In the News: Wind tunnel data indicates shaved legs are faster
The Globe and Mail reports that tests in Specialized's wind tunnel indicate that that shaving one's legs may reduce drag by about seven percent
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The Globe and Mail reports that recent tests in Specialized’s California wind tunnel may contradict earlier findings about the aerodynamics of shaved legs
The tests showed that shaving the test subject’s legs reduced drag by about seven percent, saving 15 watts at the same speed. In theory, that translates to a 79-second advantage over a 40-kilometer time trial.
The Specialized employees in charge of the wind tunnel, Mark Cote and Chris Yu, were so surprised that they tested five more cyclists before they would let one of their professional triathletes publicly reveal the findings. The results were consistent: All of them saved between 50 and 82 seconds over 40 kilometers.