Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

The problem with the so called Wind tunnel tests that have been done regarding beards ? is that they were done in ideal clean clinical conditions in a test lab,where as in reality in real racing conditions outside! once the beard is full of dirt,dust,mud,insects,leaf sap from trees,etc. then the air drag on the beard is enormous! :(

Pro Cyclist Dirty Beard Drag.jpg
thirdcrank
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by thirdcrank »

Tiberius wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 12:18am
Mike Sales wrote: 2 Jul 2021, 5:49pm
Tiberius wrote: 2 Jul 2021, 5:26pm AND....Why do so many older men grow beards??

Blokes go through their whole lives clean shaven. THEN hit (say) sixty and they just HAVE to grow a drippy goatee/full set/designer stubble/utter mess or whatever on their chops. Could someone who has done this please reply and explain. Ta.

Caveat. I'm sixty three, clean shaven and always will be.
I prefer having a beard.
I feel no need to explain further.
It is, after all, the natural state of the adult male, so what needs explanation is shaving.
Having a beard wasn't my point.

Were you clean shaven most of your adult life then, when you hit your later years, feel compelled to grow facial hair - like so many older men?

It was the 'only growing it when you got older' that was my point.
I think it's wrong to assume that bears are an old man thing. In the last few years bears have flourished as they have become fashionable. I'm no fashionista but I'd not be surprised if the fashion for the really bushy jobs hasn't passed.
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

thirdcrank wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 9:16am I think it's wrong to assume that bears are an old man thing. In the last few years bears have flourished as they have become fashionable.
It's between s and f on my keyboard... but other meanings are available...

: - )

Jonathan
sjs
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by sjs »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 1 Jul 2021, 5:38pm We only have to look at Nature to get the answer! the fastest animals regarding less Drag are the Cheetah with micro short hair,and the Dolphin with no hair! :smile:
Bearded vultures are quicker than dolphins
Mike Sales
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Mike Sales »

Tiberius wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 12:18am


Having a beard wasn't my point.

Were you clean shaven most of your adult life then, when you hit your later years, feel compelled to grow facial hair - like so many older men?

It was the 'only growing it when you got older' that was my point.
I have had a beard since I was able to grow one, for more than half a century.
I can only guess that these newly hirsute have noticed how good I look on my bike, though they will not have been impressed by my speed.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Bonefishblues
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Bonefishblues »

Lots of fish easily beat the speed of bearded dolphins. Just saying.
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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

For me when ever I see a beard the key word related to it is "Lazy" :(
Mike Sales
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Mike Sales »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 9:48am For me when ever I see a beard the key word related to it is "Lazy" :(
Your are right. I would find the daily shave, or even twice daily if I wanted to look best groomed in the evening, a tedious addition to my morning routine. I judge from my father's blue chin.

A philosophical point. Given that every hair of my beard has been trimmed many times, so that no atom of bristle of my original growth remains,, is it the same beard?
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

Oh! and the other key word is "Hygiene" ?

Scientists discovered men with beards have more germs in their hairs than dogs carry in their fur. A new study found that every sample of beard hair collected was crawling with bacteria. Nearly half had bugs and bacteria considered hazardous to human health,...

Men's beards carry more germs than dog fur, according to science...

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-04- ... g-fur.html
thirdcrank
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by thirdcrank »

I think it's fair to say that not shaving - in the sense of only shaving "when you have to" - may be a sign of laziness and that's certainly the case with me, although what I've seen described as "designer stubble" does take some achieving. Actually growing a beard and keeping it neat and tidy seems every bit as demanding as daily shaving.

I think that also, people enjoy being able to do the opposite of what they may otherwise be compelled to do. An obligation to wear a suit or uniform for work may lead to people enjoying informal leisure togs. People whose normal work clothes get dirty enjoy a chance to smarten up.
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 10:57am Oh! and the other key word is "Hygiene" ?

Scientists discovered men with beards have more germs in their hairs than dogs carry in their fur. A new study found that every sample of beard hair collected was crawling with bacteria. Nearly half had bugs and bacteria considered hazardous to human health,...

Men's beards carry more germs than dog fur, according to science...

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-04- ... g-fur.html
Have you got a link for that study, please?

I can only find secondary reporting, and that doesn't suggest any evidence of hazard to health.

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 9:48am For me when ever I see a beard the key word related to it is "Lazy"
Do you feel the same about unshaved hair on other parts of the body?

Thanks

Jonathan
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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

Jdsk wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 11:07am
Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 10:57am Oh! and the other key word is "Hygiene" ?

Scientists discovered men with beards have more germs in their hairs than dogs carry in their fur. A new study found that every sample of beard hair collected was crawling with bacteria. Nearly half had bugs and bacteria considered hazardous to human health,...

Men's beards carry more germs than dog fur, according to science...

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-04- ... g-fur.html
Have you got a link for that study, please?

I can only find secondary reporting, and that doesn't suggest any evidence of hazard to health.

Jonathan

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... veals.html
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 11:17am
Jdsk wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 11:07am
Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 10:57am Oh! and the other key word is "Hygiene" ?

Scientists discovered men with beards have more germs in their hairs than dogs carry in their fur. A new study found that every sample of beard hair collected was crawling with bacteria. Nearly half had bugs and bacteria considered hazardous to human health,...

Men's beards carry more germs than dog fur, according to science...

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-04- ... g-fur.html
Have you got a link for that study, please?

I can only find secondary reporting, and that doesn't suggest any evidence of hazard to health.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... veals.html
Yes, secondary reporting, and no evidence of hazard to health. You can find *microorganisms that can cause disease in all sorts of places. That isn't a hazard to health by itself.

Jonathan

* About 10% of adults carry pneumococcus and about 10% meningococcus. And they're KILLER BUGS!
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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

Professor Andreas Gutzeit, of Switzerland's Hirslanden Clinic, said: 'The researchers found a significantly higher bacterial load in specimens taken from the men's beards compared with the dogs' fur.' The study found all of the bearded men, aged from 18 to 76, showed high microbial counts, but only 23 out of 30 dogs had high counts. The remainder had moderate levels.

Seven men were even found to harbour microbes that posed a threat to human health.

After the MRI exams of the dogs, the scanners were disinfected and showed a 'significantly' lower bacteria count compared with levels seen when used by humans.

'On the basis of these findings, dogs can be considered as clean compared with bearded men,' said Dr Gutzeit.
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