Archive for September, 2005
Bicycle Riders and Shaved Legs
Posted by: | CommentsDue to popular demand I have decided to expand on the topic of leg shaving and the bicycle rider. After doing a little research the jury continues to be out on the full meaning and reason that some bicycle riders shave their legs. Case in point I refer you to Jobst Brandt’s article on leg shaving. The article is written by a somewhat famous cyclist and author of the classic book “The Bicycle Wheel.” The Jobst web site has many interesting thoughts on cycling and related material.
The unshaved cyclists legs are pretty ugly don’t you think? Picture courtesy of the Fat Cyclist
According to Jobst, the main reason that cyclist shave their legs are to show them off and goes to lengths to dissuade the arguments for any speed or physiologic reason. He is an expert right so he must be right or something like that. Read his thoughts and form your own opinion.
A second opinion was found on the web and authored by “The Fat Cyclist“. His journal entry is really good and recommended reading. The commentary here is basically that shaving is for vanity and for impressing other cyclist. He does have a couple of really nice photos and is worth a look.
Hair on the floor courtesy of the Fat Cyclist
The final contributor to the discussion comes courtesy of About.com. Kevin Weiss seems to have a fairly good grasp of the subject matter and I refer you to his article at the About web site. Basically he covers all of the bases and discusses all of the traditional reasons for bicyclists shaving their legs. I have included the bulk of his article below. The main point is that shaving is a personal decision and not necessary to be a dedicated talented cyclist.
Here are the shaved legs that even Frank would be proud of. Picture courtesy of the Fat Cyclist
Leg Shaving by Kevin Weiss, Ph.D.
Leg shaving is fairly common in the cycling world. However, it’s a personal decision. The decision to shave your legs can be for a variety of reasons. Some cyclists use it to celebrate a goal that they’ve reached, a race won or entered, a century ridden, etc. Here are some of the many reasons given by cyclists for shaving their legs:
Timing
This is probably the most often touted benefit of leg shaving, shaving time off of a race. However, the advance you gain in aerodynamics is so incredibly slight that you would probably only notice this in a time trial on the track as opposed to a road race.
Healing
Ah, road rash. Every cyclist will eventually experience this “joy” of cycling after a nasty fall. The presence of hair on the legs makes cleaning the wound more difficult. It can also increase the chances of infection.
Massage
Many cyclists are fond of massage. Massage is reportedly less painful for those without leg hair and easier to perform, though we all know men and women who don’t shave their legs and still receive massages.
Tradition
For years cyclists have simply shaved their legs.
How to Shave Your Legs
If you’ve never shaved your legs, the first time will be the longest process. Some recommend, particularly if you have a lot of hair or longer hair, that you trim the hair with clippers before using a razor. If you decide not to use clippers that is fine as well, but the razors will dull faster and you will require more razors.
Take a bag of disposable razors or a replaceable razor with multiple fresh heads and a can of shaving cream, most find cream works better than soap and helps with sensitive skin, and lather up one leg. Be very careful around the ankle, the knee cap and the top of your shin, particularly if you have prominent bones. These areas are more likely to be cut than others. Be sure to change the blades or exchange razors frequently. Repeat the procedure with the other leg.
When you are done cleanse the entire leg to be sure that you remove dirt out of any nicks or cuts that you have. This helps prevent infection in these tiny wounds.
Usually shaving once or twice a week will keep your legs mostly hair free. Though there are cyclists who prefer to shave more or less frequently. There isn’t a written rule about how often to shave. Some cyclists don’t shave their legs year round, preferring to shave only during the core of the riding season.
Waxing and other hair depilatory creams can also be used, though may cause skin irritation.
The big question some cyclists have is where to stop shaving! This is another personal decision. Some choose to stop just past where their bike shorts hit, so that all exposed skin is hairless. Others choose to shave to where their thigh meets the truck of their body. If you choose to shave, let your preference be what guides you. I might recommend shaving less at first, you can always take off more later. Remember that the hair that grows back will cause some itching and potentially ingrown hairs in tight spots, so be mindful of areas like the groin and where bike clothing may be tighter.
No matter what you decide to do about the hair on your legs, remember that shaving is not something that one must do to be a dedicated cyclist.
Sunday Bicycle Ride
Posted by: | CommentsToday was a good day for a bicycle ride. Starting at the VeloMonrovia bicycle shop we traveled west toward South Pasadena where we stopped for a cup of coffee. The crew today starting from Stan’s shop was small. Evidently many of the regular riders left early on a ride to the beach. The day was good anyway. My pal Kimball led out and dashed to the coffee shop and we all followed.
Hal our resident historian just purchased a new Merlin titanium bicycle and shows it off today. He says that he goes faster now and who am I to disagree. It’s kind of like beauty being in the eyes of the looker, whatever. The bike is new and shinny – of course its going to be faster especially on the hills due to the slopping top tube. Well, there may be something to that idea now.
The group today had a new rider and Stan took her under his wing and guided her along the first leg of the ride. One of the things that I like about our little group is that we encourage new inexperienced riders to come along with us on our Sunday rides. This little journey to South Pasadena is about 12 miles of flat roads to the coffee shop and just about perfect for an aspiring new rider. We ended up waiting at the rest stop for about 20 minutes before Stan and his guest finally showed up. It’s all good.
The ride splits at the rest stop and the stronger riders or those that just want a longer ride go on to the Rose Bowl and up through Altadena before heading back to Monrovia while the others simply go straight back. Stan took her on the flat roads back while many of us took the hilly route through the Rose Bowl and the hills above before heading back.
At the rest stop I had the chance to catch all of the news from Frank about the latest leg shaving techniques. Frank looked surprised that we were all so interested in his story. When Frank is not riding he is pouring cement or laying the most beautiful stone or brick throughout Southern California and beyond. He told me that lately the cement has been on ration due to so much of it being shipped to China. According to Frank over half of all of the concrete in the world is being poured right now in Shanghai. Well, Frank is in the business and aught to know, don’t you think. It’s a good tale anyway.
Frank’s surprised look when all of the girls started feeling his smooooth legs
Now Frank’s legs are pretty cut with good muscle definition. I have to warn my readers that bicycle riders have traditionally shaved their legs for a couple of reasons. It is not to cut down on the wind resistance. Actually the tradition started with the racers in Europe to facilitate wound cleaning. It a rider falls and gets some gravel ground into a thigh the presence of hair would make cleaning and dressing the wound more difficult. The result was that all of the racers started shaving their legs. A strange but true story that comes from the City that never sleeps.
Frank’s sexy legs in all of their shaved glory.
Now those are some nice looking legs, well at least the ladies mentioned this during the ride today. Yummy, yummy they all said! Maybe you should think this one through before commenting.
The First Days of the New Clinical Year
Posted by: | CommentsThe time has finally come to put the “Junior SRNA” title away and pick up the new “Senior SRNA” moniker. Starting September 1st our class will have officially started our senior class rotations and the specialties that go with it. The monthly rotations will start on the 1st and change with each coming month for the next year. Of course there will be some rotations that last two months, specifically pediatrics, but each month on the first we all will be shifting gears and on to a new experience.
For me, I will be starting the cardiac surgery rotation at Los Angeles County Hospital. This is a shared experience with the MD resident. Fortunately for me I will be with my good friend AJ who has shown me so much in the past. AJ is a 3rd year anesthesia Resident at the USC Keck School of Medicine program and was there when I started my clinical experience at LAC-USC Hospital.
John Kimball and David Godden at Arrowhead
The way it works is that we share the cases alternating each day who puts in the lines while the other person does the airway management and takes credit for the case. We can not both take credit for the case for certification purposes but the learning goes on anyway. In this way we both get the most out of the experience and for me this is totally acceptable. I will be finishing up my general surgery rotation at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Riverside tomorrow and AJ will do the preoperative evaluation for me so that I do not have to travel after a long day in the OR and then do the preop at another hospital for the next day. That is a relief.
David and two Texas Weslean Students at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Finishing Up at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Being at Arrowhead Regional has been a really great experience. This past month the schedule has been really good for me. In the morning a Whipple procedure is scheduled for my room. This will be the second Whipple for pancreatic cancer that I have done in the past two weeks. These are really big surgeries with the necessity for central line placement and central venous pressure measurement, arterial line placement before induction and two large bore IV’s for access. In addition I will be placing an epidural catheter for post operative pain management. All of this requires extra time so after discussing these plans with the MD attending staff this afternoon the patient will be in the preoperative holding area at 6 AM for the line placement. At least I will get the epidural and arterial lines in and after this gentleman is asleep we will get the central line secured.
David behind the Blood-Brain-Barrier during a hand surgery case
Looking back over the past year and seeing the growth that has taken place is easy today when I think about this Whipple case and how I am comfortable with the issues in the anesthesia management for this surgery. A year ago just getting a patient asleep was a major big deal. So it’s good to review how far we have come and to reflect on what is yet ahead to learn and grown in. This coming year of specialty rotations is bound to be extremely challenging and rewarding in all that we will learn. I am so much looking forward to all of it, the hard work and the satisfaction of knowing that we all have done a great job taking care of our patients when they are the most vulnerable.
More Nurse Anesthesia information can be obtained from NurseAnesthetist.Org/
Patric O'Brian
Radical Brewing
