As a newbie roadie and summer disappearing rapidly should I buy shorts or tights?!
What do roadies normally wear, shorts with tights ontop or separate padded tights?
Don't want to be buying a shed load of gear if I can help it.

Hmm – I'd buy bibs firstly

Secondly you may as well buy some thinish tights and get some thick tights when it gets much cooler?

As for warmer weather I'd get bib shorts 🙂

OR

Bib shorts with leg warmers untill it gets real cold?

Or get bib shorts with thin padless tights underneath 🙂

Whatever works for you – some roadies prefer tights with pad, others like me prefer to always wear shorts and then wear unpadded tights over them if it's cold.

Lots of club riders wear padded shorts over unpadded tights. That way they still have their club colours on show.

Leg warmers for Autumn? good between seasons compromise I find infact I do use them during winter too…

Non padded tights over a decent pair of padded shorts works too… no need to get pricey winter only padded tights…

Roubaix Bib Knicks with a pad here.

bib 3/4's (roubaix material) or bibshorts with knee warmers.
have longs but don't wear them much.

knickers

It needs to be really cold before I wear longs, I usually wear three quarter bibs or normal bibs and leg warmers. They do me through even very cold winter rides and I only wear longs if its below -5 as I've never noticed the bottom half of my shins get particularly cold. I just don't like the feeling of my full legs being covered. And I waer longs without a pad.

I'd try leg warmers first. solo merino ones are great, before spending on longs.

Cheap tights over padded bibs generally means it's less expensive when you come off to…

Knickers if its gonna be cold for the entire ride, knee warmers if it might warm up.

Please note The Rules:
How to Dress for Weather. If the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you must wear knees or better yet, full leg warmers. If you go out of the house in 50 degree weather with bare legs, it doesn’t mean you’re tough, it just means you’re an idiot. In the summer, no matter how hot it gets, you must never wear a sleeveless jersey. Tan lines are the proud mark of a real cyclist. If you must get some additional ventilation, cut a vertical line along the inside seam of your sleeve with a pair of scissors. Not only will this help you stay cool, but it says, “my sponsors give me so many jerseys, I don’t mind wrecking one.”

To look cool, if you need to keep the sweat out of your eyes, wear a cycling cap, not a sweat band or a bandana. To look Euro-cool, just don’t sweat. And please, no arm warmers with a sleeveless jersey!

Wait until Aldi have their winter cycle gear and buy the winter bib tights with pad that they do.

£11 a pair – bought some 2 years ago and they've done me 2 winters and still fine. Gonna buy another pair this time round.

Then get the winter cycling tops for £8 too.

I saw a guy the other day with longs on, it's August and around 15degrees ffs, it just looked like an idiot.

Rules are for fools.

I rowed with a guy who grey up in Saudi – in the summer (well, low to mid 20s) he'd still be wearing tights and long sleeves – said it felt cold otherwise…

Make your thighs warmer than the minimum you think you'll need. You can ride in shorts in cold weather, but you won't ride quite as well since your quad's appreciate a bit of warmth. IME.

Roadies were leg and arm warmers 😉

Roadies were leg and arm warmers

Were they, is that in a previous life or something?

Just wear whatever you want.

My preference is for 3/4 bibs in the winter, with optional leg warmers if it's truly freezing or there's a lot of spray expected. That rules thing further up is tragic.

+1 good pair of bib shorts, then add knee warmers as required.

I bought a pair of nike running tights, they do the trick too, not expensive.

I rode all winter in 3/4 Gore with windstopper fronts, I actually prefer them to longs as they dont get wet around the ankles from road spray. Not sure I'd buy another pair of proper bib-longs, certainly wouldnt with a pad.

It's okay I am a muppet I did spot my error but couldn't be bothered to change it!!!! My excuse will be cos I is Welsh …

Bib shorts with leg warmers untill it gets real cold?

That's what I do. Then I have a proper pair of padded bib tights for when its really freezing.

Bibs and knee warmers here. Bought the knee warmers this week in fact and they feel great (dhb roubaix with a fleece lining) Also big fan of a gilet

A full clingfilm wrap is neat, cheap, aerodynamic and disposable.

3/4s do me fine unless it gets really cold. I have a regular lycra set and some fleecy roubaix ones too which are pretty toasty. Good to wear under baggies for MTB as well.

Bib shorts plus leg warmers, knee warmers and arm warmers provide a lot of versatlity. Never bothered with tights

Arm warmers are annoying IME. I prefer to either go short sleeve or long sleeve. You can always roll long sleeves up, or put a jacket on.

I go for:

Warm/bit warm/bit cooler – bib shorts

Bit cold/quite cold – padded tights or bib shorts + merino long johns (depending on what's washed/dry)

Cold – merino long johns + padded tights.

Nah arm warmers are great, I usually use them on my commute in the morning as I'd be way too hot in an l/s jersey for the ride home.