Iggz79

This is a bit of a fun post to have a laugh and trigger some ideas about the future of Cycling.

Following last TDF and some peer pressure from the local Club I've finally done it - got my lower leg waxed to start with.
Reason why I cracked under this MASS pressure is something I heard a guy from the Club say: ''Wake up, it's part of cycling !''
My wife's reaction to this initially was: ''Jeez, you look like a bold chicken''¨, who is strongly attracted to the same sex (trying hard not to get this post banned by using the 3 letter G word here).
Feeling slightly insulted, I sat down and reflected on ''WHY and WHAT have you done this for ?'' Answer to WHY: Because every serious road cyclist does it, with Pros even having to sign for waxing of legs and arms CONTRACTUALLY. And answer to WHAT FOR: namely marginal AERO & WEIGHT savings. Then I looked back at the answers and had to admit how RIDICULOUS both is !!

My Point being, what is the next step to further decrease wieght and improve AERO drag without being banned by the UCI 6.8 kg rule and other weight / aero rules. Random but sickening ideas would be, pulling your Nails or Removal of lower Ribs to save those extra few grams, or even a cosmetic SURGERY for a more AERO face. Sounds ridiculous now, but if EVERY PRO does it and there is a reason for it , would that stop People from joining the CLUB ?? I don't think so..
Bottom line is that we always strive for a PERCEIVED SUBJECTIVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE by immitating the Pro. Even if for us amateurs the practical advatage is marginal and insignificant, what finally Counts is that Extra Mile of sacrifice or new Gadget that makes People push harder and win races. This is why Pro's will always come up with something new, for us then to nicely immitate it.

Fact is, that the whole industry feeds from it or better - we feed the industry ourselves . Who finally wants to go cycling without being PART OF IT and feeling left behind !!??

What do you think ?

Willbird

Well I do know from the past that if I pull on a pair of tights, that if not shaven (never tried waxing) within 30 minutes there is hair hanging out of the spandex, which looks pretty nasty :-).


Genetics determined I am a bit funny looking to begin with :-)......when I was growing up in the 70's body hair was a masculine trait, but apparently the world has moved on :-).

Homebrew01

I have amputated all my toes. It saves weight, and I can now wear smaller shoes which also weigh less.

Igualmente

19mm tires inflated to 150psi on 19mm width rims.

Dunbar

Shaved legs on ~40+ year old men is just not a good look.

justinzane

Hydrogen filled water bottles, tires, frame tubes, etc. Yeah, it is flammable, it leaks through rubber quickly and it makes metal parts brittle. But, the 1.0372 grams saving has gotta be worth at least 0.8427 seconds on a 40km TT, right?

CharlyAlfaRomeo

I'm still waiting for the part that triggers ideas about the future of cycling.

justinzane

One could hope that non-pro cyclists stop fetishizing everything and anything that pops up on the pro tours. I'm not adding Williams Racing's F1 flywheel energy recovery system to our family's little Honda CR-V because F1 machines and family cars serve two different purposes. I'm not shaving because pros or anyone else does; but I do wear bike shorts with a chamois because it does make a difference to slow-pokey me.

Perhaps the best thing that could happen to cycling is that the vast majority of cyclists -- those who do not compete in UCI events -- stop paying attention to UCI event derived equipment and started thinking about what works for them in their non-fantasy lives.

Ok, somebody smack me... I'm being way too grumpy.

FLvector

I try to take a dump before the morning ride to lighten the load. I haven't weighed one to see what the weight savings are.

Another thing to consider is - do you need a second water bottle? 16 fl oz of water is a bit over one pound, so with the big 32oz bottles you're carrying an extra 2 lbs. Some may not care, but if you have the opportunity to reload the bottles, this is something to consider. I don't like the feeling of being out of water, so I don't mind carrying a little extra weight.

alexaschwanden

Shave your beard and head.

bbattle

Is that you, Grant Peterson?

This is just another troll thread; probably due to a rainstorm or something that has kept the OP indoors all day.

Dunbar

Or don't

https://youtu.be/FkmCLOjk2h8?list=UUc...y2cxeXM7f-xihA

KBentley57

You might as well be filling them with lead. I attach a vacuum pump to my Unobtanium lightweight bottles to remove everything - lighter than Hydrogen. I also evacuate the frame.

justinzane

Damn, now that's sweet! Since I can't seem to find anyone stocking unobtanium bottles; I guess it is time to start the hunger strike. After all, losing about 40kg through starvation must mean that I'll be quicker up the hills.

rick458

I would not choose elective surgery.
But, you can remove your bottle racks, and go for a camelback, or bottles behind your jersey.
Also most cycling computer/Garmin mouts look pretty un aerodynamic, perhaps making a faired CF mount that goes behind the steering tube.
To get extreme bungy your upper torso to the top tube,to remind yourself to stay tucked.

delcrossv

bbbean 

I think your insecurities are showing.

Iggz79

You got it. Why else would I sign up and open a discussion asking for your opinion on it. You cracked me!

bbbean 

now your defense mechanisms are showing.

Iggz79

You wasting your time. Wrong forum. Patronize & analyze this biitch (just given you plenty of insecure material to judge) knock yourself out !!

MikeyBoyAz

I can't think of a pro who said that shaving was for AERO. I was under the impression it was easier to bandage and massage pre/post event; perhaps a bit of vanity too.

thump55

I think there are two possibilities:

Either you've gotten into a group of serious cyclists who all happen to wax their legs (doubtful), or more likely, you've been hanging with dudes that like to wax themselves and also happen to ride bikes.

caloso

Speak for yourself.

delcrossv

Nooge,nooge...

therhodeo

Heres to having a wife who's not a homophobe and great looking shaved legs. Cheers.