"Manscaping" down there.

[johnniecakes]

On a longer ride over the weekend I got talking to gentleman I had talked with a few times but nothing too serious. After a while he asked me if I “manscaped” down there. He said that he started to trim everything back to keep cleaner and not hold bacteria and whatever when you are sweating for several hours at time. I had never really thought about it seems to make sense. Is this a common practice and I am just ignorant or something new?

[CampyorBust]

Don't for the @$$mullet will come back with a vengence.

If I just crossed the threshold of decency, I apologize in advance.:D

[Britishbane]

Shaving down there introduces way more bacteria than you are "preventing" by shaving.

[eBAUMANN]

Shaving down there introduces way more bacteria than you are "preventing" by shaving.

"trimming" is not "shaving"

[OtayBW]

On a longer ride over the weekend I got talking to gentleman I had talked with a few times but nothing too serious. After a while he asked me if I “manscaped” down there.
I thing you need to find another friend! :banana:

[Dave B]

I suppose some shaving down there is good, but it taint all that!

I would say not on the undercarriage as the upkeep would be an issue and growing of hair there could be ever so irritating when on the bike.

Just a thought.

[wallymann]

seems no different than trimming (not shaving) your armpit or nose hair.

[Sierra]

What is this craze for "manscaping?" Why do you want to look like a plucked chicken?

Frankly, I think the "gentleman" was coming on to you. ;)

[ColonelJLloyd]

"trimming" is not "shaving"

+1

[mg2ride]

According to the guys from "Queer Eye" the biggest advantage to manscaping is that it exaggerates your endowment!

If a relative stranger started a conversation with me about manscaping I would assume I was being hit upon. Jus Sayin

[dgauthier]

Oh, I think this thread needs photos...

[ColonelJLloyd]

If a relative stranger started a conversation with me about manscaping I would assume I was being hit upon.

You know the saying about "assume".

[azrider]

Oh, I think this thread needs photos...

http://www.tshirtsonscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/theleague1x1ishavedmyballsforthis-tshirt-e1450196527913-750x410.jpg

[nooneline]

So uh I know this is the internet and all but I'm pretty sure we just miiiiiight be capable of discussing this like adults.

For starters - are you talking about pubic hair or arse hair?

I remember reading an interview with Dave Zabriskie, I think, where he talked about shaving his arse to keep things clean during long days in the saddle. It sounded uncomfortable. I tried it once. The stubble was about as unpleasant as could be.

I tend to keep my pubic hair trimmed a little bit because more hair = scratchier.

[mistermo]

Bacteria are very misunderstood. They are often good and serve a vital and necessary role.

[pjm]

Oh, I think this thread needs photos...

Nooooo it doesn't!:no:

[weisan]

I highly recommend the Honda brand, very reliable, zero issue.

http://www.shopcutlers.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-checkout/images/hrr216vxa-1320509220.jpg

[hollowgram5]

i highly recommend the honda brand, very reliable, zero issue.

http://www.shopcutlers.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-checkout/images/hrr216vxa-1320509220.jpg
+1

[Dead Man]

i don't see any reason to think he was coming on to you.. This is something some people discuss with ease. I talk about shaving/trimming habits/methods with dudes on the bike, and I can absolutely guarantee you I'm not coming on to any of them (that happens after post ride beers)

I shave everything, including full junk, taint, and crack.. Because why not? Full hairlessness is better looking than selective hairlessness, which requires shave lines... And if you're shaving up the leg and stopping at the crotch, you end up with feminine bikini line like edges, which I am personally not into sporting.

I'm not at all convinced there's any performance advantage though... And in fact I think there might be a bit of a disadvantage in hygiene. Seems like the whole crotch area gets really soupy, shaved... Like maybe hair helps ventilate the area a little better, and the absence of hair just kinda lets the sweat sit there and even congeal a little.

Then there's the obvious risk of razor burn, ingrown hairs, and stubble chaffing. I fortunately don't suffer from these on the whole crotch area, so long as I use practices that work for me.. But, for example, I recently attempted to go back to cartridge razors from my safety razor in the hopes of saving time and reducing cuts, and sprouted up some razor burn on my upper inner thighs so bad I couldn't even ride for a day. And ridin for the next few days was painful.

So.... Take it or leave it. It's just style points to me.

[pjm]

:o

[mg2ride]

i don't see any reason to think he was coming on to you.. This is something some people discuss with ease. I talk about shaving/trimming habits/methods with dudes on the bike, and I can absolutely guarantee you I'm not coming on to any of them (that happens after post ride beers)


Yea right. And "foot massages don't mean $h!t".

Have you ever had the same conversation with a lady friend? Maybe I should go strike up the conver with some girls at work

[FlashUNC]

Pubes.

Let's talk 'bout some pubes.

I think we're reached peak OT.

[johnniecakes]

He definitely was not coming onto me. This was part of a longer conversation that covered spouses, retirement planning, my revised living will etc.... Since I am not leg shaver this grooming seems burdensome. Who knows maybe one morning I will wake up go "Brazilan", wonder how the misses would react? Might be worth the just see her reaction.

[Joxster]

I dip my love spuds in warm porridge before every ride

[Lewis Moon]

Pubes.

Let's talk 'bout some pubes.

I think we're reached peak OT.

Yep. Pack the place up. We're done.

[climbgdh]

I dip my love spuds in warm porridge before every ride

:)..... i just blew coffee out of my nose..... thanks. i'm sending you a bill for keyboard cleaning. HA!!

[bthornt]

Did he happen to give his name as Peter North?

[eippo1]

:)..... i just blew coffee out of my nose..... thanks. i'm sending you a bill for keyboard cleaning. HA!!


Wow, yeah. As for the actual content, I usually shave all the way up the legs and anywhere where the bib tend to "grip" because it's just uncomfortable otherwise. As for the more sensitive areas, the fuzz tends to help with moisture management, so I leave that mostly alone. The one time I shaved completely, I got some pretty terrible chafing.

[wallymann]

Bacteria are very misunderstood. They are often good and serve a vital and necessary role.

google saddle-sore: a bacteria-filled pore.

[ColonelJLloyd]

https://media.giphy.com/media/fx5HIlVDqhdfO/giphy.gif

google saddle-sore: a bacteria-filled pore.

[mistermo]

google saddle-sore: a bacteria-filled pore.

"Skin flora is usually non-pathogenic, and either commensal (are not harmful to their host) or mutualistic (offer a benefit). The benefits bacteria can offer include preventing transient pathogenic organisms from colonizing the skin surface, either by competing for nutrients, secreting chemicals against them, or stimulating the skin's immune system.[3] However, resident microbes can cause skin diseases and enter the blood system creating life-threatening diseases particularly in immuno-suppressed people"

[ColonelJLloyd]

So. . . saddle sores are good for you?

http://p.fod4.com/p/media/5c597eb60b/uF9MjJo3QIaijySXC4iL_Confused%20Christian%20Bale.g if

[mistermo]

So. . . saddle sores are good for you?


Don't be dense. No, saddle sores aren't good for you. But bacteria isn't necessarily bad for you either. In fact, most bacteria in/on your body are beneficial to you.

[alioup]

So. . . saddle sores are good for you?



There are millions of species of bacteria including bad ones (saddle sore) and good ones (friendly flora).

Saying that all bacteria is bad for you is kinda like saying "wow this sram front derailleur sucks, all bikes suck..."

[ColonelJLloyd]

I'm not being dense, but we're not talking about drinking kombucha. Who here has made a single inference, let alone an assertion, that all bacteria is bad for you?

I'm gonna continue to employ the ol' Wahl and guard. Feels good and my lady likes it.

Don't be dense. No, saddle sores aren't good for you. But bacteria isn't necessarily bad for you either. In fact, most bacteria in/on your body are beneficial to you.

[mistermo]

I'm not being dense, but we're not talking about drinking kombucha. Who here has made a single inference, let alone an assertion, that all bacteria is bad for you?

I'm gonna continue to employ the ol' Wahl and guard. Feels good and my lady likes it.

Go re-read post #1. There is your assertion.

[Sierra]

i don't see any reason to think he was coming on to you.. T
I shave everything, including full junk, taint, and crack.. Because why not? Full hairlessness is better looking than selective hairlessness, which requires shave lines... And if you're shaving up the leg and stopping at the crotch, you end up with feminine bikini line like edges, which I am personally not into sporting.




Thank you for this information.

[Seramount]

once I started shaving the legs, wasn't a big leap to expand the maintenance program to other areas.

the old Wahl clipper with no. 1 guard gets a weekly workout mowing the head, arms, chest, pits, and privates.

not gonna use a razor on those places tho.

[11.4]

Sounds like a bunch of impractical shavers here. And a few I wouldn't try to describe at all.

Think for a second about the purposes of shaving:

1. Less pain if you crash.
2. Easier massage.
3. Fewer skin sores (assuming you shave regularly).
4. Slightly better heat transport or heat preservation in hot or cold weather, respectively.
5. Easier wound management.
6. And, of course, ego gratification.

Now if you take a crash, road rash isn't going to stop at the leg grippers on your shorts. So if you want to make it easier and less painful to recover from road rash, figure that your hips usually get hit, which means you want to shave to your waist. It also makes it easier to have them massaged, though ymmv.

As for hair underneath, it isn't just a question of infection (and it isn't really a question about infection at all, as discussed above) but more a question of plucking. No, not that kind. But when you move on your saddle and yank a few hairs out, it does hurt and they do get inflamed and they do turn into festering nodules of bike-hate.

The first shaving, or even the first few, may result in a few painful nibs, but once your skin is acclimatized (remember when you first started shaving as an excuse for trying to shave off all your acne?) you'll get a nice clean result that won't catch or pull or otherwise act up.

How intimate you want to go is entirely up to you, though at that point, unless you have a wife or girlfriend or whatever that has an opinion (in which case you do what they want and shut up). However, if it's facing the saddle, Without getting too graphic, there's a lot to be said for getting it all clean, but it definitely is a learning curve. So to speak.

[wallymann]

"Skin flora is usually non-pathogenic, and either commensal (are not harmful to their host) or mutualistic (offer a benefit). The benefits bacteria can offer include preventing transient pathogenic organisms from colonizing the skin surface, either by competing for nutrients, secreting chemicals against them, or stimulating the skin's immune system.[3] However, resident microbes can cause skin diseases and enter the blood system creating life-threatening diseases particularly in immuno-suppressed people"

i get it. bacteria have a role to play. blah, blah, blah.

it sounds like the idea behind this manscaping is not the total eradication of all skin bacteria, but altering the hair density of certain areas so that they are not cess-pools of skin bacteria run amok, which can lead to saddle-sores.

[Llewellyn]

I dip my love spuds in warm porridge before every ride


PMSL :beer::beer:

[bikingshearer]

This was part of a longer conversation that covered spouses, retirement planning, my revised living will etc....

Yeah, I can see how discussing the pros and cons of clear-cutting your naughty bits would naturally flow from that conversation . . . . :rolleyes:

[OtayBW]

I have the sense that this is i) a solution designed for a problem waiting to happen, and/or ii) a vanity thing. Believe my taint will remain untainted....:rolleyes:

[seanile]

I dip my love spuds in warm porridge before every ride

i don't often laugh at the internet, but when i do, it's when someone says "love spuds" and means it.

but really, buzzers are not shaving. never shave unless you want seriously aggravated ingrown hairs and the potential sebaceous cysts (been there, unpleasant).
the reason i buzz down south, from the front to the taint to the lower depths of the crack, is due to how hair sometimes ends up getting pulled/tugged in areas i don't want it to and that gets seriously uncomfortable after 65 miles. keeping it short makes it far more manageable and unnoticeable. anecdote, my 132mile ride last weekend would've been a lot more pleasant had i trimmed up. and i know this because i've biked 3800miles across the country in 70days with my preferred maintenance method and never once had a need for chamois cream, or gold bond. a close crop kept me happy.
and for all y'all fretting at the talk of pubes and the maintenance of such... relax...it's anatomy...we've all got it. there's nothing to be scared of. it's all a matter of "hey, what helps you get comfortable on the bike?" easy enough. i make jokes when i'm uncomfortable too, but some people are asking for actual guidance.

[Cicli]

The only time one should shave their junk. Never had the need to Do this but it would likely work.

Slash and burn-
The act whereby and individual can rid him/herself of pubic "crabs" by shaving half of one's pubic hair, then lighting the other half on fire; the result of which is the crabs running out into the clearing whereupon they can readily be stabbed with a ball-point pen.

[ERK55]

Miller Ti.....

I mean lock time?

[Dead Man]

Miller Ti.....

I mean lock time?

Don't knock it till you try it.

[ERK55]

No thanks

[Dead Man]

Tried to link a demonstrational video I uploaded to YouTube, but it seems it's been deleted for TOS violation... Bummer

[CampyorBust]

I highly recommend the Honda brand, very reliable, zero issue.

http://www.shopcutlers.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-checkout/images/hrr216vxa-1320509220.jpg

I beg to differ...

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/PedalPusher33/bb16171d-b60d-4e6d-ad94-c664e5dacad3_zpsndke4wjd.jpg

However I do find the Norelco Bodygroomer rugged enough for my gorilla legs while being gentle on the gentles, should one be so inclined as to wander into the thicket called Grundle.

http://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/BG2040_34/norelco-bodygroom-7100-wet-dry-body-groomer-series-7000

Now I am just curious... has anyone tried waxing all that? Ok almost certainly not. How about laser or Nair?

[Dead Man]

I did try waxing it once.

Tried. Once.

[Louis]

Four pages, and still no relevant pictures. :(

[Sierra]

I have the sense that this is i) a solution designed for a problem waiting to happen, and/or ii) a vanity thing. Believe my taint will remain untainted....:rolleyes:


+1

A vanity thing; an affectation; plus it is fashionable these days because everybody wants to be able to put on take off their sexual aids, paraphernalia, and sundry accoutrements with the utmost ease. Discussing this I get the same feeling as I do as when I witness a 20-something smoking a cigar.

[Dead Man]

plus it is fashionable these days because everybody wants to be able to put on take off their sexual aids, paraphernalia, and sundry accoutrements with the utmost ease.

wtmf?

[Joxster]

Read the reviews for advice........

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Veet-Removal-Cream-Sensitive-200ml/dp/B001DUUPQ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1466842798&sr=1-1&keywords=veet#customerReviews

[Peter B]

***...for a moment I thought I linked to a bike forum...:eek:

[soulspinner]

The only time one should shave their junk. Never had the need to Do this but it would likely work.

Slash and burn-
The act whereby and individual can rid him/herself of pubic "crabs" by shaving half of one's pubic hair, then lighting the other half on fire; the result of which is the crabs running out into the clearing whereupon they can readily be stabbed with a ball-point pen.

:hello::hello::hello:

[Hawker]

I saw the title of this thread and thought it had something to do with Australia.

My bad. :o