Mountain bikes or road bikes? The choice can depend on many factors, but a common aspect among all cyclists is the question about shaving their legs. Is it just an aesthetic issue or does it really improve athletic performance? You’ve surely heard that cyclists shave their legs or shave their beards to reduce aerodynamic resistance and ride faster, something similar to what swimmers do before jumping into the pool. But is this true or just a myth?
To resolve the doubt, in 2014 the brand Specialized conducted an experiment in its wind tunnel with six cyclists. The goal was to compare the time to ride 40 kilometers in two runs: one with leg hair and another after shaving. The cyclists maintained the same pedaling cadence in both tests. The results showed that riding with shaved legs allowed the cyclists to complete the course on average 70 seconds faster. In the most extreme case, the difference reached 82 seconds.
That is, shaving your legs can mean a significant improvement in performance, especially over long distances, whether with a mountain bike or a carrera bike.