Short wearing madness?

Citizen Smith

Pulled up at Tooting Bec junction lights this morning and roadie rolls up next to me and points to my bottom half and hollers 'You're brave!'

<I am wearing lycra plus shorts>

I respond that I have no alternative at present. I have asked the Mrs for tights for Xmas (never thought I'd write that sentence in that order).

So is wearing shorts at this time of year, a sure fire way onto the Darwinian award shortlist or something that deserves a doff of your cap/helmet/bunch of scalps?

Ps. Answers on recommendations for (cycling) tights on a postcard nonetheless.

lost_in_thought

It's too cold for shorts. However, I am also in shorts for my lunchtime trip to the west end - under a skirt.

I will report back on just how mad you are on a scale of 1 to 10.

And all I know is that bib tights are great.

woodyonthebeach

stuck with shorts. Running tights aren't that good for riding in. Get some odd looks from drivers. I like to see how much frost I can get on my legs.

linsen

I'm both impressed and stupefied by people in shorts and t-shirts this time of year.
Can I tick both the above options?
I'm staying cosy till the spring now

batch78

Mate :shock:

Its not big and its not clever.

Anything will do as a stop gap, get some Ron Hills or something to sling on over the shorts, I think Wiggle does them cheap.

simple_salmon

woodyonthebeach wrote:

stuck with shorts. Running tights aren't that good for riding in. Get some odd looks from drivers. I like to see how much frost I can get on my legs.

Woody - why do you think that? I've used running tights over shorts for years and never had a problem.

woodyonthebeach

simple_salmon wrote:

woodyonthebeach wrote:

stuck with shorts. Running tights aren't that good for riding in. Get some odd looks from drivers. I like to see how much frost I can get on my legs.

Woody - why do you think that? I've used running tights over shorts for years and never had a problem.

stems back to training/playing rugby when I was younger. Never trained in joggers.......

skye3737

Way toooooooooooooo cold for shorts. I did meet a fellow cyclist on one of the frosty mornings last week out of town wearing shorts and thought you gotta be cold. (everything was absolutely still white with frost) :shock:

It's bib tights for me.

dirk_van_gently

DHB stuff from Wiggle, I have both the lightweight spring summer 3/4s and the heavier full length winter variety, both excellent, both good value.
Sod Christmas, buy some now before your legs fall off!

Feltup

Cycled in last thursday in shorts and it was fine even though it was properly icey everywhere, it just didn't feel that cold. I then cycled home and it felt baltic and my knees started creaking. I vote for tights!

bluesacs

I'm still wearing my baggy shorts.

c12345

Legwarmers !
the best £10 you'll ever spend.

ChrisLS

...you've gotta keep your joints and muscles warm in cold weather...not clever to wear shorts this time of the year...

DonDaddyD

I'm still wearing shorts, under a adidas clima-cool trackpants with the right leg rolled into my sock. Gangsta! Baby!

thedaffodilfish

depends if you're hairy or shaved

As a Scotsman, I find riding in the "summer" prepares me well for cycling in winter which, after all, is simply summer but with later sunrise and earlier sunset.

I find 3/4 dhbs to be sufficient for commuting. Only once have I felt that "omg my nads just fell off" piercing cold, coming in off the Forth while cycling into the headwind from Aberlady.

chromehoof

I wear shorts all year round (apart from really really cold snaps). I don't find it a problem. My cycle is long enough to get well warm before too long, and short enough not to have time to cool down. Not cycling shorts though - I find no need for padded shorts for my commute. Normal shorts will do.

When I'm out on long spins on the road bike I'd never wear shorts this time of year.

sheepworryingbhoy

I don't think my legs have been out since October........

boybiker

chromehoof wrote:

I wear shorts all year round (apart from really really cold snaps). I don't find it a problem. My cycle is long enough to get well warm before too long, and short enough not to have time to cool down. Not cycling shorts though - I find no need for padded shorts for my commute. Normal shorts will do.

When I'm out on long spins on the road bike I'd never wear shorts this time of year.

I had a guy like this on my club run, I asked him if his legs were cold and he said something very strange about not being allowed long trousers until he was 16 and then he had a bit of a rant about modern saddles so I left him alone as he was clearly barking mad.

chromehoof

boybiker wrote:

I had a guy like this on my club run, I asked him if his legs were cold and he said something very strange about not being allowed long trousers until he was 16 and then he had a bit of a rant about modern saddles so I left him alone as he was clearly barking mad.

I find the further south on your body you go, the less affected you are by cold. The upper half of me is well wrapped up. I don't really feel cold that bad on my legs. The only time its an issue is when theres a chill breeze and water sprays up from the road onto your legs. That can be quite uncomfortable.

The good thing about shorts is that you don't really need raingear. Its much more comfortable riding in shorts in the rain than in waterproofs (covering the bottom half I mean).

Clever Pun

I just recently bought myself the rapha winter tights which you wear over normal bib shorts

super toasty and you go faster too... seriously they fit great and keep you warm I suspect even when it gets properly cold

Bagman

I use DeFeet 'Kneekers' (kneewarmers) rather than bibtights when it gets below about 4 degrees, they are superb.

salsarider79

I don't get this riding in shorts thing. Okay, I leave the house between 5 and 5:30am to commute, but it is just darn cold to show off legs. Some mornings I think about how much I want 3/4's and how much of a difference they'd make. Saving up for a motorbike, so no spare money....
I have two pairs of bibs and a pair of winter bibs. I usually go with a pair of shorts and the trousers. If I had knee warmers or 3/4's maybe I'd go mad and wear shorts one day...Still thinking tesco value prawn, but not saying why.

iain_j

I hardly wore my shorts this year. After wearing my longs last winter, it never really got to that point of 'its too warm', then when it did warm up it only lasted a few weeks before this cold snap started.

I rarely feel the cold in my legs though. My upper half can be freezing despite several layers of clothing and a jacket on top, but my legs never complain with just thin leggings.

lost_in_thought

lost_in_thought wrote:

It's too cold for shorts. However, I am also in shorts for my lunchtime trip to the west end - under a skirt.

I will report back on just how mad you are on a scale of 1 to 10.

Having cycled a short distance (kensington to mayfair and back again) I can confirm that you are slightly mad but not as mad as I'd anticipated. It's not that bad, although my legs did go red, which for me is a sign I should be wearing tights.

nickthetrick

I only recently coverted to leggings a couple of weeks back in the cold snap (up here in Edinburgh). That's the latest in the season I've ever worn shorts on my commute. Usually I'll convert mid october...

Could it be that as you get older all your leg nerves desensitise? (i'm no biologist, but I suspect there are relatively few temperature sensor nerves in your legs, more than made up for by those in your feet tho!) Or is it a manifestation of global warming? Or do I just cycle too close to bus exhausts? (do I have a choice on Leith Walk?)

blackworx

Get yourself a dozen pairs of Tesco Value opaque black tights. Then some nice cheapie wooden-soled slingbacks to screw your cleats into and complete the look.

blackworx

nickthetrick wrote:

(do I have a choice on Leith Walk?)

Easter Road FTW

cee

meh...itll be fine when the trams come to save us.

Surf-Matt

Still wearing mine - just waiting for 3/4 length ones for Xmas!

chromehoof

lost_in_thought wrote:

Having cycled a short distance (kensington to mayfair and back again) I can confirm that you are slightly mad but not as mad as I'd anticipated. It's not that bad, although my legs did go red, which for me is a sign I should be wearing tights.

I should add that in my case I stop shaving my legs in early october (once I hit the cutoff point for wearing shorts on the road bike). Thus having slightly hairier legs helps in avoiding the redness you describe here. It probably does give some added warmth, though not that much I'd imagine.

Its gotten pretty mild here again in the last few days. Its definitely a lot more comfortable cycling in shorts. I'd imagine 3/4s or tights to be a little on the hot side.

cee

3/4 are enough for me....just enough to stop the ole knees from aching....I have treated my knees poorly in the past and pay for it now.

Got to keep them nice and warm.