Lycra layering

mountaincookie

I'm not new to road cycling...but I am to wearing proper road gear/lycra. Currently I'm just wearing padded bib shorts and knee warmers and although it's a smidge chilly, it's great

My question is....what am I suppose to wear when it gets colder? Do you wear non-padded tights under padded bibs, or padded undershorts under padded bibs, or leg warmers and bibs...or...or - you see my confusion!

Any advice on what to wear with what greatly appreciated!

CYCLESPORT1

Unpadded Bib Tights over padded Bib Shorts.

godders1

Or just padded longs made of thicker lycra (called roubaix/super roubaix)

jim453

Hang on, mate. We haven't even had any warm weather yet.

MichaelW

Use one padded layer only , next to the skin. Wash after every ride. Use unpadded payers on top.
Try a windbreaker jacket or gillet.
Legwarmers are good for variable conditions but slip down with skinnier legs. You overlap them with shorts or bibs

mountaincookie

Thanks for the replies

Doesn't kit wear out quickly with washing? (I'm not condoning wearing dirty kit by any stretch of imagination, but sadly I don't have another option at the moment!)

ineedalager

mountaincookie wrote:

Thanks for the replies

Doesn't kit wear out quickly with washing? (I'm not condoning wearing dirty kit by any stretch of imagination, but sadly I don't have another option at the moment!)

Wash your Lycra bike kit on synthetics 30 degrees and I use quick wash aswell seems to help then last longer!

Or if you don't have a washing machine cool hand wash.

Gizmo_

jim453 wrote:

Hang on, mate. We haven't even had any warm weather yet.

I was thinking that too... into the 20s this week

godders1

Now is the perfect time to be buying winter gear.

A cool wash, a bit of non-bio powder/liquid, natural drying (not tumble dryer!) and lycra lasts for ages. Higher temps and biological detergent, fabric conditioners etc would probably kill it pretty quick.

wheezee

Probably falls foul of the Rules, but an alternative to these suggestions is a pair of Ron Hills over your bib shorts.

Muffintop

I've got a pair of thermal running tights I wear. Wore them for the Etape Caledonia with no problems, and I suppose if you're wanting a bargan nows the time to buy the winter stuff. They're thicker lycra with a brushed thermal layer inside. I suppose you could wear padded shorts et all over them if you so choose. They were about £50-60 but I've worn them (and washed them) all winter and they're only slightly worn.

Mx

southdownswolf

I tend to take the lycra into the shower with me straight after a ride, give it a quick wash to get the sweat off, rinse and hang up to dry. Then after a few rides I give it a "proper" wash at 30deg with powder/liquid.