Reducing weight... what about my hair?

[RoadRaven]

Rapid... I had that haircut about 9 years ago - it was brilliant. I wasn't cycling, but it brilliant!

DaqDaq... my hair sits between my shoulders at the moment. For training rides and bunch road races I just tie it in a ponytail, and I also wear a head band or tie a silk scark as if it were a head band. That way i don't get hair flicking into my face.

In a Time Trial I plait it and tie it in a sort-of-bun, then I have a wide silk scarf I tie right over my hair to hold everything in place and (hopefully) increase my aerodynamics.


As for the wieght of hair - its actually hard to find this out.
I have found that one person believes her hair, which reached down to the middle of her back (a bit longer than mine) weighed 1/4 of a pound. So thats like a quarterpounder... not worth worring about really... Someone else thought 1/2 a pound...

OK... so maybe I stop obsessing... BUT!!! how much water does hair hold? Not my sweat... as kano already so wisely pointed out, I was already carrying that with me... but when it rains, how much 'extra' do I carry with me in my hair???

Hmmmm... no need for me to relinquish my anal-retentiveness about this YET!

[Eden]

OK... so maybe I stop obsessing... BUT!!! how much water does hair hold? Not my sweat... as kano already so wisely pointed out, I was already carrying that with me... but when it rains, how much 'extra' do I carry with me in my hair???

Hmmmm... no need for me to relinquish my anal-retentiveness about this YET!

Well looking at the bicycle speed and power calculator ( http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm ) a 1/2 lb loss in weight for me on a long climb would mean about a minute difference in my climbing speed (I've used a 24.5 mile, 4,300 foot race that I do in September as my example since that's where weight is likely to play the biggest role for me - on a flat course I doubt this would make a difference...) hmmmm maybe I should try to find a lighter stem - and cut my hair
(yup on the flats it would take about 12 extra pounds to make a 1 minute difference in my speed over 24.5 miles)

[smilingcat]

Well looking at the bicycle speed and power calculator ( http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm ) a 1/2 lb loss in weight for me on a long climb would mean about a minute difference in my climbing speed (I've used a 24.5 mile, 4,300 foot race that I do in September as my example since that's where weight is likely to play the biggest role for me - on a flat course I doubt this would make a difference...) hmmmm maybe I should try to find a lighter stem - and cut my hair
(yup on the flats it would take about 12 extra pounds to make a 1 minute difference in my speed over 24.5 miles)

dump excess water out your water bottle and get a new bottle at the top of your climb. You want to be out of water totally near the top of your climb but still hydrated. And this also assume that you can get a fresh bottle of water at the top.

quart is roughly a liter, which is a kilo or 2.2lb so a pint would weigh whopping 1.1lb. Serious weight in them water bottles


BTW love that Rapidcylcer's ORBEA ... I wish my ORBEA was the same model... snif..

Smilingcat

[RoadRaven]

OK... I have been meaning to BUMP this thread for a while now...

Just before the Road Cycling Nationals last year (October 2007) my son (competing in U17 time trial and road race) asked me to cut his hair. I think this decision was based on aerodynamics rather than weight.

I really didn't want too, he looked great with long hair... It was down between his shoulders... measuring from the base of his hairline on his neck it was just on 10cm long.

So I gave him a number 4... arrrgh... it was hard...

But we gathered it all up and weighed it. Dry it was 250grams.
Unfortunately, it was thrown out before I could weigh it wet

So there you go... 1/2pound or 250grams if your hair is below your shoulders (and dry)...

[RoadRaven]

Well looking at the bicycle speed and power calculator ( http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm ) a 1/2 lb loss in weight for me on a long climb would mean about a minute difference in my climbing speed (I've used a 24.5 mile, 4,300 foot race that I do in September as my example since that's where weight is likely to play the biggest role for me - on a flat course I doubt this would make a difference...) hmmmm maybe I should try to find a lighter stem - and cut my hair
(yup on the flats it would take about 12 extra pounds to make a 1 minute difference in my speed over 24.5 miles)

Well... 1/2pound of hair gone from my son...
Its official - if you want to be even faster up those hills Eden, your gonna be cutting your hair!

[lph]

ok, Raven, there has GOT to be a big difference in how much hair weighs. I have shoulderlength hair too, and bunching it up in my hand I can barely FEEL it! There is just no way this fluffy stuff weighs 250 grams.

(On the other hand, on majorly frizzy days it'll swell up all afrolike and could pose a serious threat to aerodynamics... hm... )

[Andrea]

I chopped all of mine off so that I wouldn't have to wear it in a pony tail when I rode. I've never gone back- I looooove having short hair, although a couple of my lesbian friends started calling me a cl*t tease...

Here's a pic- it's a bit dark, but it's the only decent one I've got

[RoadRaven]

Well, my son's hair is thick, but very fine. I was really surprised that it weighed that much.

Also, LPH, his hair was not to his shoulders, it was between his shoulders blades, so there will have been maybe twice (?) the hair you have...


Andrea... whats the tat on your back? Looks big but I can't quite work it out... foliage? or something's hair?

[Andrea]

Andrea... whats the tat on your back? Looks big but I can't quite work it out... foliage? or something's hair?

It's a phoenix! I just got it finished a few weeks ago and posted it up here: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=20440