Is it cold enough to cover the legs yet?

tangled_metal

It's a bit cool out there this morning. I'm toasty warm except hands and legs. Gloves will be sorted but I guess I need longer coverings for my legs. Don't want to use walking trousers tucked into socks like last winter. Thinking cycling specific solution is needed with three options as far as I can tell.

My baggy shorts over cycling tights.

My baggy shorts with cycling leg warmer thingies

Cycling trousers

What do you think? What's good for a 7 mile commute each way? What reasonably priced product would you recommend. Can't spend too much but probably need to. I'm 6'5" tall with average leg length for my height (long legs) but not completely scaled up around the waist (32"waist). ALDI would have been my.first port of call but I know.from the past even their xl is too short in the legs.

fat daddy

The 1 billion dollar question

Made harder by my journey being down hill going to work and uphill going home .... so soon I will reach the point of wanting covered legs in the morning and shorts on the way home.

Leg warmers .... are probably the most versatile .... but with baggy shorts you can get a freezing cold gap, just up your baggy short leg, that is distracting.

Tights under shorts .... work well, but if you do start to over heat, well you are screwed, you can get to work quite damp

Cycling trousers .... I use Gore Zip off .. they are great as I can have long legs to work and shorts home ... the down side is they are expensive, and noisy, as you cycle they make a russling noise that gets on my tits ! ... and you can constantly feel them moving around on your legs.

Ultimately, stay in shorts as long as you can tolerate

fenix

Nooo - cover the knees. You'd be drummed out of the cycling club if you had exposed knees now.

Something about the fluid around the knee - you don't want to get them cold.

Knee warmers at least chaps - your knees will thank you for it.

tangled_metal

My baggies have a velcro tab that pulls it tight around the leg. It's loose until I'm cycling but if I do it too tight the Velcro fails and I get that cold air coming in. Mostly it's a good seal.

I did see some cycling trousers but I just know they'll be too short. I know from buying walking trousers that it's rare to find trousers long enough for me without going too baggy around the waist. Tights might work since longer stocks could cover the gap neatly enough. I cycle in sealskinz or ALDI copies anyway. Tucked in hiking trousers just don't work that well for me due to the baggy at the tuck. Cycling trousers probably don't need tucking but length then becomes an issue.

Any other suggestions?

keef66

Bibshorts and leg warmers / knee warmers are a versatile combo; you can whip them off if the temperature rises. The warmers, not the shorts.
But once we get to November I tend to ride in bib-tights anyway. I'd rather be too warm than too cold. I have a couple of pairs; the DHB Roubaix ones are good when it's really cold because they have a double layer over the knees.

Cycling trousers? I had a pair or Ron Hill Bikesters when I was making that awkward transition from MTB to road, but they were neither one thing nor the other; bit flappy and not very warm.

Or are you talking full on Harris tweed plus fours?

tangled_metal

Something like these perhaps?
https://www.evanscycles.com/endura-urban-pant-inc-belt-EV169634
Or...
https://www.evanscycles.com/endura-hummvee-zip-off-trouser-EV202613
Or...
https://www.evanscycles.com/endura-trekkit-pant-EV202606
Or...
https://www.evanscycles.com/endura-urban-softshell-pant-EV184266
Alternatively I could go for tights like these...
https://www.evanscycles.com/fwe-kennington-thermal-waist-tights-EV249027
Or...
https://www.evanscycles.com/altura-night-vision-commuter-padded-waist-tight-EV243681
I think with tights I'd prefer wearing my baggies over the top which perhaps makes them less suitable.

essex-commuter

Bibshorts with legwarmers for me. Take up little room in my bag for the homeward journey if it's warmed up from what it was at 6am.

Getting to the stage of needing new ones though, any recommendations?

asprilla

essex-commuter wrote:

Bibshorts with legwarmers for me. Take up little room in my bag for the homeward journey if it's warmed up from what it was at 6am.

Getting to the stage of needing new ones though, any recommendations?

Depends what you want. I've got them from Craft, dhb and Sportful.

dhb = warmest
Craft = light weight, more for spring / autumn
Sportful = medium warm but water resistant.

Hinaultscrapcousin

essex-commuter wrote:

Bibshorts with legwarmers for me. Take up little room in my bag for the homeward journey if it's warmed up from what it was at 6am.

Getting to the stage of needing new ones though, any recommendations?

I've just got some Castelli knee warmers and they are very good, but I don't know if we can recommend Castelli now they are supplying Sky?!

awavey

gawd yes, I was on knee warmers by the beginning of October, 3/4 knicks part way through and onto roubaix tights by last week, and my legs were still flippin cold & my knees were ice cold when I got back off a ride at the weekend, how people cope with just shorts in this weather, I dont know.

I might be on the windslams if it carries on much like this.

tangled_metal

My knees are a bit cold but only on the last 10 minutes of my commute in the section around the edge of town. The stop start allows them to cool. Up until then I'm toasty enough.

Thinking of a pair of Tenn bibshorts with roubaix to the body I think. Cheap at £44 I think. Alternative might be fwe one from Evans but not bibshorts just tights.

redvee

Started to cover my knees this week in 3/4 bibs and will be using bib shorts and knee warmers too. In the last three years I have never worn full length tights, only coverage to just below my knees.

kajjal

Best to keep your knees warm or you can get various injuries or strains. As you get older this becomes more apparent.

cougie

Only people with not enough kit have their knees out in winter.

The Rookie

Just about perfect now, T-shirt and baggies (above the knee), no sweating but not cold either, when it's below about 2C I'll start to cover up.

velow.bike

Fenix wrote:

Nooo - cover the knees. You'd be drummed out of the cycling club if you had exposed knees now.

Something about the fluid around the knee - you don't want to get them cold.

Knee warmers at least chaps - your knees will thank you for it.

I think the scientific recommendation is 15C. Anything below that and your knees should be covered.

fat daddy

15C ??? ..... dude that has to be way to hot for knee warmers, I would seriously over heat

about 5-6 deg, on the way to work and I cover up ..... has to be colder on the way home though as its all up hill and I get hot quickly !

15 ? ... that's summer in the uk

velow.bike

doesn't have to be knee warmers. 3/4 lightweight knicks would suffice.

The Rookie

Should cover up below +20C apparently
http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/toolbox/knees.html

fenix

I dont see the point in braving the cold with bare knees. You only get one set - who cycles without eye protection.

Its the kind of thing you'll only realise when you've screwed your knees from riding in the cold.

In my club theres dudes in their 80s happily cycling and riding strongly. THey'd clip you around the ear if you went out with them with bare knees now. They're not stupid.

The Rookie

I do more miles cycling without eye protection than with.....

Mountain biking in glasses is contrary and in the dark I find glasses reduce vision too much.

lincolndave

I've been wearing tights for the last three weeks, I feel the cold though

tangled_metal

So what tights deals are there worth looking at? I'd rather spend a little than a lot since I've never used them before. I might not like them! About £50ish I hope is enough.

Anything you can suggest/recommend?

benkxk

Tangled Metal wrote:

So what tights deals are there worth looking at? I'd rather spend a little than a lot since I've never used them before. I might not like them! About £50ish I hope is enough.

Anything you can suggest/recommend?

Check wiggle and dhb, both my tights and long sleeve base layer are from them and they're amazing. Cheap but really good, and warm!!

TriathleteIain

I might get the knee warmers out soon but my legs get claustrophobic when I'm exercising if they are covered

fenix

Don't do many open water swims then ?

kleinstroker

I use my pair of Showers Pass trousers in size M, i'm 34" waist so they're pretty snug, windproof and showerproof. Perfect for commuting I think.

prawny

13 degrees is my cut off for covering my knees. So I've had my knee warmers on in the morning at least for most of the year.

It's not really been cold enough for bib tights yet though, the lowest it's been is -3.5 and I was happy in my planet-x leg warmers and shorts.

wolfsbane2k

Oldish thread given todays 12degrees ride, but yes - for my 10 miles my knees are covered. I've been on 3/4 lightweight shorts with a full legwarmer underneath since mid Oct so that the knees have two layers over them, and then baggies.

Last year I got through all of my winter commuting with this arrangement, and keep trying different padless tights now to put over some shorts so that I don't need to buy 5 pairs of tights.