Wearing knee pads in winter - recommended trousers ?

BG2000
BG2000 Posts: 517
edited January 2012 in MTB buying advice
This might seem like a daft question, but I'm interested to know how people wear their knee pads in winter.

In winter, I usually wear padded lycra bib-tights with Endura Humvee shorts over the top. But it doesn't feel quite right if I wear my knee pads over the top of the leggings. My pads are RaceFace Ambush, so fairly bulky.

Most riders I see are still wearing shorts with knee pads, but I'd rather not do this in winter months.

I've considered MTB trousers but not convinced that my pads will fit underneath and sizes tend to be crap, especially from companies like Endura (designed for short fat people).

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Shorts.

    Winter is not much of an issue except in the rare occasions it's actually quite cold down south :D

    But generally, baggies and knee pads leaves only a small amount of leg and I don't really feel them cold. May go for trackies in the snow as that's wet.
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    "padded lycra bib-tights" - I think you're in the wrong forum mate :)
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Recently got myself some endura singletracks, not so much for the cold, but just to keep my legs clean for when getting back to the car and getting changed.
    Regularly wear my 661 kyle straights under these and there's plenty of room.
    Not really into the tights thing..
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    Knee-length Sealskinz, pads and 3/4 length baggies for me...
  • Ro88o
    Ro88o Posts: 130
    shorts and kyle straits all weather.
    If really cold the same plus veggie shins :)
    You only get one shot .........so make it a double !
    Santa Cruz Heckler 650b
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  • delcol
    delcol Posts: 2,848
    3/4 shorts usually and knee pads..

    or i use endura hummvee pants or single track with troy lee tbones.. no problems..
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    Old Skool Fox 911 keep he legs warm with shorts. But a bit of long lycra is Los good.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
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  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    I rarely feel the need for full bib longs when MTBing, but if I do I just wear kneepads over the top.

    Without longs on, between the tops of my socks and the bottom of my pads (661 kyle straits) there's not really much leg exposed, and the pads keep my knees warm which is probably the mosts important thing.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • BG2000
    BG2000 Posts: 517
    Cheers guys - I'll stop being a woose and get my shorts on ! But I tend to go out when the weather's really bad and snowing, as at least the trails are quiet then ! So a pair of keks is sometimes a bit nicer.

    Yes, I'm still a bit of a lycra lout ! After years of road/track racing, most of my clothing is like that, but it's all really good stuff (Assos, Gore, Santini etc.), so I won't stop wearing it. A lot of people wear padded lycra shorts under their baggies, so tights aren't all that much more....and I sort of like having my shins protected a bit when the front wheel throws up rocks. I can't bring myself to wear those 'Storm Trooper' style shin pads though...I still feel weird just wearing keen pads at the moment...

    I'll go to a shop and try from Singletrack trousers, but expecting them to be too short, from having read reviews...
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Endura shorts / trousers, its the waist sizing seems most dodgy. I'm 6'1, 33" inside leg, 32 - 34" wasit normally, but have to have both humvee shorts and singletrack trousers in XL, due to waist more than anything. The large singletracks were a little short on the leg though, XL's spot on.

    I always used to wear just shorts, or shorts and knee pads whatever the weather, but since buying the singletracks, I've worn them all the time. Just so convenient and comfy. You don't get hot in them at all too and as mentioned before, when you take them off, your clean as a whistle :D
    Be back to shorts come summer though obviously..
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    DodgeT wrote:
    Endura shorts / trousers, its the waist sizing seems most dodgy. I'm 6'1, 33" inside leg, 32 - 34" wasit normally, but have to have both humvee shorts and singletrack trousers in XL, due to waist more than anything.
    How odd. I've got two pairs of Humvee shorts and one pair of Singletracks.

    The Humvees are a medium, and are very snug around the waist, the STs are a small and are really big. :?
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • I got some knee length snowboard socks to go with pads and shorts. Toasty enough even on coldest days and the pads don't slip coz they grip as normal above the knee