What’s the real reason Tour de France cyclists shave their legs – and why do MAMILs copy them?

If you’re a male cyclist, you’ve almost certainly been asked by non-cycling friends whether you shave your legs. Most of us will answer in the affirmative.

Leg shaving has become a clearly definable trait of the ‘serious cyclist’ for hirsute outsiders, who are eager to know why on earth we do it.

There are plenty of answers, of course – and it’s at this point in this conversation with your mate where you will run through the long list, while perhaps feeling a little awkward about revealing the real reason why you do it.

At this time of year, you might be thinking about getting the razor out to preen your pins after a winter of letting the hair grow out.

Retired Tour de France star Peter Sagan, winner of 17 stages during his career, sent the sport aflutter when he began the 2016 season with unshaven legs, with some overly earnest pundits suggesting he was disrespecting his colleagues with this natural look.

There are, of course, practical reasons for the leg shave. First up is aerodynamics: a wind-tunnel investigation by Specialized a few years ago found an average 70-second benefit over 40km for its subjects with shaven legs.

That’s a contemporary concern, however. Historically, riders generally claimed wounds are easier to clean up with a hair-free leg. Massages are more easily done on smooth legs, too, they say.

There’s also a degree of ritual involved, with competitive cyclists feeling taking a razor to your legs is as crucial a part of race preparation as degreasing your chain or finessing your top-end power. You’re simply getting dressed for the job at hand.

All these ideas have varying degrees of merit, but the furore around a hairy Sagan revealed the truth of the leg shave: that smooth legs simply look better – more imposing – on a bike. It is and always has been a vanity thing, and about fitting in to your tribe.

A cyclist deciphering the form of another need look no further than their rival’s legs. Shaving emphasises the muscles and sinews in a leg and brings out the depth of tan. Shaved legs look right in Lycra shorts, just as hairy legs fit baggy shorts so well.

And it’s this vanity that explains why so many non-racing roadies choose to shave their legs.

We’re not chasing seconds in races, we won’t be getting a massage after our ride and don’t often fall off our bikes. We just want to be part of the gang. But would our non-cycling friends understand that?