Preface: I know that there is no science behind this, but my legs are so hairy I can feel the wind grabbing the hairs when I ride. It’s like I bring a drag suit with me every time I wear shorts. I have a feeling that any studies that have been done did not include people like me with close caveman descendants. Think about it, guys like Lance Armstrong obsess over the texture of their Nike skinsuits and swear it can same them tens of seconds, so there’s got to be room for improvement by shaving.
How much faster do you think a hairy guy will be over an Ironman-distance bike course if he shaves his legs? I’ll wager if a special skinsuit gives you 20 seconds over 40K, then shaving gives me more like 30 seconds over 40K or 3 minutes in an Ironman.
Any other guesses? Anyone with access to a wind tunnel ever try to measure this?
Let’s see… Making special skinsuits with dimples and ripples makes you faster, but shaving your legs smooth makes you faster? Something doesn’t seem right there.
The reasons to shave have nothing to do with speed.
Can’t remember where I saw the white paper, maybe on the zip website. But I rember seeing that for a fit person with a good ridding position that the time benefit of shaving your legs was exactly 0.000314 seconds over a 40K Time-Trial. Note: that his was done on a Triathlon Geometry Bike with Aero wheels, a skin-suit, aero-helmet, and booties.
In the control group, the rider had shaved legs. The legs were shaved using a Mach3 razor and Edge shaving cream. A moisturizer was applied to the shaved legs (which might have a beneficial effect)
In the test group, the rider had hairy legs. The legs were covered in hair about 3/8 inch long on average and about 54 hairs a square inch.
If you are swimming without a wetsuit, shaving your legs might make a bit of difference. The water is hundreds of times thicker than the air, though. Air resistance of hair is completely negligible. Raising your hand to wave at a spectator once during the ride is a non-aero move that would probably cost you more time than donning gorilla suit leg warmers and doing the whole race in them.
Like others have said, the actual drag numbers will be negligible, but feeling faster might be worth something. The mental advantages of feeling like you’re faster and smoother could be worth a minute or two.
from what i read on previous posts your legs will look more defined and sexier and girls will look at you more so when the race starts the sudden boost in confidence will help you beat all your PR’s.
if youre already confident then it will help about 0.0003214…
Will you feel faster? I think though that in a mass start swim you should either have to shave, or wear a wet suit…nothing to me is a gross as accidentally rubbing against some dudes hairy legs for a couple strokes…that just freaks me out.
It’s not becuase it’s faster, it’s because it looks better. We are vain. I will say this, though. When swimming with freshly shaven legs (minus the wetsuit) nerves are exposed and you can feel your body move through the water better, which helps.
It’s not becuase it’s faster, it’s because it looks better. We are vain. I will say this, though. When swimming with freshly shaven legs (minus the wetsuit) nerves are exposed and you can feel your body move through the water better, which helps.
what i consider strange is that they recommend swimmers not to shave their forearms because they would loose sensitivity in key areas. hair actually increases sensitiviy for me. but that just me.
I once heard a fairly reputable swim coach say you pick up .5 seconds per hundred yards by shaving down. Other people say the whole shaving thing is purely psychological and has no actual effect.
