I shave my legs before first A race and keep them shaved until my season is over. It’s not much of a hassle and saves 60-80 sec per 40km. I don’t really mind the shaved leg look and get used to the feeling wearing pants.
Apparently shaving arms adds another 25% to the savings, so another 15-20 sec per 40km. And allows for more efficient cooling in hot races.
I’m not a pro. Looking to do a 10:45-11 hr IM. Is it worth a minute of free time. I’m not so sure I’d like the shaved arms look nor am I sure how I’d adapt to the feeling wearing long sleeve dress shirts.
The other option would be wearing arm coolers. But I’m planning to wear a sleeveless wetsuit this season due to a shoulder issue, and thus am conceded any time saving would be negated wrestling them on wet skin in T1.
People spend thousands buying new wheels etc to save a few minutes, why would you not take a few minutes to shave your arms for some free speed?
There doesn’t seem to have been much research done on the effects of shaving your arms, I have seen a video (think it was by Specialized) which showed it gave decent savings. However the figure you quoted may vary a lot depending on how hairy you are. So if you’re not that hairy it may make minimal difference.
I can’t get my head around the sanctity of the findings of the Specialized video.
I mean, they haven’t even published a proper study, like in a journal, so that scientists could read and maybe critique it. Yet I always hear about the 60-80 seconds per 40k - also with no context (the amount of hair on people’s limbs can vary massively, speed plays a role,etc.).
No idea where the 25% extra savings come from in the arm shaving scenario as well.
I shave my arms prior to races, and to this day, not one person in my regular life has ever noticed, and if they did, no one has ever said anything. Not that I’d care anyways.
Does it really matter? - I mean, get some aero sleeves that are faster than bare, shaved arms - the same for legs, really.
Although, being single last year during lockdown, I let everything grow and in certain places hair were sticking out through bib shorts. So at least trim at little
I can’t get my head around the sanctity of the findings of the Specialized video.
I mean, they haven’t even published a proper study, like in a journal, so that scientists could read and maybe critique it. Yet I always hear about the 60-80 seconds per 40k - also with no context (the amount of hair on people’s limbs can vary massively, speed plays a role,etc.).
No idea where the 25% extra savings come from in the arm shaving scenario as well.
Well, I don’t think that anyone with access to a wind tunnel has debunked it either.
And Specialized also developed the uber-scientific Chewbacca scale to account for the amount of hair in the time savings.
My wife is jealous that I do a better job shaving my legs than she does hers. Arms get done for every race, and generally remain pretty short through the season. I let it grow back out over winter. Legs stay shaved all year, for gravel rash, swimming and general feel in track pants.
My wife likes the look of the shaved arms/legs as well, but man the rest of my family loves to make fun of me, all good though. I get lazy and don’t end up keeping them shaved throughout the year, more of a pre-race ritual. The mental prep of shaving before the race makes me so much faster…