Shaving

[danjo007]

unless you're getting a massage after each race/stage (like the pro's do) its only so you "pretend" to be pro. (now see the thread regarding team jerseys).
thats all folks!

 

[Polyarmour]

Is it faster? In a tt maybe but I would like to see the study on that before I agreed, in a road race no way, too much dirty air going on elsewhere on the bike for shaving legs to have any effect.

Even in a sprint shaved legs will make a difference.

If it makes a 5 second difference in a 40km TT at 37km/h, the hairy legged guy will be 50m behind.

That's 250mm for every 200m travelled...at 37km/h.

In a 200m sprint at 60km/h it's likely to be a 600+mm difference. While you might argue this is negated by drafting, usually the last 50-100m of the sprint is into clear air even for those drafting as they have to come around in the race for the line. It might make a difference of 150-300mm and plenty of races are lost by that amount.

Well that's my argument and I'm sticking to it.

And as we all know shaving your legs improves your bike handling skills considerably. Give a wide berth to the hairy legged guy in the peloton.

 

[oncehadhair]

Even in a sprint shaved legs will make a difference.

If it makes a 5 second difference in a 40km TT at 37km/h, the hairy legged guy will be 50m behind.

That's 250mm for every 200m travelled...at 37km/h.

In a 200m sprint at 60km/h it's likely to be a 600+mm difference. While you might argue this is negated by drafting, usually the last 50-100m of the sprint is into clear air even for those drafting as they have to come around in the race for the line. It might make a difference of 150-300mm and plenty of races are lost by that amount.

Well that's my argument and I'm sticking to it.

And as we all know shaving your legs improves your bike handling skills considerably. Give a wide berth to the hairy legged guy in the peloton.

What a croc of ****. The aerodynamics of shaving are immeasurable. You shave because it looks good and you're vain, your wife/girlfriend likes the feeling, to advertise to other cyclists that you are one too and to make it easy on the physio/masseur if you are lucky enough to be able to afford one. Its a w****.

But I still do it for training and racing.

 

[just some guy]

Isn't that being a party to cheating??!!

How? I thought the students therefore I wrote the exam

 

[richwagmn]

OK, for the billionth time ...

A 1987 study conducted by Chester Kyle concluded that the aerodynamic improvement of shaving legs is roughly 0.6 percent, which could result in a savings of around 5 seconds in a 40km time trial ridden at 37kph. (Kyle, Chester R.; Zahradnik, Fred: Aerodynamic Overhaul. Streamline Your Body and Your Bike. Bicycling, Jun 1987, pp. 72 - 79)

That, my little friend, is a significant margin in a time-trial, even more so at today's 45kph+ speed.

Really? Sorry, don't believe it. Ever see a golf ball? Why's the surface dimpled?

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBwi6sHQo_w

 

[just some guy]

Really? Sorry, don't believe it. Ever see a golf ball? Why's the surface dimpled?

because it creates an air curtain and air travels over air faster.

 

[oncehadhair]

OK, for the billionth time ...

A 1987 study conducted by Chester Kyle concluded that the aerodynamic improvement of shaving legs is roughly 0.6 percent, which could result in a savings of around 5 seconds in a 40km time trial ridden at 37kph. (Kyle, Chester R.; Zahradnik, Fred: Aerodynamic Overhaul. Streamline Your Body and Your Bike. Bicycling, Jun 1987, pp. 72 - 79)

That, my little friend, is a significant margin in a time-trial, even more so at today's 45kph+ speed.

Ok for the million and 1st time in response to this much quoted trial:
- mountain bike racers shave their legs, what are their average speeds?
- ever seen a skin suit and aero everything else? The amount of exposed hair on today's cyclists is minimal. If it matters so much, why are many cyclists not shaving their faces?
- was the 0.6% for somone who had 80 hairs per cm2 or 800?
- several other studies since then have been unable to show any significant advantage of shaved legs.

But don't feel bad about it because you are not alone in your belief in myths.

 

[Midnightfright]

I understand all the explenations. but none explain why I feel the need to keep my genitals so closey shaved

 

[oncehadhair]

I understand all the explenations. but none explain why I feel the need to keep my genitals so closey shaved

Too much information

 

[craig1985]

I understand all the explenations. but none explain why I feel the need to keep my genitals so closey shaved

 

[laziali]

Really? Sorry, don't believe it. Ever see a golf ball? Why's the surface dimpled?

 

[Midnightfright]

Too much information

just trying to lighten the mood of the thread.

 

[laziali]

Ok for the million and 1st time in response to this much quoted trial:

- several other studies since then have been unable to show any significant advantage of shaved legs.

Really? What other trials??? A bit like the "urban myth" claim, eh

____________________________________

And as for you, JustSomeGuy/OnceHadHair/[Insert other Sock Puppets], didn't you say

I´m going to leave this

Which clearly you haven't. You lack all credibility. I, unlike you, have complete credibility and so I AM bidding you adieu. I will leave you with the following wise words:

 

[DL9999]

because it creates an air curtain and air travels over air faster.

I think it's actually to cause a turbulent boundary layer to form and hence cause the position at which the boundary layer separates to move downstream, reducing form drag (that is to say, a turbulent flow will conform better to the shape of the ball than a laminar flow).

 

[lostincosmos]

Appears that the Chester Kyle study was for Bicycling mag in 1987.
Here is a discussion from Bicycling where they both reference the results (but do not link to a PDF for the hard of hearing) and also ask the pros why they shave:


http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/why-do-cyclists-shave-their-legs

 

[just some guy]

Really? What other trials??? A bit like the "urban myth" claim, eh

____________________________________

And as for you, JustSomeGuy/OnceHadHair/[Insert other Sock Puppets], didn't you say

Which clearly you haven't. You lack all credibility. I, unlike you, have complete credibility and so I AM bidding you adieu. I will leave you with the following wise words:

wind your head in son

a excel spread sheet is not evidence.

 

[Polyarmour]

What a croc of ****. The aerodynamics of shaving are immeasurable.

Oh really? Chester Kyle 1987 says it's worth 5 seconds over 40km at 37km/h. That sounds like a measurement to me.

You believe he is wrong? Back up your claims with something other than empty headed opinions.

 

[Polyarmour]

- several other studies since then have been unable to show any significant advantage of shaved legs.

Which studies?
Please provide credible references.

 

[danjo007]

you are dillusional polyarmour.
triathletes would benefit more though. NOT on the bike, but in the water. hairy legs AND arms create more drag and time differences than the miniscule amount gained on the bike (providing you're "pro" enough to ride at a consistent enough speed to gain anything at all)

now im sure dave zabriskie's BIG moustash held him back when he was caning people in the TT..

 

[oncehadhair]

Which studies?
Please provide credible references.

No you've got me on that one, my wording needs correcting. The studies don't (or can't) actually look at leg hair because it is so difficult to isolate the leg hair effect in real cycling situations because there are so many other variables that cannot be controlled. And the results cannot demonstrate significant differences. If you have any knowledge of statistics you will understanding what statistically significant means.

This information from one study, from the Journal of Biomechanics (Jan. 27, 2010), a little more recent than Kyles.

Firstly,
"...Wall functions are used to model the boundary layer, except by
Barber et al. (2009). Wall functions can however result in inaccurate predictions of wall friction and boundary layer transition from a laminar to a turbulent boundary layer (Casey and Wintergerste, 2000)..."


And, further,
"...the predicted skin-friction drag should be lower in the CFD simulations.
Since it is only a small percentage of the total drag for bluff bodies, namely about 5% in this study (predicted by CFD simulations), the resulting decrease of the total drag will be limited and could even not be noticed..."
In other words the effect of skin friction, on the whole body is lost due to the effect of other, more significant variables.

Also:
"...More important however is the fact that surface roughness could alter the locations where boundary-layer separation occurs on the cyclist’s surface by which the flow field around the cyclist will change and therefore also the resulting form drag. Under appropriate conditions, a boundary layer could remain more attached on a rough surface (i.e. in the wind tunnel in this study) by which the wake zone and therefore also the total drag are reduced (Wilson, 2004). This could explain why the “smooth” cyclist of CFD exhibits a systematically higher drag area..."
Which completely refutes your claims.

But don't believe me, read it for yourself.

http://sts.bwk.tue.nl/UrbanPhysics/pdf/Preprint_TD_BB_EK_PH_JC_JBiomechanics.pdf


But this doesn't alter the fact that for cyclists there are plenty of vain reasons for shaving and many, including myself, do.

 

[GWAR79]

OK, for the billionth time ...

A 1987 study conducted by Chester Kyle concluded that the aerodynamic improvement of shaving legs is roughly 0.6 percent, which could result in a savings of around 5 seconds in a 40km time trial ridden at 37kph. (Kyle, Chester R.; Zahradnik, Fred: Aerodynamic Overhaul. Streamline Your Body and Your Bike. Bicycling, Jun 1987, pp. 72 - 79)

That, my little friend, is a significant margin in a time-trial, even more so at today's 45kph+ speed.

I last 6 seconds longer in bed with shaved legs. Every second counts!

 

[Master50]

Quite a number of years ago I was in line for coffee with a friend. We were both dressed in cycling shorts.
I asked my friend if he was ever going to shave his legs? A young woman standing in front, overhearing my question, turned and made some comment about my misogyny. I just retorted by saying I wasn't speaking to her I was speaking to my friend and pointed out our legs. I am not sure it registered but she shut up and we laughed out loud.
BTW I don't recall if her legs were even visible.

 

[Escarabajo]

Having crashed on both shaved and hairy legs I can absolutely confirm that hair makes road rash much, much harder to clean up and treat. Also, hairless skin makes changing plasters and bandages much easier.

+1.

It has happened to me playing Soccer on artifical turf. The Irony.

It is painful.

 

[Escarabajo]

Even in a sprint shaved legs will make a difference.

If it makes a 5 second difference in a 40km TT at 37km/h, the hairy legged guy will be 50m behind.

That's 250mm for every 200m travelled...at 37km/h.

In a 200m sprint at 60km/h it's likely to be a 600+mm difference. While you might argue this is negated by drafting, usually the last 50-100m of the sprint is into clear air even for those drafting as they have to come around in the race for the line. It might make a difference of 150-300mm and plenty of races are lost by that amount.

Well that's my argument and I'm sticking to it.

...

I am not sure about that. There is too much turbulence around the bodies. Not even sure what the pressure field would be around the bodies.

I believe in forming the "boundary layer" on a time trial where the cyclist pedal steady in a constant position, but not sure about the sprints.

Having said that, it would be nice to read the study to see how they measure this difference. That is way too small to account for. Remember that slick surfaces don't always add up to better aerodynamics. Even when they make the golf balls they create craters so the boundary layer gets destroyed before it gets to the back of the ball so it creates turbulence and back pressures the ball so it would go further. So slick is not always good.

Now hairs are soft so I don't know what to make of it.