Why do macho cyclists de-hair their legs? Video explains. Another video in series profiles Raleigh and a craft builder

Wax or shave?

In 1994 I was the presenter of ‘Chain Gang’, a six-part TV series on cycling from Tyne Tees TV. I had fun interviewing rising MTB stars such as Jason McRoy (RIP) and getting a sports massage from Pat Adams, then a soigneur, now the organiser of 24 hour MTB and road events.

I also had my leg hairs ripped out on camera.

Tyne Tees TV has allowed extracts from ‘Chain Gang’ to be placed on YouTube, including the leg wax footage. The extracts are also available as video podcasts on iTunes.

In one of the extracts, ‘Chain Gang’ compared and contrasted the working practices of Raleigh in Nottingham and Dave Yates of M Steel Cycles of Newcastle. This video opens with footage of the Raleigh factory in the 1950s, and then morphs to 1994, with manufacturing still taking place in the Triumph Road factory.

The Raleigh marketing manager featured in the clip is Michael Breckon, now of the National Byway.

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