Do legs have to be shaved or is this just for vain sportsmen? Are shaved legs more aerodynamic? Do only women shave their legs or does it belong to a „real“ cyclist? For pros shaving their legs is just part of the game, among hobby-cyclists it is a much-discussed topic. Finally it seems to be a matter of belief, for the arguments for shaving are not really convincing.

If you ask a convinced shaver, he’ll probably tell you that wounds can be attended better and heal faster if there aren’t hairs. This is right, yet how often do you crash and contract abrasions on the legs? And why don’t you then shave your arms, the danger of injury is just as high there?
The second argument follows: shaved legs can be massaged better. This is right as well, but which hobby athlete is having regular massages after his training? It doesn’t really sound convincing.
Much-discussed is the aerodynamic effect. Yet this is – if it exists at all – of such a minumum extent that it can be easily neglected. The case here must be rather the psychologic effect which lets the rider go faster.
What is left then?
One thing you have to admit is that it just looks good. Shaving makes the muscles more visible. And if you’ve got trained calfs why not show them, they are the pride of every cyclist. And if the legs then are oiled and the sun mirrors in them, you are just some kilometers per hour faster. You just feel good and why shouldn’t you follow your idols and ride with shaved legs?
What finally can be said is: it just belongs to cycling and is a hallmark of it.

Once you decided for shaving, there are several methods of losing your hair. From epilation via wax to depilatory creams, each promises legs as soft as a baby’s bum. But the application takes its time and everything is transient.
Epilators or wax both promise longer lasting effects. Here, the hairs are removed with their roots and grow again slower if they do at all. Yet these methods are painful, even for hard men.

Using depilatory cream is more convenient. It is applied with a scraper and after about five minutes the hairs can be removed with the cream. This of course only works with chemistry, which can lead to skin irritations, especially with sensitive skin. It also isn’t the cheapest version regarding the size of the area of application.

What remains is shaving, the method the majority soon turns to. Furthermore, it proved to be the most gentle and agreeable method. Once you decided for shaving you should afford one with good blades. One-way blades are ok as well, but comparing them to the others the difference soon gets obvious, quality stands the test. You can easily buy women’s editions, shavers with triple blades are just more precise. There are models with exchangable blades, which soon justifiy their higher prizes. It is best to shave in the shower. When the legs are wet you apply shaving foam. Some say shower gel is enough. The foam is to erect the hairs, so that the blade can capture them more easily. And you can see where you shaved and make sure that you didn’t forget anything. Shave against the direction the hairs grow in and afterwards wash away the rest of the soap. After shaving you should use skin cream, for shaving irritates the skin. For this reason it is also important to change the blades regularly. You should shave regularly, for nothing looks worse than stubbly legs.

You will first have to get used to the new feeling. First, you will feel naked somehow, and the wind will feel different on your legs. But after a short time you’ll get used to it.

And what the last sceptic has to admit: It just looks good! (radsport-aktiv.de)

At Milan-San Remo and at the World Championships in 2006 Erik Zabel used his Colnago Extreme Power. Erik Zabel was one of the first riders who received the new model "Extreme Power" which is now available for everybody.

The first Team Milram Colnago Extreme Power prototype was seen the day before Milan - Sanremo in March, where Erik Zabel had just taken delivery of Ernesto Colnago's latest masterpiece. Derived from the lightweight Extreme C climbing bike that Rabobank's Michael Rasmussen and Denis Menchov rode in 2005, Colnago's new Extreme Power proto combines the lightweight round tubes of the Extreme C with the leaf shaped chainstays originated for Colnago's Cristallo model and a reinforced bottom bracket for more rigidity.

Sprinters have traditionally valued frame rigidity over weight, as evidenced by tales of steel tubes reinforcing certain light but flexible aluminium frames of the 80s when they were used by the fast men. But carbon fiber technology is making it possible to produce bikes that are both stiff - to keep the sprinters happy in the dash for the line - and light - so they don't have to suffer too much in the mountains.