[Closed] Shorts in WInter - do you do it?

I can't stand cold legs. Reduces my meagre amount of oomph to not much at all. Roubaix bib longs for me at the first sign of anything remotely chilly.

yep - was out in shorts yesterday! I don't really feel the cold that much, but I will admit I was a little chilly when we stopped for cake!

Aren't muscles most efficient at around 18 degrees? I keep my legs nice and warm with full length tights at this time of year then it's 3/4 bibs unless it's a blazing summer day.

It's very rare that I wear tights, especially off road. I find my legs get too hot and that makes riding a real struggle for me, in particular if my knees are too warm.

I wear shorts on the bike most of winter, I am wearing knee pads and longish socks though so not much skin exposed

I always wear baggy shorts to ride no matter the weather. I don't own any lycra as I'm not a fan of tight clothing. Normal trousers just get soggy at the bottom/caught in the chain, so shorts are the way to go.

Mentalists.

Shorts for CX racing, absolutely no way otherwise. Excuse to not bother with leg shaving over the winter!

Guy I work with wears shorts in all weathers, with overshoes on top of his trainers and is then mystified why his feet are always soaking as soon as it rains. Keeps buying different brands of overshoe to try and find ones that 'actually work'.

I'll ofter wear MT500 shorts with bib shorts underneath and knee warmers with pretty long / calf length socks if it's not too cold. Other than that is bib longs for me

I like my knees covered in anything below about 15C

(so 360 days a year in sunny Glasgow!)

I see people riding in winter jacket and shorts too I don't get it

not gone to tights at all yet, though i'm in the south and it's practically tropical..

edit to add, except for my feet -they have been like blocks of ice for the last month or so..

Usually cover up this time of year but went with shorts (and kneepads) yesterday, found it comfier.

Was cold during the butty stop though.

I'm shorts all year round but offroad I'm always wearing kneepads and in winter long sealskinz too so I'm pretty well covered. Just really don't like how trousers feel.

For my commute I'm usually in 3/4s but that's not so intentional, it's just that I have a couple of pairs and I don't wear them for mountain biking so I use them for commuting instead.

OK shortwearers, why don't your legs get cold then?

Mister P - Member

Aren't muscles most efficient at around 18 degrees?

Isn't your body temperature 37.6 degrees?

OK shortwearers, why don't your legs get cold then?

For me, my legs are only really exposed from the knee to the ankle and it's only really my shins which get cold as their the bits which get wet and are wind blown. I find that if it's so cold that cold shins become a problem, they soon get numb and thus the problem solves itself.

 

Baggies with full length leggings underneath for me on most cold/wet days

LycraBouy here, if it's below 12C the long winter legs go on, if it's higher than 12C then it's a toss up between Winter Thermal Bibs and 3/4's sun warmth dependant, then anything over 17C it's summer Bibs..

This will change if it's raining and windy but in the main that's my scheme.

Never worn baggies and I can't see myself doing that either.

I used to know a mate who was obsessed with Surfing, he'd wear Board Shorts come rain/shine/summer/winter and the over riding memory of his legs in a deep blue/purple shade during the winter months in Ironbridge haunts me to this day.
Wot a Dick.

OK shortwearers, why don't your legs get cold then?

I'm fat 🙂

tops 5 - Member

OK shortwearers, why don't your legs get cold then?

I'm fat 😀

Honesty at last! 😀

Don't get it myself. Seen a few pairs of bright pink legs out over the last couple of days, and can't help feeling there's some sort of point being made by not wearing tights. Notably there was a guy at the shelter at Esk Hause a couple of weeks ago in shorts* when the wind was gusting to 60 mph- dread to think what the windchill would have been.
I'm with the guy who said any fool can be uncomfortable!

*Not a fell runner either!

OK shortwearers, why don't your legs get cold then?

I'm 1/4 swiss 😆

This is one that always puzzles me too. I run fairly hot but still need to wear longs for at least two months of the year. Having said that one bloke I ride with only wears shorts for about two months because he is always cold both on and off the bike. He comes to the pub dressed for the Antarctic and gets a lot of stick about it!

I'm 1/4 swiss

Your legs must be the Swiss bit!

I'm a short wearer.

Always shorts and knee pads off road.

I always wear shorts off the bike too, for some reason my legs don't feel the cold unless it's really bitter. It drives the wife mad!

I prefer to not have my legs covered for dinner reason.

MTB quite often yeah, never on road bike though.

Too much windchill when I'm whizzing along.

Have stuck with baggies + knee pads for the last few winters. IIRC the last time I wore trousers was during the winter of 2010-2011 when it was -15 the Monday before Xmas. Can't say I've ever thought hmmm my legs are cold

But the main reason is we've started going away in October and my legs are still suntanned 🙂

I don't really notice any difference if I wear tights or not so mainly don't. If it's driving sleet I'll wear my Endura Stealth tights which are excellent but get way too hot.
I'm wearing shorts now with no heating on and have done most days for the last year. Might get dressed to see a customer later though.
I still sweat like a stuck pig on the bike so I suppose any cooling is welcome. I'm fat too. 🙂

Skin cleans easier than cloth.

I only own cycling shorts! No trousers or leggings in my wardrobe.
It feels restricting and I get way to hot. I find that as long as I keep my core warm my legs don't suffer. I often wear my summer shoes through winter too. I hate hot, sweaty feet.

MrSalmon - Member

can't help feeling there's some sort of point being made by not wearing tights.

What point do you think that could be?

Shorts work fine for me, so I wear 'em. If they didn't I wouldn't. I don't get cold legs because of biology I presume, I don't do mtfu. Surface blood vessels or something? Anyway, same reason you can wear a kilt in winter, your legs are just better at cold than your arms

Shorts and knee pads on the MTB.

Tights or legwarmers on the road bike depending.

Shorts and knee pads all year round, as long as you keep your core warm with a nice toasty fleece, base layer tee and Buff over the head under the helmet (this time of year) legs stay warm as long as you keep moving! 🙂

not for commuting - warm as possible without cooking.

for racing how ever - shorts ahoy- 3/4s at a push. never cold when racing if anything over heating. - if i am cold im not trying hard enough 😀

I wore full length tights when it was -15C a few years ago but never really thought about it since. Been commuting in bib shorts so far, bit cool but not uncomfortable.

warm softshell trousers here in winter......I am old enough to know better.... 😀

Yes - on and off the bike. The only pair of trousers I own are the bottom half of my suit. I wore my suit twice in 2014, and even then it was only for a few hours each time.

Always wear shorts on the bike, even in snow. Not had a proper winter ride on a road bike yet but it can't be that bad can it?

If it's really cold I might wear tights under my shorts 😆

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pictonroad - Member
Not had a proper winter ride on a road bike yet but it can't be that bad can it?

LOL, I think this sums up the thread

"look at my heroic winter mountainbiking" (where I work hard and go slow which is the complete opposite of a road ride).

Tights from about 10C down to keep my feet warm. My legs would happily go lower but my feet would shut down if they weren't being fed cosy warm blood.

Tights here too. A thin pair for <12 degrees or so, and a thicker pair for <5 degrees.

Just ordered a pair of winter boots too. I hate having cold legs and feet.

Don't wear tights on the mountain bike because soggy wet fabric on legs is minging and skin is easier to repair (wait) than fabric (sew/replace). I'm going slowly and working hard so don't get cold. On the downs I'm concentraiting too hard on not falling off to notice the cold.

Road bike it's tights all the way, then leg warmers when it's not quite as cold. Only go to shorts only when it's actually warm. The harder you work, the faster you go, the colder you get.

Tights on the road bike for me. I saw a guy ~60 on saturday in very short shorts, iirc it was meant to feel around -4 with the strong winds.

I'm a shorts all year round person too - not to try and make a point and be hard but because that's how I'm comfy. I tend to be quite warm anyway.

I rarely find myself using that many layers either - merino base layer plus a jacket / gillet if its cold. Jersey the rest of the time.

Road bike is different - anything below 16 degrees and the bib tights come out.

shorts for about 3 months (and those will be sunny, warm months). Often old style Endure MT500s. Sometimes Madison baggies.

More often than not, 3/4 bib shorts (sometimes with shorts over).
From Nov - Mar, full length longs.

My knees are not well padded, and turn a nasty shade of red/mauve/full purple when cold. I'm sure it's not good for them being that cold anyway.