Nope, doesn’t make any noticeable difference to wind resistance, especially not when I’ve also got a giant beard, and I don’t get massages or regularly skin my legs in crashes.
@wlod nat yea, i don't really get that. you draw your route on a map and if it's a circle and you were riding it in mathematically negative direction, you've been "riding a circle clockwise". that's how i would define it at least. of course you can flip the map and look at the route "from behind", then the notions of "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" swap. but since people usually want a well-defined term we have to choose a definition. we choose the canonical one.
Several years ago I had a medical procedure to burn off pre-cancerous skin cells off of my legs. The main side effect was that hair no longer grows on my legs. When I mentioned this to my dermatologist he laughed because he knows I am an avid cyclist. He said most guys would be freaking out about such a lack of fur on their legs but it seemed natural for me.
Nope, don't shave. Don't get rub downs after a ride, don't ride fast enough for serious injuries, don't care about being aero, and could care less what others say or do. The last 30 seconds of the video said it all, just get out and ride.
Two things I never see mentioned: 1. I catch flies and other insects in my leg hair when not shaven 2. Sweat can evaporate faster, so it's much more comfortable in hot weather, both on and off the bike Bonus reason: the amazing feeling of slipping into clean bed sheets after shaving legs.
Seriously, I think this is why shorts used to be the priviledge of boys! An exposed hairy leg simply is somewhat of an aesthetical challenge! The whole ensemble on the other hand is just fine (imo), i.e., shaving your legs only is not an option either, nope. ...Oh dear. :D
I call bs on 7% no way that its that much. The bigger half of your your legs are already in your bibs, the rest is just fairly thin compared to all the other body mass. If it was 7% that would make it pretty much mandatory for evyer pro cyclist out there, and its not. Its just way easier for practical things, massages, roadrashes clean out, wound healing etc.
What if there was a powerup that made everyone you were racing with suddenly sprout hairy legs (and a resulting 7% efficiency penalty) for 10 seconds? :P
7%. I think that's absolute rubbish. It would be illegal for someone to have shaved legs in pro cycling if that was the case. Or it would be mandatory depending on which way they take it. I don't think it makes any difference aerodynamically.
All the pro cyclists have hairless legs and arms....your legs stick out a fair bit from the side of the bike and the hair definitely could create turbulent air. Look bicycle tubes are far narrower than legs and they've been running wind tunnel testing for years on bikes to make them more aerodynamic. I believe the 15 watts includes shaved arms....hairless arms and legs I believe is the 15 watt formula.
I’m 53 and have been shaving since my late 20’s. When I was in my late 20’s I had a horrific crash. The physician in the hospital was glad I shaved and said cleaning all the wounds and digging out the rocks was much easier. I had to do the rest at home with a fingernail brush (and a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue).
After several years of research and testing, I've managed to please both, my MTB hairy friends and my road friends. I've found the exact trimming dimensions to suit both disciplines. I have to say it's very short, but not completely shaved.
I don't care about the aero gains or pro looks shaving gives when road riding, it's the mountain biking that compels me to shave and I hate it but I hate infected road rash even more and I get a lot of road rash when mountain biking.
When I started riding in earnest 30-32 years ago, I shaved my legs for the first time. I also used to work outside in the winter and wear multiple layers of socks and long underwear. That following winter I kept shaving out of habit, and I quickly discovered that my legs no longer hurt at the end of the day. Turns out it was from all of the rubbing and chafing of the socks and the boots. So I kept shaving, or at least clipping the hair off. 30 years later, I’m still doing it. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ll ever stop. If I had the money, I’d laser it all off just to save the hassle!
Alex Rhone that’s awful. I’m amazed you didn’t accidentally kick or flinch. It’s not supposed to hurt much and they have different types of wax for different skin. You might try sugaring - it hurts way less then waxing but similar results
I love it too! My only sadness if that it's replaced the one of Matt failing to clip in and ending up on his back like a turtle. Admittedly that one's less dramatic, but more ridiculous. It's here if you haven't had the pleasure: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Bhln-_9IbnY.html
Whatever works for you; if you're into go for it, if you're not who cares? If fellow cyclists make this the determining factor as to whether they'll ride with you, then you better find some better cycling buddies.
For me, shaving the legs say "I'm committed. I race." When I first started cycling, all the guys I looked up to were the racers, and they were all shaving down. So I started to do it. I still shave, and I don't race. I like the feel, and I like the look. I do it every other day in the shower. I don't use shave cream, just plain bar soap.
The injuries theory doesn’t explain why cyclists don’t shave their arms which also get scraped in crashes. I always keep my legs shaved but I’d never shave my skinny arms unless I took up body building and bulked up my arms. It’s all about vanity.
I shave in the warmer months b/c it feels cooler to me in the hot and humid temps where I live. And when I go out on the gravel or MTB and get covered in dirt and sweat it is easier to get clean after before jumping in the car to get home or to the pub. In the cooler months where I am wearing tights, I often don't bother. But to each their own, as said, just get out and ride.
One reason I tend to do it is because for me it's noticeably cooler. So I usually only do it in the summer (I also trim, but not completely shave, chest hair and hair on other parts of the body.)
I'm in the shaving club been doing this for years now feels good once you do it there's no going back to leg and body hair feels great when cycling and bike gear is on .proud to be in the club.
Shaven legs make it really difficult for those nasty, bitey-bitey horse-flies to hold onto your legs because they need your hair as grip. They usually find you when you're climbing a steep climb in the forested sections because they know you can't take your hands off the bars to smack them! But, if your legs are shaven and sweaty they just don't grab onto you!
Tape for bandages over road rash sticks to smoother legs much better. After crashing on a group ride you never know when the medical vehicle will pull up beside you at 25+mph to slap on a bandage over your wound
Lasered my legs for the feels and comfort. And going swimming or cycling feels amazing. How the water runs down with no resistance. Better than shaving!!
When you fall, all the hair gets abraded out of the wound, and you can shave around it to make a smooth surface for the tegaderm to stick. No need to shave ahead of time to prepare for a crash.
You can only use a clipper instead of a razor in order to not hurt your skin. I find more hygienic to brush skin. The secret is an icy shower after each training session, this is not fun but you can workout the next day. Nice bike. Is it better to keep your moustache? You can move right and left your moustache so other cyclists don’t know where you overtake.
I don't shave my legs, but I was told that if I were ever to crash that the small cracks in the asphalt would grab onto my leg hairs and "scalp" my legs. That had me start thinking about whether I should or not
Another reason to shave them is if you live in an area with lots of ticks it makes them much easier to find and remove without a lot of leg hair. Also if you have skin problems like eczema it's quicker to spot the location of a flare up and less messy to apply cream.
I prefer waxing to shaving. It really doesn't hurt like they make it seem on tv. First time shaving took 2 hours and wrecked 2 razors and stung like mad for days. The following spring I went for a wax, 10 minutes and the legs were looking great with no ingrown hairs or painful regrowth. Highly recommended!
Just shaved my legs but with a Moser machine. Had lot of hair cause I never shaved before on legs.... don't need a complete skinny leg but I'll keep em tidy with short hair from now on. Using cutting machine gave no irritation at all, just leave 2 mm length cut and is fine.
As a woman who has finally given up on looking like a prepubescent child all the time I find it amazing that men who have the choice to avoid all the shaving hassle without judgment would actually CHOOSE to do it!!
The hair works like a vortex generator on an airplane wing. The VG’s are used to improve airflow close to the skin and therefore making the air follow the form better and reducing drag.
As an aerodynamicist I have to push back on the assertion that hair will "trip" the boundary layer and decrease drag. First off, the flow on your moving legs will be turbulent already. Secondly, each hair is more "wetted area", a LOT more overall surface that will use viscous shear to catch the air, meaning that like the wings of a bumblebee that essentially paddles the sky, you're moving a larger region of the air around your legs with hair, not just what's at the surface. Bumpy leg skin will do a great job tripping the flow already. Lol. And in my own TT experience, legs do make a very measurable difference. The gains are real!
My first coach explained it like this: "Ever ripped out a handful of grass and it brought up clumps of dirt with it? That's what happens to unshaved legs when you slide across the pavement at 50kph." That was convincing enough; and, as I learned (because crashes are inevitable when you race), your legs take most of the damage, followed by (in my experience), shoulders, hands and elbows. Aerodynamics weren't a significant factor; if they were, cyclists would also shave their arms and wouldn't have beards (as even some pros do). I haven't raced for years, but hairy legs still seem "unfit" to me.
Here is a REAL challenge for GCN and everyone can guess the who its for..Do a hour long track race...Upright "normal" bike VS a Recumbent High racer...HOWEVER do NOT use someone from GCN on the Recumbent.Use a Recumbent rider someone who rides a recumbent NOT someone who only rider a "normal" bike.."Normail" upright riders ride and train on upright bikes so to race on an hour race on the track lets see just how fast a "normal" bike can be vs a trained recumbent rider on a high racer...My money is and the Recumbent everyday!!!
I'm not a racer, and do everything in my power to never crash, and have never shaved my legs. (The actual act of shaving one's legs looks like a major pain in the ass, to be honest.) The first argument, about injury and healing, actually makes some sense, and I can kind of see why some think shaved legs are more aesthetic, but the aerodynamics argument is a little hard to believe. If you're going maybe 30 km/h, are a few leg hairs really going to create enough drag for you to notice a difference?
I used to have very hairy legs for 45 years, thanks to cycling, had the courage to finally shave.... life changer: it is clean and looks tidy and advise all to do that
You don't want to see blood when shaving legs . The solution I have: Philips Oneblade. I use it as a shaver, trimmer and use the second blade for my legs. No blood, easy shave and fast...
Having woken up post crash related surgery and having found someone had shaved me to the hilt whilst unconscious I think I'll stick to shaving myself now thank you very much
No need to shave. I've never had hair grow below the knee and even that bit is peach fuzz. Kinda weird but true. I never gave it much thought until now. Can't grow a mustache either.
The trick w/ shaving is that it actually leaves micro-cuts so hygiene won't be my excuse. I've been riding for decades w/ unshaven legs. I'm retired now and for the first time am seriously mulling the notion over. I was an MTB racer and many of those folks didn't shave. One good excuse I thought of for guys w/ hairy legs would be that they don't want their leg hair to get tangled in the chain ring.
If anyone admits to shaving for pure aero gains, is the same person that shaves to gain an inch - false securities. I shave my legs not because of gains or massages but because I want to appreciate the agony that I put my legs through and shaved legs just look a treat when you are on form.
Conor on hygiene being one of the benefits of shaving - '...the mud, dirt and grime mixed in with your hair, scabs and cut areas....' Next cutaway frame - a hairy knee with scabs....(must be Manon's) ?
I shave to make dealing with injuries easiest, make sunscreening easiest, make massaging my own legs easiest, and minimize the amount of gunk my leg hairs would have grabbed from the dusty air like velcro. I race, but aero isn't a huge deciding factor, it's all just preventative.
Never. I’ve only wiped out once in the past 2,200 miles this year, and that wipe out was last Christmas. I healed fine. I will never shave my sexy, hairy legs
Only just started looking at some cycling videos, hence me being a couple of years late. I used to race, mind you I'm still confused by the multitude of 'Bikes' that seem to be around, but back to that later. To shave, or not to shave ? I've always been cynical, don't believe others and like to do my own evaluation. So when I was racing in the early 1960's I decided to shave one leg before an event, leaving the other hairy. Certainly pre event treatment with things like Iodine, oil and rubbing in other mixtures was easier, as it would be for a professional massage - not that I ever had that. During the event it just felt fresher, probably missing the warming protection of hair. What I was concerned about was cleaning myself up afterwards, being shaved was so much easier. From my hairy days my track-suit could almost stand up by itself !! I didn't crash much, but you can't race for years with a 1st Cat track & road licence without the odd fall and this is where shaved legs are better. No hairs to be ripped out as plasters are torn off, easy to clean damaged tissue, although my worst injury was to an arm, so it didn't matter !! My view is that for a serious racer yes shave. For normal riding don't bother, a reason for that is that I didn't use shorts much for general riding or training. Remember I didn't follow trends back in the late 1950's & early 60's but just had FUN.
Not shaved them for a while! I used to be a competitive swimmer and we shaved all body hair that wasn’t covered by cap or speedos! You go massively quicker after a shave-down, but better to train ‘hairy’!
None of these excuses work with my wife......but she does have a point when you are stood there on a beach, shaven legs and gorilla like upper body! Hairy & Proud (but will probably shave them again at some point, much to my wife’s disdain)
Pros startet to shave legs when cycling became a boys sport instead of a man's sport. Remember the episode about old tour de France with hank and Marc? Ask those man from back in the day if they would shave their legs. The will ask you if youve eaten a moldy baguette!
It's not whether you shave your legs or not, it's which 'groomset' should you use. Imagine the marketing advantage for Sram introducing the Sram 'Pink' groomset for women. That's bound to sell much better than Dura-ace. And who in their right mind would be caught dead with a Campagnolo 'Switch-off magnet' razor? Come to think of it, Sram would win hands down again in the mountain biking world. They could easily have a XXX groomset.
Remember the line from that movie Breaking Away in the 70's....the cyclist's buddy asks him why he is shaving his legs, and he replies that in Italy, many men shave their legs. "Funny country", his friend replies, "the women don't shave theirs!" :-)
All my life, I have been determined that if I ever started to go bald, I would just shave my head. Simple. Problem is ... here I am a now 51 year old man with a luxurious head of hair, but suffering male pattern baldness on my legs. Frankly, they look ridiculous, so I shave them instead. Simple. Feels good too ... and the speed I ride my bike, it will make precisly zero difference to my aerodynamic efficiency.
100% yes, a well tanned shaved calf can strike the fear of god into a rider on the start line. They are much easier clean after a mudfest CX race. I've never met anyone with hairy legs who get compliments for their calves, I live for those moments.
The problem is if you're a hairy chap then you look a right weirdo with two cleanly shaven legs and hair everywhere else. Plus at the rate it grows it would need doing nearly every day, sod that.
Should you shave the hair beneath your shorts too? I only ask, because when I remove my bib shorts. It looks like a moulting Hedgehog. On the bright side, when I hang them up outside to dry, the birds have plenty of material for their nests. ;-) 0:55 "it's a vanity thing" - says the Australian? with a mullet. IRONY.
Had a lot of time on my hands with lockdown this spring, so thought I'd give it a go for the first time! The hair removal cream I began with turned my skin slightly yellow. Not Simpsons yellow, but it did look a bit odd in places. Happily that didn't last, so I then had a go at the shaving, didn't expect it to be so difficult! The front and sides were easy enough, but you can't see the backs of your calves or thighs- I have a new respect for those who do it regularly. As for why, tried it out of boredom but have kept it up for the summer because it makes me look the part and I can't stop touching my newly smooth muscled legs.
I think it’s time to give mine a Trim up after watching that ,I don’t think I will wear the tights tho , but the amount of hairs on my legs is enough to give me 30% reduction in my watts , cracking advice thanks 👍
