It does seem blindingly obvious that, given the relatively massive size of your legs in terms of frontal area (compared, say, to a wheel, on which we will pile lots of money and lots of faith in the efficacy of claimed aero savings), and given that they are pumping up and down 100 times a minute, making them smooth and hairless is bound to have some aerodynamic benefit over leaving them hairy.
Not that we really need it, but here’s another bit of evidence, albeit less scientific than the Specialized testing.
I decided leg shaving was the thing to do after a summer ride. While waiting in line for my after-ride coffee and pastry, I looked down, aghast to see my leg fur half sticking straight out like I’d been electrocuted and half matted down with dried sweat in all random directions.
I shaved that night, and the next ride, I was surprised by the cooling, sheeting effect of sweat on hairless skin. I was further surprised to start feeling things with my legs. Like sheets. They actually feel like something against the skin, a thing I had never experienced underneath all the fur.
It’s now a springtime ritual to raze the forests everywhere but Brazil (yes, chest and arms too) and to enjoy the feel of cool breezes and soft sheets.
As a swimmer and water polo player in high school, I was used to shaving down. (The best were the shaving parties where the girl’s swim team shaved us… but I digress.) After college polo, I went unshaven even though I was racing mountain bikes (before the turn of the century, before/around the time a fella named John Tomac started using front shocks and Ned Overend was awesome to watch and read about). Then one day, during a very hot Southern California day (I’d wait for 11a / noon to ride to get used to the heat), I found myself pouring water on my quads because they were so hot. I shaved down then because, my reasoning went, hair is an insulator and I sure as heck don’t need heat insulation on my legs during these hot days. I perceived (making it real) a real difference on the next hot ride.
it’s purely for looks and massage.
foam rolling with hair on the legs can be uncomfortable.
best quote from a mentor of mine: “just be a man and shave your legs”
lol!
go for it; worst case, it grows back
I had heard about epilators before but never tried. This post brought the idea back into my head so I bought one of the other day to try out, since I do get sick of shaving 2x a week during the season.
Painful is one way to describe it, although I don’t think it conveys just how brutal it is (at least the first time). It also took a while and I ran out of time last night, so here I am with one smooth leg and one hairy leg.
Yes the first time is tough and takes a while but I feel that when the hairs are newly growing in the next time its much less painful. Maybe because the roots are not as developed yet. Also much faster the next time.
Definitely mainly for looks, but it does make massage/ physio easier in my experience (less oils, which is something for me with eczema) and also for sun cream/ block when it gets to summer.
Also, for triathletes, it definitely made getting the wetsuit off the legs easier!
