Why do we shave our legs? Because it looks good? Because it feels good?  Whatever the reason, most of you will do this.  In fact, 80 percent of you remove your leg hair by shaving. I assume that the other 20 percent wax--and you all deserve a special mention for undertaking this painful, tear-jerking experience.

Now for me, shaving was always a hassle, especially that spot on the back of your calf that you always seem to miss!  These days, there are only two reasons why I continue to shave. They are (1) fear of mocking from other riders when I line up for the weekend sessions and (2) fear of my girlfriend kicking me out of bed because of my prickly legs!  After so many years of racing, I believe that I almost have the shave down to a fine art and can get a leg done in about two minutes.  My preferred weapon of choice is a Mach 3 razor under running water from the shower.

So how do you shave?  Dry or wet?  Soap, cream, or foam?  Australian company Red Ace has launched the first leg preparation cream exclusively created for cyclists using a range of natural ingredients and their unique formula ­is called Leg Shave Prep.  ?Prepping gives you the closest, smoothest shave leaving the skin on the leg super soft with no roughness or razor burn,? says Red Ace.  Ok, sounds interesting?. Bring it on!

Prep arrives in a small 100-gram tube that carries a promise of a ?closer, smoother and longer lasting shave.?  Before the test, I had to admit that I had let the legs go a little. There was a little more hair than usual.  The instructions were to apply the cream evenly, leave for a minute or two, and then shave in your usual.  Simple.  Nothing untoward at this stage after application. There was no stinging, no repulsive smells, no burning, nothing.

In terms of the shave, the prep certainly gave the razor a smoother passage over my legs and there were none of those annoying razor cuts or burns that usually typify a Friday evening shave.  Personally, best of all for me was the feeling after the shave.  Usually, my legs come out all dry and needing half a tube of moisturizer.  Not with Prep - my legs felt hydrated, and best of all, they looked great.

Usually, my hair is peeking back through after just two days.  Having used Prep, I noticed an obvious delay in the regrowth, and several more days passed before I was forced back into action.  For me, this is a real plus.

Red Ace Prep will be a useful addition to every rider?s bathroom.  It may not make your legs go faster or make your bike lighter but it will help to make your legs look and feel like a million dollars.  After all, the little things count. Now there?s not a chance of me getting kicked out of bed for having prickly legs!

Leg Prep retails for just AUS$14.95.  For more information about Red Ace and Prep, log onto Red Ace online.