It’s a baffling mystery to everyone outside of the cycling posse, so why on earth do we do it?
ICONS OF CYCLING
If you’re a male cyclist, you’ve almost certainly been asked by non-cycling friends whether you shave your legs. Most of us will answer in the affirmative. Leg shaving has become a clearly definable trait of the ‘serious cyclist’ by hirsute outsiders, who are eager to know why on earth we do it.
There are plenty of answers, of course, and it’s at this point in this conversation with your mate where you will run through the long list, while perhaps feeling a little awkward about revealing the real reason why you yourself do it.
At this time of year, you might be thinking about getting the razor out to preen your pins after a winter of letting the hair grow out. Recently retired road racing star Peter Sagan sent the sport aflutter when he began the 2016 season with unshaven legs, with some overly earnest pundits suggesting he was disrespecting his colleagues with this natural look.
There are, of course, practical reasons for the leg shave. First up is aerodynamics: a wind tunnel investigation by bike company Specialized a few years ago found an average 70-second benefit over 40km in its subjects with shaven legs. Then there’s the idea that wounds are easier to clean up from a hair-free leg. Massages are more easily done on smooth legs, too, they say.
There’s also a degree of ritual involved, with competitive cyclists feeling t
