In the age of aero, everything is measured for marginal gains, with ultra-endurance athlete Lael Wilcox going as far as testing hairstyles in a search for watt savings.
The American racer, who became the first woman to win the Trans Am Bike Race in 2016, spent time in Specialized’s wind-tunnel testing facility last week, investigating how aerodynamics could impact her world circumnavigation record attempt.
According to a post on Instagram, the racer tested bags, aero bars, outfits and even her hairstyle.
It's not the first time Wilcox has circumnavigated the world, after setting the women’s record in 2024.
Wilcox is looking to beat the record, set by Mark Beaumont, of 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes.
To do so, she will need to ride at 15mph for 16 hours a day, or 16mph for 15 hours a day, in order to hit 240 miles per day for 78 days consecutively.
She says: “We are looking to save minutes wherever we can. A mile an hour faster, saves me a whole hour every day.”
Sleep is a main concern for Wilcox's attempt, with the post continuing, “We have 24 hours in the day and I want to sleep a minimum of 6”.
In her testing, Wilcox reveals that a bun is faster than a ponytail, but says: “If I buzzed my hair I’d probably save 10 minutes a day not having to wash it, brush it or put it up. And it’s more aero.”
Its not the only follicle testing that’s happened at the Specialized wind tunnel, with Ben Delaney visiting on behalf of BikeRadar back in 2015 to see if shaved legs would save time.
In his testing, he found shaving his legs saved 48 seconds over 40km.
