The Win Tunnel: Shaved and Dangerous?

It's the most asked question: do shaved legs really help you go faster? In this episode, Mark and Chris break out the razors and get down to the follicle level to find out if hair-free legs truly are dangerously fast legs.

[@RichardDurishin]

Given that drag is induced when a fluid separates from a surface, it is a logical conclusion that trailing edge vortex generators (often seen in F1 and as on the old Mitsu Evo) would result in even less drag. The conclusion from that is that the posterior 1/4 - 1/3 of the leg should be left unshaven to generate vortices and enhance air separation. You guys should test that.

[@appa609]

Not a good shape for vortex generation. Hair would only trip flow transition which probably happens before then anyways. You need little airfoils standing up to effectively mix the boundary layer.

[@Mrich775]

Sorry, gelling your rear leg hair violates the UCI 3:1 rule, BANNED.

[@josh.cohenmusic]

@@Mrich775 lmao

[@chunhaylee]

You just invented mullet legs

[@gene8815]

I was thinking the same thing. I would like to see this tested in a wind tunnel. 😊

[@blahblah24304]

How about testing handlebar width? 38cm vs 40cm vs 42cm

[@obikedog]

... and maybe test with riders of varying shoulder widths and their O₂ uptake on the various bar widths. Makes no sense for a big rider to go narrow if their breathing is impacting the ride more than aero gains.

[@JB-uv4hm]

@@obikedog the width and breathing issue was answered years ago.

[@Bournefort]

It would be useful if you guys posted the data for each test in a description link.

[@subluey]

What about the difference between ponytail vs. braid vs. hair tucked into helmet or skinsuit?

[@MITaerobike]

on it!

[@jhobbz45]

Thanks for testing this!

[@targetpace2680]

I was looking forward to your video ever since Jesse Thomas shared his surprise and experience in Triathlete mag. Thank you on behalf of Gillette.

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Great vid guys, funny too

[@corentinoger]

Impressive and definitely worth it for pro racer. As a casual rider, though, I'm not sure I'm ready to shave to save 1 min over 40km. Lycra is an alternative. I like the "time gained over xx km" metric since it applies to riders of all levels.

[@georgegilles9008]

Wow startling results.

[@paulsolon6229]

Smart engineers, and committed to learning

[@sharkdom]

But at what speed is the 40km done at? Sure for pros going at 55km/h it might be an 82s difference, but for most of us average Joe's going 35-40km/h surely the saving will be exponentially less, since drag increases exponentially with speed.

[@philipk4475]

But if you go slower you spend much more time in the wind. So while your absolute savings in Watts might be lower, your overall savings in Time will be higher.

[@Twiggelss]

@@philipk4475 Incorrect. Drag increases at a faster rate than the time spent in the wind decreases, linear vs exponential

[@philipk4475]

​@@Twiggelss That is incorrect. While I could write out the maths equations to prove it (I have a master's in physics), it can be shown easily be example. I used this calculator (www.gribble.org/cycling/power_v_speed.html) so you can easily run your own calculations. Example: Me @300 W, Cd 0.63: 38.74 km/h - ergo 1h01m57s for 40 km. With a reduced drag coefficient (0.63 -> 0.58), I travel at 39.75 km/h - ergo 1h00m20 seconds (drag reduction resulted in 37s time saving). Now let's do the same thing at a lower power. Me @200W, Cd 0.63: 33.18 km/h, so 1h12m20s. Now with reduced drag (Cd 0.58): 34.03 km/h, therefore 1h10m31s, i.e. time saving of 1min49s. So to summarize: Over 40 km, a drag reduction from a Cd of 0.63 to 0.58 results in a time saving of 37 seconds if I push at 300W, and a time saving of 1m49 seconds at 200W So while the aero drag reduction at a higher power results in a greater increase in speed than at lower power (precisely because aero drag is exponential with respect to speed), the time savings over a particular distance are LESS at higher power.

[@ConsciousBreaks]

​@@philipk4475 I think It's always helpful to look at things in terms of limits. If you travel infinitely slowly, the time it takes to travel the distance becomes infinitely large. Since your speed increases monotonically as the drag coefficient decreases, and the distance is fixed, it's clear that as total time increases the time savings also becomes increasingly large. On the other hand, if you travel infinitely fast, the time it takes to travel the distance becomes infinitely small, meaning that any time saved also becomes infinitely small. This is obviously super simplified(and has some subtle assumptions), but it conveys the point well, I think.

[@hibillhotmailcom]

philip k Jesus Christ thank you for that commend you brilliant nerd. Makes sense. I won’t be shaving my legs don’t think

[@chrisrobinson159]

so I would be really interested to see the data of the different between a 1x and 2x set up in the tunnel

[@horrovac]

The best practical reason for smooth legs for me is that it makes applying sunscreen and other stuff easier. With hair you need much more of it and it takes much more rubbing to spread evenly, because the hair impairs the flow. For the same reason it's also much easier to shower and dry yourself off. On the road, body hair is very good at catching small insects, which can be very itchy - herefore I de-hair my arms as well as legs. I don't race, so the speed gain is irrelevant for me, but it's nice to know.

[@Alex-kr7zr]

Hair on the legs protects against sunburn, no sunscreen necessary.

[@MrChuck78929]

​@@Alex-kr7zrmaybe if you look like grizzly lmao

[@Alex-kr7zr]

@@MrChuck78929 Wooly mammoth is enough.

[@Liist]

Now shaved arms.

[@cup_and_cone]

That was my question too - wonder if there's any gains in arm hair? There has to be some gain, as most Time Trial skinsuits are all long sleeve to cover arm hair...just wonder how much of a gain. That said, even if it were 60 seconds over 40km, no way I'm shaving my arms! Have to draw the line somewhere.

arms. legs. head. face. eyebrows. wait, there's hair on my fingers...

***** yes but... _speed_

[@cup_and_cone]

***** - They don't always seem to help keep the sweat off my damn glasses! Might have to teach them a lesson.

[@frostfang83]

Wow, that's a significant saving for shaving your legs!!!!

[@v0vee]

really??? can't believe these results!!

[@douglaskretzmann382]

that's huge.. thanks guys, amazing results..

[@edwincancelii2917]

Amazing.

[@markhodges1276]

Don't know if I agree that the ladies love it, but it definitely is the way to go if you are serious about your cycling. Next question is what is the impact of arm hair?

[@pwdurham]

Yes, now we need to see a shaved arms test.

[@Travisty383]

I did not expect that kind of difference! What about arm hair?

[@JaySherman1000]

I have a question that I think would be great for the Win Tunnel: what effect does using a rear pannier on only one side of my light touring/commuter bike have vs using a trunk bag? I have kind of a long commute, and I'm wondering if I could see a real benefit from a more aerodynamic bag.

[@Bayplaces]

It's been a few years since this video came out. Has there been any follow up on it?

[@RafaTallicaBR]

I prefer to use compression pants than shave. Great video btw!

[@Velodictorian]

Impressive results! I think another reason it helps is that it lessens the superficial stimulation of the hairs from the wind and allows the nervous system to focus on stimulating muscle. Could you guys do a particle flow visualization of unshaved v. shaved to see what the wind is doing?

[@JonDoe-007]

LMFAO you try to sound so smart and come out sounding like an absolute bonehead. Lessens superficial stimulation? Allows nervous system to focus on stimulating muscle? The nervous system isn't a mind, it can't focus. Nor can the nervous system stimulate muscle. Your muscles are just as funcional with hair on the skin then without hair on them. You're just a leg shaving women looking for excuses.

[@Velodictorian]

Jonathan Tejada Dunning-Kruger in full effect right here. I didn’t know muscle had hair on them? Interesting 🤨

[@JonDoe-007]

@@Velodictorian exactly why your initial comment "hairless skin allowing the nervous system to stimulate muscle" is such a farce comment.

[@JonDoe-007]

@@Velodictorian your muscles are just as useful with hair on the skin then without. Your brain, for that matter, may be useless regardless.

[@mralansmith]

2:10 Results: shaved legs save 1m10s over 40km. Equivalent to going from a traditional round tube frame to a Venge frame.

[@mikesbikessausalito9837]

SO SICK!

[@hopkinsb4]

How about comparing a good trim with clippers vs. going full BIC? There is a time saved in shower aspect to this too. I've always shaved to make sunscreen application easier, and we actually do get massages on our charity rides.

[@zachwong7324]

That's crazy, especially given beard vs no beard tests.

[@kennycarlson54]

This was my thought as well.

[@collinbradford924]

The beard (especially the one on the guy they tested) hides in front of the neck/face/chest when riding forward. It doesn't add any frontal area (the neck/face.chest would have to go through the air at the same spot anyway) and it appears that the additional turbulence it creates is minimal. Leg hair, on the other hand, is out in the air on a big surface that the wind is trying to slide over, with nothing else behind it. But I never would have guessed 70 seconds per 40k. That's huge.

[@stuartloewen1111]

Collin Bradford You are right about the frontall area arguement Collin but the factor governing air drag on beard vs no beard would be the drag losses of the air flowing through the beard. In WWII they found air cooled high performance aircraft engines created large amount of air drag because of the internal air flows. To use your analogy, its the surface area that the air sees, not that the eye sees. So its the surface area of the hair shafts and the beard has as much hair shaft surface area as all the hair on the legs. This will be reduced but not negated by the lower air velocity within the beard.

[@bicolanoviaggiatore]

what about shaved vs using leg warmers?

[@JakeHollibone]

Can you guys do keeping spares for road bike in you jersey pockets vs having a saddle bag?

[@MITaerobike]

awesome one! will go on the list

[@imjstcl]

Thats a good one Ive never even thought about. My money is on the saddle bag.

[@ironadler115]

Hi ! Have you tested Aero Calf Sleeves like those form Zoot (Elite Aero Calf Sleeves) or Huub Aero Calf Sleeves. Huub claims that these Claf Sleeves save up 8 Watts, if this is ture i would be a huge gain for only 50 Bucks. I very curious how these aero Calf Sleeves perform vs perfecly shaved legs. I would realy appricate an answer. Best from Germany Eddy

[@EnhanceWellbeing]

OK ..... great info but what about aerosocks. Shaving better than unshaven, but are aerosocks better or worse than bare skin?

[@EdsonOchoa]

What if you wear thin lycra legs? Same as shaved?

[@cup_and_cone]

Biggest benefit of shaved legs for me is there definitely feels like a cooling advantage in the heat compared to hairy legs. I'm not sure if there's actually any quantifiable data about cooling, or if it's merely all psychological, but that's what I notice most. It's true for bald vs hairy head hair, so why not legs?

[@alajet]

Hi, Chris Yu please give us the low down on disc brakes on road bikes. Get that test going if you havn't already. Test the deepest dimpled carbon rims with discs vs the same setup with either the standard single bolt or the new double bolt on both a new style aero brake setup as well as the regular front mount. We need numbers. Keep up the good work.

[@paulwiseman673]

Guys, if I remember correctly, your test on beards revealed very little difference between hair and no hair, yet the difference on legs is quite substantial. Do you have any ideas on this seeming discrepancy? It seems to me that both legs and face present a frontal surface. Perhaps total surface area is has more effect than hair density? Or perhaps the difference is due to the movement of the legs while the face remains relatively stationary? Any thoughts?

[@CamsJungleAquaria]

Your chest is right behind your beard. Your legs are in clean air and nothing is behind them.

[@31.8mm]

how about leg warmers?

[@markquigley483]

Does the same apply for shaving arms then?

[@ebigarella]

+Specialized Bicycles, so we can assume shaving will let your skin smoother and the flow will keep laminar until separating (maybe the separation afterwards is defined by the geometry of the legs/calfs, which end abruptly... a flow visualization would figure that out). Anyway, I wonder now what happens when you're drafting, so the wake reaching you is most probably turbulent (?). Would shaving see such a remarkable difference now?

[@horrovac]

+Enda Bigarella I suspect the opposite effect here, namely that the hair acts as a spoiler and re-energises the boundary layer, similar to spoilers used on top of aircraft wings to improve low-speed lift. With hairy legs the flow probably stays laminar longer and reaches further behind the leg, which results in backward lift, or drag.

[@splashstrike]

Could you test different patterns of leg hair, I've heard two vertical lines of hair at the front is faster than shaved. What about freshly shaved vs stubble. Also, arm hair?

What speed where you running tha test at? Im a XCO/XCM racer i we mostly have lower speeds 25-30 km/h. Im also interested to hear what power the seconds you mention correspond to? 80 sec, whats that in watts?

[@Mububban23]

Standard wind tunnel testing is 40kmh, not the realm of normal riders, but benefits still exist at lower speeds as slower riders are on the course for longer, so aero gains are still worthwhile

[@AB-qm8wq]

Please test watts loss of compression socks over an ironman distance!!! Thx

[@teatable]

Is this the Win Tunnel at Specialized based in Morgan Hill!!!!??? :D My BF just started working sales there and got to see this in person! Sounds AWESOME! #lovespecialized #gottaupgradesoon

[@jonbeverley2447]

So what about lycra legs over shaved and hairy?

[@jonathanmarklee10]

how do i make a specific request of the wind tunnel gurus? i have a SHiv and wanted to know if a lenticularl disc wheel is faster than a flat disc wheel in the SHiv TT frameset??

[@golferchin76]

I am not that hairy but I am going to give it a try.

[@gpllago]

The video gives the impression that performance gain is just about aerodynamics. And it is probably not the case. Shaving estimulates periferal blood flow and gives you a good sensation of "readiness".

[@jasonlea]

would the above video also apply to arm hair? cc Specialized Bicycles

[@meng-huachiang2726]

try different amount of bar tape used

[@AltitudeProductions]

Please do shoe covers verses no shoes covers, and maybe road vs mtn while youre at it!

[@JBDazen]

Interesting, I've heard about wind tunnel research that said the exact opposite (though I don't remember which one). Wasn't it Sky who put special gel on their legs in a time trial once to roughen up the surface of their legs?

[@wskicki]

I wonder how much faster the Geico Caveman would be?

[@JoshuaKreitzer]

Brilliantly executed guys! Now if my wife would just give a damn...she hates when I shave!

[@rickpaulos]

cause she has to clean the tub when you shave?

[@andremwheeley]

I didn't believe the "more aerodynamic" excuse until now. Wow: over a minute over 40km. I'd never have guessed it was so much.

[@JanTrenson]

Most of the guys in the peloton here cover their shaved legs in oil. Does that help?

[@Altimis]

>_> whoa.... its.... mind blow truth, I admitted it I actually don't believe it LOL I might try this one day (now staring at shaving knife... hmph..) thanks Specialized, you guys make me laughs out loud this one! +1

[@LaughingSaint66]

What about arm hair?? And head hair for that matter ??

[@TheLondonCyclist]

I'm still not shaving my legs.

[@ilikelampshades6]

Do specialized s-works sub6 shoes

[@mrreaper-yg6ri]

HOLY CRAP im definitely shaving

[@willmapus-smith906]

what about arms?

[@hheintze1]

You guys know that this is july and not april right?

[@jonclarke5568]

Silky Smooth!! XD

[@kingofpapaya]

Holy smokes

[@MikeMPharmaCyclist]

As Dave L was opining below, a better explanation of the experimental methodology would be very helpful in drawing a more powerful conclusion from this study. What were the parameters for each rider's test prior to shaving? Did they do 5 sets prior, shave, and then do another 5 sets with shaved legs as the comparator? What were the wash-outs (rest) periods for each test in the study? Was hydration status, heart rate, resting heart rate, or any other physiological parameter measured during the study? The conclusion would be made stronger if we saw slightly lower average heart rates after shaving during the course of exercise starting from a similar baseline resting heart rate. Also, statistical analysis could be performed on each of the data sets (the 5 pre-shave rides, the 5 post-shave rides) to determine the baseline variance within each control (rider). Then, you could analyze the final data sets for a statistically significant difference-- is the difference found post-shaving actually statistically significant or is it just some artifact that appears significant to the untrained eye that could have appeared just as readily without the intervention (shaving) occurring over the ten sets. I am not writing this to knock your study, I think it's really cool that you've attempted to develop an objective analysis of the question and I'm fascinated by it. However, I'm a clinical pharmacist by day and the methodology just isn't satisfying the scientist in me. I'd love to see a more rigorous followup for purely selfish reasons. If you did it right, you could probably publish a research paper on it. If not this, at least a better explanation of what actually occurred during this test would help the scientific minded person decide how much weight to give to your conclusion. I'm not yet ready to shave my manly legs :)

[@EatSleepTrainSmart]

Totally agree! It's lacking a lot of important details to be convincing. I'm almost Cat 2 and I still don't shave for that reason. However, I've used a long sleeve skinsuit since I started racing after reading a number of studies showing significant aerodynamic advantages of lycra over skin and skinsuits over traditional jersey/ bib combinations. Another study which I found really helpful in my coaching, training and bike fitting was the aerodynamic difference between a horizontal forearm versus a vertical forearm (elbows fully extended with the hands in the drops). The difference in surface area is huge. It's funny how some of these studies were published in the 1980's and only now the top Pro's are just starting to realize that long sleeves are faster, and less aggressive handlebar depths are also faster. Science seems to always lose against culture. It will probably take another 10-20 years until noseless saddles are welcomed by dedicated cyclists and not mainly by triathletes.

[@mwdt17]

+Mike M (PharmaCyclist) its youtube dude...

[@enajndivad]

+Mike M (PharmaCyclist) Mike, for those of us who are not as knowledgeable as you in the field of clinical pharmacy, can you explain what hydration status, heart rate and other physiological parameters have to do with the aerodynamic difference between shaved legs and hairy legs? Follicle density, hair length, and hair stiffness I can understand but what has your heart rate, for example, got to do with how aerodynamic you are?

[@MikeMPharmaCyclist]

+Enaj Divad Those physiological parameters wouldn't affect how aerodynamic the cyclist is, but a clinician needs to be aware of them to accurately assess how hard the participants work. If a person is dehydrated, the heart rate will be higher (than a euvolemic ie non dehydrated patient) for the same amount of effort since there is less fluid volume to circulate. I expect the effect of the intervention (shaving) to be fairly small, and if the parameters I specified aren't controlled for, the difference between shaving or not shaving may be masked by such confounding variables,or conversely could appear much larger than it actually is. Consider the scenario of a poorly rested, poorly hydrated rider who pedals with unshaven legs, then gets rest and is well hydrated for the shaven portion... The data would indicate that shaving had a drastic effect on the rider's efficiency when it was very likely due to confounding factors. Alas, the authors of this video seem to have paid zero attention to developing a scientific analysis that would actually prove causality.

[@MikeMPharmaCyclist]

+EatSleepTrain Smart Very interesting, and I definitely agree that using long sleeves/leggings seems like a great idea and you avoid having to shave. I feel the added weight of the material (which is near negligible) would be easily offset by whatever aerodynamic advantage the long sleeves/leggings provide.

[@MontyQueues]

how does little strands of hair slow u down

[@BasicBodThor]

I'd like to see the results after a much larger sample size was taken.

[@krane15]

Naysayer much?

[@trevorpeck1877]

Shaving helps with mma too. Which is why a lot of mma fighters have a shaved chest with beach body type abs. So shaved and dangerous makes a lot of sense. Body hair doesn't make a man more of a man like some people think. Body hair is only good for helping you stay warm and and for making a man look tougher than what he really is. Anybody can grow a beard out and body hair out and look intimidating but a real man is about action not how tough he looks. Kind of like the saying actions speak louder than words. I shave my legs chest back beard mustache cut my unabrow and shave my legs cuz it just looks way better and cuz a confident man grooms himself and takes care of his appearance. It's annoying as fuck when people think that men aren't supposed to care about the way they look. A man that doesn't take care of his appearance just shows he has low self-esteem. Women take care of the way they look so should us men. It just makes men look trashy when they don't take care about the way they look. Sorry hillbillies Looking Trashy doesn't make you more of a man.

[@VRraptor3]

New Venge vs. Dollar Shave Club... the buck a month sounds a lot cheaper. Its surprising they were able to measure this.

[@EnJineer89]

I'm not doubting the results, just still strugling to belive that this has a measurable influence. At 250W and 40 km/h this 2% gain of time would translate in a difference of 0.8N on the drag force if I'm correct. This value seems very low to be measureable at all. There might be a lot of other stuff going on which would result in a change of the same order of magnitude I think. Was the pedalling cadance continuous for the pre-shaven and post-shaven cases? I would think that the alteration in the unsteady flow from a change in cadance could be far greater than the hairs on the legs. How is the drag force behaving over a pedaling cycle for shaven and unshaven? The change in feeling of the wind blowing over the legs might have changed his pedaling cadance or power he was outputting. The rotation of the wheels at a different speeds might have influenced the results too? Your answer to that one question has raised a few more with me. However, I'm very glad you guys take the effort to share this with "us", although I understand you can't share all the details.

[@codependent864]

Would the speed of the wind be a factor?

[@Nebelwerfer210cm]

I agree that there are probably some other factors at work here. I would think that there is some sort of psychological effect. Possibly the riders thinking that they are faster and subconsciously pedaling faster.

[@davidwill6]

Jason Fritz The wind tunnel doesn't put into consideration in any way riders psychology, it's purely aerodynamics, so in the real world that could be true but these numbers wouldn't be effected by it

[@benbird3364]

EnJineer89 The wind tunnel was producing a 49kmph head wind, the test was over 40km. Only Time trial specialists ride at that speed on flat ground where they have to do the work, and even then its very short distances. Another shitty "experiment" from specialized.

[@k9pker]

***** The time saved over the 40km isn't affected too much by the speed. You make a much bigger proportional saving if you are cycling faster but it still makes a difference at lower speeds hence the reason for quoting the absolute time saved. It was shown in another video on the channel.

[@beauritchie6457]

Shaved arms next!

[@derx6666]

NOOOOOOOO.... Now I'm going to have to shave :) DARNIT :)

[@fne1198]

So how many watts does that correspond to? That's the ultimate question because that's usually how we think about drag as athletes.

[@joshuafarnsworth]

From my stats classes I've learned to question results like this. There could be other variables that could have caused changes in the speed of the subjects: (1) psychological: these test subjects knew what they were testing, unlike placebo tests. Their body could have been influenced by their mind to increase performance.(2) physiological: I never feel the same on different rides. Sometimes I have differing levels of energy depending on how much I've previously ridden, how stretched out I am, and how I eat and drink. These variables weren't mentioned. It is very possible that hairless legs improve performance, but I didn't see steps taken to remove the possibility of the above-mentioned variables.

[@doctorbim]

They're measuring drag, so there should be no placebo.

[@joshuafarnsworth]

Chris Riley It sounded like they were measuring time, which can fluctuate based on many variables. They specifically mentioned the time difference between samples.

[@jeffrensink5198]

Farnsworth They measured drag, which then is put into a calculation to tell you how much time would be saved. Basically, given the same work input, how much faster will you go due to the decreased drag. Real time savings would differ per person.

[@MITaerobike]

There's no way to make that big of a difference from a "placebo effect" as we're measuring drag and not an easily changed physiological parameter such as power, etc. This data shocked us as well and while this research is no where near exhaustive and needs to be more fully correlated to real world testing, the data is consistent and repeatable as tested on many many athletes.

[@frank2you1]

Mark Cote When first I shaved my legs I have to admit, it was for conformity to the peloton (and an addiction to sliding between the sheets). Now, I feel that there's a psychologic boost to this: Not only do my legs look more supple and sleek, the wind feels different (much like swimming feels different), and I just FEEL faster. If a rider feels faster, THAT's an edge. So...why have them pedal? Can't you measure drag with a rider just stationary? Wouldn't that eliminate any physiologic and psychologic variables?

[@Balathustrius_x]

What speed was he supposed to be simulating? Looked like 50kph when you showed the data on the computer screen. I'd like to a more realistic speed tested if that's the case.

[@danowat4302]

Any chance of a saving in watts, rather than the saving over a 40km time trial?

[@MITaerobike]

It changes so much based upon speed, this is why we quote in time saved. i.e. 1 Watt at 50 kph isn't much but at 20 kph it's massive. What speed do you want the data at?

[@shawnlavelle1850]

@117803123013360077161 Did you mean 5 kph instead of 50kph? The point you make, though is very relevant: Drag force due to wind goes up proportional to the square of the speed of wind. That is, if you double your velocity you have to do four times the work to overcome the drag force. 5kph to 20kph, is 16x, etc etc. So, clearly at higher speeds, every little gain matters a lot.

[@lawrences1347]

Shawn Lavelle pretty sure he meant 50.

[@ArneStabel]

actually it would be 16x

[@the318pop]

@@shawnlavelle1850 you had this whole thing completely backwards.

[@spokesmanprobikeworks5006]

All those seconds add up. Start shaving!

[@user-tq3ud9zi7w]

Who else went and shaved their legs immediately after watching this vid?

[@MelkorHimself]

So shaving the legs results in an average 70 seconds saved, whereas your other test on beard vs no beard showed only a 1 second savings. What about shaving the arms?

[@marclewinstein7639]

19s

[@troyrutherford3812]

Where is the data on level 10 on arms?

[@chesterules]

I have super furry legs and every time I ride I feel the wind dragging on them, and have been wondering just how much would I save if I shaved. Now I know!

[@ronbryant6480]

This was crazy! What a difference.... It like taking the tail gate off your truck to save gas.... NOT TRUE you actually use MORE gas with it off.... just a crazy thing..... I never shaved just because... well but gosh I might just try it!

[@heldersilva6511]

Legs only?? Or arms as well?...what about the rest of the body????

[@lichen2982]

Considering riding at a constant speed of 40km/h with 70 sec over 40km saved, so shaved legs will give you approximately a 2% boost in performance.

[@kylemills3397]

To put this in wattage perspective, how many watts saved at 40kph?

[@MITaerobike]

Average across all 6 athletes was 14.7 Watts; range of 10.4 Watts up to 17.2 Watts. All at 40 kph. Pretty big differences.

[@kylemills3397]

Mark Cote I hate you, Mark. As a mountain biker who spends a lot of time on the road with serious racers, your study just forced me to buy my first pink razor.

[@EvanChristenson080]

DO ARMS NOW!!!

[@jonasjo93]

Was the Win Tunnel was sponsored by Gilette?

[@MrKidzu]

Lol

[@krane15]

I predicted shaving reduced drag all along. Glad to see that technology finally caught up so that now it can be proven.

[@DarkZerol]

Athletic swimmers and divers have been shaving literally their entire body for decades now, way longer than professional bikers have and it does reduce drag though unless you are a professional athlete, I doubt most people will even bother having smooth bald shiny legs just for the sake of shaving (pun intended) a few seconds off a lap.

[@andylangdown7861]

Guys this is interesting but doesn't prove anything without more data. What was average power output? We're the athletes at threshold etc? What difference does shaving legs make on a tt bike in a trained athlete over 40km make?

[@MITaerobike]

Time savings relates well across a wide speed range, this is why we use this metric as opposed to power which would vary a ton from low to higher speeds. This data is roughly relating to a 40 kph average speed, but someone going slower would save more time over 40 km of distance.

[@andylangdown7861]

Mark Cote So perhaps this should be expressed as a percentage saving? Is the relationship linear? I do shave my legs (I'm a 50 minute 40km man) and shaving them has made absolutely no difference to my speed or times whatsoever!

[@MITaerobike]

***** At 50 mins for 40km, you're likely close to 400W ave. The average CdA change from the average of our tested data set (TT position, thus n=3) would give a 75 second savings. At 60 mins for 40 km, this would be more like 81 seconds. We use conservative estimates when we call out the numbers in the videos; they're less than these actual numbers.

[@3runjosh]

I was having a hard time getting faster in competition and wish I had known this earlier before throwing in the towel and identifying as a woman to get more trophies.

[@geoffgoldplum1231]

I'm an MTB'er I need the hair to cover the scars

[@adamlynch9153]

Geoff Goldplum papa roach “my scars remind me That the past is real”

[@seanreilly6618]

unshaved legs increases euphoria, it might be more aero but my hairy ass legs are euphoric man... can you say the same?

[@maximkorablev5972]

и руки брить тогда надо!

[@RixterNow]

So what about shaved arms?

[@tomasstomjenkins]

April fools?

[@zachcalton3199]

thats what i keep waiting for...

[@marnuscgl]

Arm hair?

[@MITaerobike]

No data to share yet but we'll add it to the list!

[@harrisonmoore7478]

Mark Cote What about when a rider opens there mouth really wide in the last few K's of a TT to get more air in there lungs? Surely this has quite a large parachute effect . Also, Ive always wondered about shoe covers vs no shoe covers and fingerless gloves vs winter gloves vs no gloves as it must make some kind of a difference?

[@AllanWatkins]

I do the arms during late spring through early fall to help with the heat and applying the tons of sunscreen I go through. Wife says I'm shedding the winter coat lol. But I can imagine it has to have some benefits to aero dynamics as well.

[@jimtoole4199]

there are ten reasons to shave your legs as a cyclist and extra speed is one of them

[@paths2go]

Fenders vs no fenders vs ass-saver

[@Turk3YbAstEr]

shouldn't you guys just call it a wind tunnel, seeing as you turned down Giant's challenge?