Bib Shorts: What is the lowest temp I can get away with?

bungle73

With leg warmers obviously.

Bought myself some bib shorts at the beginning of the year, and started wearing them as my regular rides progressively got longer, where what I'd been wearing (Ronhil Bikesters + padded underwear) didn't cut it anymore. I've worn a pair within the last few weeks with leg warmers, and Castelli Perfetto jacket + base layer for a ride and was comfortable. Now I'm wondering how much longer I can continue to wear them before it gets too cold, and I have to swap for something warmer. Thoughts?

big_harv

Stand in the garden before you head out. You'll soon know.

bungle73

Big Harv wrote:

Stand in the garden before you head out. You'll soon know.

Yeah, but there is the windchill when travelling at speed factor to consider, which is what I had in mind.

big_harv

Well my dear boy, if it's chilly whilst standing in the garden do not wear bib shorts.

Plenty of online retailers offer thermal leggings/bib tights. Perhaps you know some? Just in time for Santa.

pinno

I would use my todger as a measure of temperature, personally.

cougie

What type of leg warmers ? There's loads of different materials.

I'd not worry that much about the shorts. When you lose feeling in that you'll realise it was too cold.

bungle73

cougie wrote:

What type of leg warmers ? There's loads of different materials.

I'd not worry that much about the shorts. When you lose feeling in that you'll realise it was too cold.

Endura Windchill.

herb71

Ride harder, you'll soon warm up. I wear shorts all year round. Hate leggings. I rarely wear long sleeves and only wear gloves for the first five minutes. Some of us are just 'hotter' than others.

MiddleRinger

I get away with bib shorts and knee warmers down to about 5 degrees. Any colder than that and the thermal bib tights come out of the wardrobe. I don't like being cold.

Pinno wrote:

I would use my todger as a measure of temperature, personally.

I also use Pinno's todger as a measure of temperature, although it's accuracy is deteriorating with age...

pblakeney

It is winter. Unless the weather forecast is for over 10 degrees then it is longs over bibs every cycle.

super_davo

Bungle73 wrote:

Big Harv wrote:

Stand in the garden before you head out. You'll soon know.

Yeah, but there is the windchill when travelling at speed factor to consider, which is what I had in mind.

My general rule of thumb is that when you're cycling you generate heat, but you also create windchill; at a high intensity you''ll generate more heat than the windchill, and at a moderate intensity they roughly even out. So if you can stand in bibshorts outside doing nothing then wear them, if it feels uncomfortable, unless you're really planning on hammering it, time for bib longs.

My Castelli LW bibtights are wonderful things at this time of year.

Sutton_Rider

PBlakeney wrote:

It is winter. Unless the weather forecast is for over 10 degrees then it is longs over bibs every cycle.

+1

thistle_

Sutton Rider wrote:

+1

That's about the temperature it needs to be for my biblongs to come out.

ayjaycee

You can listen to a million opinions but the bottom line is that only you can know whether you are too cold or warm enough on a ride and therefore adapt kit as necessary. Come Autumn, I often go for a ride and see people dressed up in multiple layers (including a boil in the bag jacket) and think they must be absolutely roastng. On the same ride, I might also see some hero in bib shorts and short sleeves and think they must be freezing. I would probably be somewhere in the middle but chances are that we are all reasonably happy with our own choices. Any idiot can be uncomfortable.

964cup

Depends on the shorts. If you use something like DHB's Aeron Roubaix bibs combined with a similarly warm leg warmer like the Castelli Nanoflex, then you can use them down to about 0 degrees (if you're me - as noted, YMMV). The same shorts are good without warmers for anywhere up to about 15 degrees. On the other hand, if you're talking about thin race bibs then I find anything below about 8 degrees is a bit challenging on the nether regions.

mrb123

Herb71 wrote:

Ride harder, you'll soon warm up. I wear shorts all year round. Hate leggings. I rarely wear long sleeves and only wear gloves for the first five minutes. Some of us are just 'hotter' than others.

He does live in Saudi Arabia though...

monkimark

I ride year round in shorts or 3/4 length shorts as I prefer them and don't find my legs get that cold.
If my Garmin is to be believed then it went as low as -6.5 during "the beast from the east" (those were offroad rides and to be fair, my legs did get pretty cold) but that information isn't much use to you if you get cold legs at higher temps.

If you have windproof, thermal leg warmers on, are bib tights going to be much warmer anyway? I've never tried them.

cougie

I'd be more worried about keeping the knees warm than feeling warm. I don't believe the cold is good for them ?

keef66

If you're warm enough in bibshorts plus leg warmers, stick with those. I find as the temps drop I realise how thin the bibs are, and my @rse starts to get cold. Then I break out the Sorpasso bibtights which are truly magical. They seem to have a comfort range of +10c down to minus several.

I think the oft repeated anecdotal advice about keeping your knees warm is just that; I've never seen any evidence of cold harming knees, unless you're talking about frostbite which is probably to be avoided...

pinno

Getting frost bite on your todger is to be avoided.

singleton

I'll use leg warmers and shorts down to a forecast of 6-7 degrees - if it's a dry and bright 6-7 degrees.
Otherwise longs.

ridgeway_swiss

cougie wrote:

I'd be more worried about keeping the knees warm than feeling warm. I don't believe the cold is good for them ?

Very interesting you posted this as in the last 2wks when it's been much colder here my knees have started to play up (post ride), have have to get my thermal leggings out

akh

As several people above have said, you need to find what works for you. When it gets too cold for my summer weight bib shorts, I wear unpadded bib tights over the top. Gives you two layers where you need it most and saves you having to buy a second winter wardrobe (of shorts anyway).

pinno

Always, always, always keep your todger well wrapped up as performance can be compromised.

(I cannot believe people are taking this thread seriously)

pblakeney

Red Hot Chilli Peppers have a solution for this...

redvee

Bib shorts year round with knee warmers for me or 3/4 bib shorts. I haven't worn full length tights for 10 years now. At the age I am, it's my knees I need to keep warm.

Pinno wrote:

I would use my todger as a measure of temperature, personally.

It must read a small temperature range then

ch86

My standard attire consists of bib shorts all year round. I add arm/leg warmers and overshoes in the cooler months and haven't yet become cold (and this includes some outings in the snow).

I tend to find that if you get up to a good pace and keep your core warm, the rest of your body gets warm and stays warm.

redvee

I might look at the shorts on offer at Merlin.

lakesluddite

PBlakeney wrote:

Red Hot Chilli Peppers have a solution for this...

With cycling-specific socks I presume?

With a good pair of leg warmers you can extend the wear period of normal bib shorts, but below certain temperatures I would wear thermal bib shorts with warmers.

I have a mix and match approach, which will depend on the forecast for the day (and as a commuter I can find the difference between 6am starts and 3.30pm finishes can be around 10c). I have normal bib shorts (spring,summer, autumn), a few pairs of thermal bib shorts (autumn, winter, spring), One pair of thermal bib knickers, knee warmers of various thickness, leg warmers. I find a combination of these usually does me all year round. I haven't had a pair of bib-tights for years, and I've not missed them. The coldest days I get the bib-knickers and leg warmers on (so I have a double layer over the knee and thigh) - and if it's warmed up during the day, just resort to the bib-knicks.

DeVlaeminck

Thermal bib shorts are great as paired with decent leg warmers you don't really need tights, though to be fair tights are often easier. For the coldest conditions which I don't tend to go out in these days anyway then tights over bib shorts or you can always just stick some close fitting trackies over your bib shorts not everything has to be cycle specific. In the past I have used old jumpers as a layer under a cycling top, cut cleat holes in socks to go over shoes and of course a glove is a glove it doesn't have to say Assos or Castelli on it to keep your hands warm.

darkhairedlord

i'm still just using my thong. I might get some shorts out if gets below zero though.