Do you think it is too cold to wear short yet?

Anonymous

I went out today in just shorts, first time in 5 months, and it felt ok, to me.... but was I am wondering is, may it be too cold for my knee? And maybe do bad?


Thanks
Will.

robmanic1

Knee warmers? (best of both)

Monty Dog

I never wear shorts below 20 degrees except when racing or on the turbo! I was out on Sunday and saw someone wearing shorts and a short-sleeve top - I was wearing bib tights, undervest and windproof thermal jacket. I might resort to 3/4s when it hits 10 degrees - but getting cold an hour away from home is purgatory

Slow Downcp

I tend to wear full length to around 10-11 degrees, then 3/4's to 17-18, and then shorts. Even then, if there's a chance the temp could drop (especially evening rides) I carry knee warmers in my back pocket.

tpmlogan

Sean Kelly always said that he never bares his legs under 15c and never uses air conditioning.

shockedsoshocked

To be honest, it was 10 degrees and sunny here on monday and I would have been out in shorts and a jersey if i'd been on my bike.

Then again I get incredibly warm on the bike. This is the first winter i've had to wear a long sleeved jersey over my base layer!

CyclingBantam

Surely only you can answer if it was too cold.

From my reading of your question, do you only have one knee? Hats off you you (So long as it's not to cold that is!)

redddraggon

Shorts never below 20c or 18c? :shock:

I'd probably only wear shorts once or twice a year if the temperature had to be above that....

My legs never get cold anyway, I wear shorts from march/april -> september/october unless it's raining/colder than usual and then I'll wear knee/leg warmers - hell I've done a lot of rides already this wearing only leg warmers and shorts and I haven't been cold.....

edhornby

it depends on the distance (therefore the av speed) you ride - but I'd still on balance say that some kind of covering is necessary

softlad

Monty Dog wrote:

I never wear shorts below 20 degrees except when racing or on the turbo! I was out on Sunday and saw someone wearing shorts and a short-sleeve top - I was wearing bib tights, undervest and windproof thermal jacket. I might resort to 3/4s when it hits 10 degrees - but getting cold an hour away from home is purgatory

got to agree with Mr Dog here - you see some right nutters on the roads, who think that just because the sun is shining it is ok to wear shorts and a t-shirt. Either these people have severely limited sensory perception, or they are just mad.

For what it's worth, I'm still in bib longs and a thermal jacket - and probably will be for a couple more months yet - or at least until it gets to about 15deg, when I might switch to knee & armwarmers...

fatblokefromwarwick

Do you think it is too cold to wear short yet?

No :shock:

nasahapley

I went out for about an hour and a half in me longs today, and I'd say it was about the temperature where I'm not bothered either way (10 degrees or so). If I was going for a longer, more sedate ride I'd definitely stick with the longs though.

Frank the tank

It's just down to how nesh you are.

Personally I feel the cold, but, had I been out today I think I would have gone down the knee/leg warmer route rather than shorts or longs. 'Cos it's been mild 'round these parts.

sicrow

Frank the tank wrote:

It's just down to how nesh you are.

Personally I feel the cold, but, had I been out today I think I would have gone down the knee/leg warmer route rather than shorts or longs. 'Cos it's been mild 'round these parts.

then i'm very nesh, they'll be no knees in the open until the end of April at the earliest, its got to be in the 60's before going there

dodgy

My personal preferences/rules.

< 0 degs = Bib shorts with full length big tights with fleece lining over the top
0 - 5 degs = Full length bib tights with fleece lining
5 - 15 degs = 3/4 length fleeced lined bib 'knickers'
15 degs+ = Shorts

But you also need to take into account other aspects of the weather such as wind and rain.
I don't stick to the above religiously, but it's a guide for me, and I never go out without consulting a nearby weather station (actually I have a small weather station in my office which gives outdoor temp, but that isn't always enough) to gauge clothing requirements.

I'm not a commuter, most of my rides are long so I need ot get it right.

Dave.

Ghengis

Bib Longs? 3/4 tights? Legs warmers? You boys must create an awful lot of wind chill. I've never worn anything other than baggies in all manner of weather. Of course I'll probably regret it in later life.

dodgy

It's a simple concept, if you're cold you wear clothes appropriate to the conditions based on your own preference for not liking the cold/hot.

Only a fool would go out on every single ride with too many or too few clothes on and come back each time and think "I'm too cold/hot" and repeat it the very next ride. Simulus and response

Anonymous

It was 10 degrees today and I felt fine and happy in shorts, but I was wondering if it would have bad effects on my knee's.

likewoah

-5 is my lower limit for shorts

Steve Kish

Do you think it is too cold to wear short yet?

I was tempted as it's about 10 degrees warmer than 5 days ago. Bid didn't bother in the end.

Beware of Easter Knee!!!

:oops:

Airwave

I went out for 30 miles today in Knee warmers.It was a bit nippy at first but once i got going they were fine but then again i didn't stop.Might have got a bit cold if i had stopped.I still had base layer+windstopper up top though.Don't think i'll be in shorts until it reaches 15-16degrees at least.Forgotten what 16degrees feels like it must be nice.Having said all that postmen/women must be lacking a built in thermostat because no matter what the weather they are allways in shorts.

ride_whenever

I keep my knees covered until it reaches 18 degrees, i read that somewhere once, and I have dodgy knees anyway.

I tend to compensate with bare arms though

Crapaud

Yes, it's still too cold for shorts - COVER UP those knees!

BC Randonneurs Cycling Club wrote:

When it's cool out, for goodness sake cover your knees! Sure it feels good on a warm, sunny day to glide along on one's personal freedom machine with the air flowing over bare skin. When warm, your parts are most elastic. The muscles around the knee relax more between contractions, contributing to a limber feel. Warm synovial fluid, your knee's lubricant, is also less viscous. Lubricants work best when warm (and chocolate flavoured, but that's another story).

Why on cool, sometimes foggy, sometimes rainy mornings is it common to see riders pedaling stoically along with helmet cover, Gortex jacket and shorts!? When you cycle in adverse weather your knees are right out in the worst of it. Western theory recognizes that working connective tissues cold can cause micro-tears. Cartilage in particular has very little blood flow and heals slowly. Once roughened, cartilage tends to get worse rather than better and surgery to cut away the roughened portion may only provide temporary relief. Traditional Chinese medicine describes the effect of cold, damp and wind as "pernicious chi", a description that to my experience feels right. The insidious harm that may result can lead to chronic conditions of the sort we generalize as tendonitis and arthritis.

How cold is too cold? The only person brash enough to put a figure on it has been Noel O'hagan who told me years ago never to cycle with bare knees below 20 celcius. This is pretty warm, but keep in mind that on even a small descent your knees may be subject to a 50 kmh wind. I think it better to err on the side of caution and wear at least light tights when it's below 20 out. If I'm going to out ride the Four Horsemen I'll need my knees.

The article says 20 degrees, but other stuff I've read tends to around 15, which is the temp that I use - otherwise I'd never get to wear shorts up here.

Wear tights / leg / knee warmers - prevention's better than a cure.

cougie

I think the Old school thought is that Yeah - its too cold for shorts just yet. I doubt you would see any professionals in shorts training in the UK in February.

I'd not think about shorts until the end of next month at the earliest.

singlespeedexplosif

you can wear shorts all year round if it's summer in your soul.

Anonymous

I'm wondering if the reason I got knee problems in the first place may have been due to wearing only shorts on what I thought where ok days? I was wearing just shorts until mid October last year and at first it was FREEZING but I got used to it, but eventually I decided I needed to cover up.

And now my knee plays up now and again, after a long 100 mile or so ride it hurts abit so I take some nurofen and that gets rid of all the pain, clicks now and again too, doctor said only way to solve it is rest, so I do that and it disappears for a couple weeks.

Are knee supports supposed to be tight? I tried cycling with one on and it felt abit uncomfortable, like it was tight enough to effect blood flow, so I turn round after half a mile and took it off.

term1te

-7 this morning, shorts were the last thing on my mind. I'm wondering when it will be warm enough to stop using skiing gloves.

Lagavulin

I read "don't bare your knees before Easter" or something like that.

Been siginificantly milder here for the last two days but I've still been out in Roubaix bib longs. Bibs shorts and knee warmers might've been the better option but I wasn't turning back to get changed.

It made be cringe seeing runners out in shorts last week in the snow and sleet.

geerfree

dodgy wrote:

My personal preferences/rules.

< 0 degs = Bib shorts with full length big tights with fleece lining over the top
0 - 5 degs = Full length bib tights with fleece lining
5 - 15 degs = 3/4 length fleeced lined bib 'knickers'
15 degs+ = Shorts

But you also need to take into account other aspects of the weather such as wind and rain.
I don't stick to the above religiously, but it's a guide for me, and I never go out without consulting a nearby weather station (actually I have a small weather station in my office which gives outdoor temp, but that isn't always enough) to gauge clothing requirements.

I'm not a commuter, most of my rides are long so I need ot get it right.

Dave.

Yep, I agree with this except for the 15+ degrees part, should be 20 degrees up or more around that.

Anonymous

If it's 15 degrees I'll no question wear shorts, degrees is hot on a bicycle.

SBezza

If it is sunny and warmish 10+, then I will ride in just shorts. I might put leg warmers on first thing, but I will take them off as soon as it warms up/sun is up.

If I don't feel cold, then it is OK for shorts IMO.