aero gloves if you have them.

Gloves are unnecessary for training rides as shown by HTC-Highroad.

Emily Batty is notorious for mountain biking gloveless. Badass.

Speaking of mountain biking, mountain bike gloves are not meant for road, so keep those off the road (pun intended). Sure, they work, but it's a faux pas to wear them; you get dropped faster in a paceline.