Without tights underneath .Hard as or what ?Can't be doing with it , my knees won't allow it !

Last week was ok for me, but this week would just be an exercise in obstinacy, so it's been on with the tights and waterproofs 🙂

Only got my first pair of tights a couple of years ago after I finally connected a very painful evening in the cinema with an afternoons winter riding – hadn't been able to work out what was wrong with my knees before then….

i bought some tights when i moved to scotland five years ago and have never worn them…

[tannoy]SFB to the thread please!![/tannoy]

😉

Thick socks is the Key at the moment…. Think the tights may make an appearance this week if the temp stays like this mind!!!

Shorts all year round here, although knee warmers do go on during the colder days.

shorts and short sleeves here.

Then again, here is Australia

Bloke at a very cold wet and windy Afan yesterday wearing just a pair of football shorts, didn't envy him at all, mind you in a pair of Lycra shorts and leg warmers I think I was a wet as he was anyway…

Shorts all year round for me unless I'm night riding and its sub zero then I will put on some leggings too. I have just got some army gortex trousers tho and plan to wear them when its wet.

Have you all got no respect for your knees!?

Not feeling the need to look 'hard' I wear tights or 3/4s when it's below about 13 degrees!

yes shorts and t-shirts it's too hot to ride with anything else 😉

Shorts all the way even for night rides ! the secret is keeping your feet and upperbody dry and warm !

Very seldom wear longs, it needs to be really cold, well below freezing, as I hate having my legs covered. Think I wore them once last winter on a -10 commute. I'm generally fine with gore waterproof shorts which keep the wind off too and merino knee warmers.

Passed a guy yesterday who was wearing shorts, his legs looked a fetching blotchy red/pink camouflage colour!tights at this time of year for me!

Oh FWIW I normally wear 3/4 baggies unless its really hot so my knees do get some (all be it slight) protection.

It's still short weather for another month yet! Toes and fingers are all that need extra protection at the moment.

Put the tights on for teh first time this autumn / winter at the weekend, they make all the difference to my knees too. Other times my knee pads do the trick on cooler days.

Nowhere near cold enough for anything other than shorts at the moment. As long as I look after my fingers and toes, everything else is fine

uber lightweight spd shoes and shorts here. my legs must stay warm due to thick layer of mud… or that i have manned up.

Well it was a couple of degrees below zero on my commute this morning so I definately needed knee warmers. When you say 'Nowhere near cold enough for anything other than shorts at the moment' what sort of temp is cold enough to start covering your knees?

Depends on the wind really, but generally don't break out the longs unless its well be low freezing

Used to night ride with a guy occasionally who regardless of weather wore
football shorts and two cotton t-shirts.

I saw a bloke at the Rushmoor race yesterday in shorts and summer shoes with no socks. Rather him than me.

Tights for me from now on, with the added bonus that when you get to the pub at the end of the ride the mud comes off with the tights.
Having warm legs makes it easier to keep your feet warm.

Undershorts + shorts + knee warmers (aka 661 Kyle Strait knee pads)

Have you all got no respect for your knees!?

I don't think there's any evidence that the cold damages your knees (except if you get frostbite). I've always assumed people used winter as an excuse for a bit of pervy cross dressing…

is there any virtue in being cold when its not actually necessary? it's not character building, you just look a bit tragic

is there any virtue in being too hot when its not actually necessary?

I wear shorts all year round, but with knee pads – never really get cold. If I was riding at night I'd probably wear more I suppose.

SFB, no. did I imply that there was? hence wearing full winter wear in a heatwave would also be a bit dumb, and lacking in virtue

<5 deg = longs
>5 but <9 deg = depends what the wind and weather is like but mostly just shorts.
>9 deg = shorts

i do it…aslong as u keep pedling hard u keep urself warm…

It's still short weather for another month yet! Toes and fingers are all that need extra protection at the moment.

Clearly I'm not as hardcore as samuri cos I've been wearing tights for my commute for the last month! Thermal ones for the last week or so.

A certain well-known Olympic athlete expressed surprise that I was wearing shorts in early September, apparently anything below 15 degrees counts as legwarmers weather for them…

hence wearing full winter wear in a heatwave would also be a bit dumb

I wear shorts in winter too as a) I get too hot in other stuff b) it's icky when it gets wet

Clearly I'm not as hardcore as samuri

there are xmas tree fairies more hardcore than you James 🙂

i'm still wearing shorts at work as much as possible 🙂

A guy I used to ride with attributed his knee damage to wearing shorts whatever the weather. I've walloped my knees enough (and know enough people with arthritis) to not want to take the risk. Knees are pretty complex things, and there's lots to be going wrong with them. My plan is still be be riding a bike in my 70s, so I tend to wear longs or knee warmers as needed.

As for SFB and the pervy cross dressers, well, we're already wearing shiny lycra, so a bit late to worry about that!

If women can go out clubbing in winter in skirts, then I'm sure rufty tufty mountain bikers can handle a bit of cold shin city

Is there a link between the type of rider and the attire here?

Seems to be that those folk who do a lot of racing/cross/road riding seem to go to tights, whilst the more 'weekend warrior' folk stick with shorts. Perhaps I'm wrong.

I remember an article by either Andy Pruitt or Chris Carmichael saying that shorts should stay away under 60 degrees F, ie just over 15 degrees. I am often pretty surprised how the pros will keep their legs covered in pretty much all weathers!

I rather support bent_udder, there may not be a link between cold knees and subsequent damage, but keeping them warm is certainly not going to damage them!

ooOOoo – Member

If women can go out clubbing in winter in skirts, then I'm sure rufty tufty mountain bikers can handle a bit of cold shin city

only if they've drunk a bottle of lambrini, 8 WKD blues and 2 sex on the beach shooters