I'll be honest, no one cares more about how you look in a race than yourself. I definately notice other competitors and try and cheer the people around me on, but I've rarely if ever noticed some memorable physical trait about someone. Pretty much everyone in a triathlon looks funny...most people are decked out in full spandex attire. So, I don't think you're hairiness will cause a commotion.

FWIW, my dad also does races with me and is pretty high on the body hair scale and I've never seen it be an issue

Just be yourself! It really doesn't matter what others think... If they can't handle it...their problem. And anyway, you become part of some ones history..."Remember that really hairy guy that steamed past us at the Super Slorp Sprint race last year? Man! He was movin'!"
I shave my legs, because I like to and shave my head because I have so little hair anyway, it's just easier.

No one is giving you a second thought unless you look like UFTriGator. (That thread will never outlive its usefullness.)

+1 Since when is hair 'gross'? If anyone wants to maintain that it is actually gross (and 99% of the time it is usually women), I'll be happy to point out all the muffin tops, unsightly jiggles, wrinkles, stretch marks and scars, tan lines bisecting pasty thighs, regretable tattoos, and hail-damaged cellulite.

This!

So shaving may make you "feel" faster, but it doesn't actually make you faster. Last time I checked, there were not results for "hairy" vs. "shaved" dudes in my age group.

Look at the article in last month's Triathlete mag. Andy Potts stopped shaving because he thinks it's a waste of time and he is pretty damn fast at all distances.

Having said that, I do shave my face.

Hair doesn't seem to affect Andy Potts all to much.

I thought the point of shaving legs was to speed healing and reduce chances of infection/irritation due to hair becoming lodged into the wound. You know for all those MTB, Crite, and Tour guys.

I have heard, "it just feels fast," and I agree. Sometimes, speed can be psychological. I assume the feeling of wind on bare shins is much more stimulating than on hairy legs. So, one would naturally feel faster with bare shins in the wind.

If I ever get so clumsy that I'm struggling to keep all the wounds on my legs from getting infected, I'm gonna go down and take a bicycle handling course at the tri shop. (or buy a suit of armor)
Plus, the only close quarters drafting I do is on group ride days, and I try to stay within the front 5/6 in the group. We are the most experienced and least likely to slam on the brakes or not spot an obstacle in the road. The others can benefit from our draft and hopefully not take anyone out.

I shave for big races...some for the mental edge, but mostly just b/c I like it and am too lazy to do it year round. Shaved legs in the summer feel great.

My hubby is doing his 2nd tri this year, and I'm pretty damn sure that he's not going to shave down and he's not an un-fuzzy guy in the legs or chest department for sure. My opinion: if anyone is gawking at you because of chest hair, then screw them. Triathletes often take themselves way too seriously anyways.

Personally, I'm happy to see anyone out there and tri-ing it. Whether that's a woman with cellulite or a muffin top or a guy with a thatch of chest hair or hairy legs. More power to everyone. Life's too short to worry too much about what other people think.

In my 2nd tri season in a cold October race, I met a woman pre-race who was 78. She said she was debating whether or not to wear her neoprene swim cap because the chin strap made the loose skin around her neck bunch up and look unattractive. LOL. I said if I was still doing triathlons at 78, I'd keep my ears warm, wear my cap, and be proud as all hell that I was standing at that race start.

I am very bad about staring @ people before ,during & after any race! I notice everything about everyone!Bad habit!I really notice this one man that is older in his early sixties that has what i call gorilla hair that is white &hanging out of his tri suit all over! Not a pretty site but thats him & he has the right to race just like anyone else! I know that i dont look like a beauty queen during most races so i dont expect everyone else too!But they sure are fun to look at!!:)

If you have definition, shave the hair off and let the muscles shine. I know people that choose to use hair clippers to trim the hair instead of shaving the hair with a razor. The advantage to clipping is that it reduces the chances of ingrown hairs. If you're really hairy, then you may want to clip instead of shave.

This guy has hair, and won't be shaving/waxing/etc.

Mostly because I'm too lazy, and too married to care what people think about how I look! :) (and my life likes it, so pfft)

jono