SaDrago

Coming up this saturday, Im doing a 23 mile road race (lancaster, PA). There's a chance that rain might be in the forecast along with temps in the mid to high 40's. What would you guys use for your legs? Tights, knee warmers, vaseline(?)

Thanks,
Steve

Yoshi

Well I certainly hope that if the temperature is mid-high 40s you'd be wearing tights regardless of the rain.

Plissken!

The race is short and with mild temps, so I would use nothing or maybe knee warmers if I felt the need.

Cromulent

I would definitely wear clothing. It makes pinning your number on easier.

Bibshorts and knee warmers. I'd use leg warmers, but only because I don't also have knee warmers. Once you get going you should be fine.

ed073

Vaseline???!!??

CastIron

Cuts evaporative cooling on exposed skin. I use it selectively on nasty winter commutes.

ed073

tights or legwarmers?

DrWJODonnell

Keeps the knees warm and good for emergency use for forgotten saddle balm or for road rash. ALWAYS carry vaseline.

CastIron

That too.

domestique

Mount Joy road race? I'll be there.

ed073

embrocation?

Duke of Kent

Exactly. If it's raining, tights will make it worse during the rain and if it ever stops. Coat your leg from the upper quad down to your ankles with embrocation balm.

ed073

Not Vas, folks!

MDcatV

You're going to be wet, so you might as well be warm. Your race will probably last about 1hr., I'd wear base layer, bibs, jersey, armwarmers, tights, shoecovers, and definitely a cycling cap under my helmet. IMO, better to be a little too warm than too cold.

Trevor98

Knees are extremely susceptible to cold. The synovial fluid behind the knee cap lubricates the joint. If it gets cold it can't lubricate the knee. It's not about short term comfort but about protecting your knees in the long term. Use something to keep them warm even it means you're too warm otherwise.

How much is a win or cool points worth?

domestique

Chance of rain is only 10-30% No need to worry about it. What you SHOULD be worrying about is the dead skunks/possums and the piles of Horse Shi#% on the road.

Plissken!

I've never tried the stuff. What are the benefits of using it? Any recommendations of embrocation balm?

carpediemracing 

I'll be racing in similar conditions Sunday and I already know what I'll be wearing. I am paranoid about joints, cooling my core, and being over dressed on my legs.

Up top, dress to be warm. Down below it's a bit tricky. But I find the following works.

Wet clothing is heavy and needs a lot of tension to stay snug. Wear stuff as short as possible but still stay warm. Shorter things also sag less - no "full diaper" feeling when you stand up.

Personally, I'd wear fleece knickers. Fleece is good because the part of your lower body that doesn't exercise (your crotch) stays warm. Knees too.

With leg warmers, you have warm knees and a cold crotch (unless you wear two pairs of shorts). Plus as it rains your knee warmers become shin warmers.

I also have regular knickers and shorts - used to be the killer combo before the fleece knickers. Double layer on the crotch, nice and warm. Put the knickers on first, shorts on over that. This way your clothing stays snug (shorts have high tension, helps knickers behave). Nothing worse than wet clothing draping you like maple syrup. Unless maple syrup is your thing of course.

Mid 40's, I'd stay away from tights. Under 40, tights.

Also, although this is a bit primitive I'd also do the following low-buck things.

First, if you have good water-proof-ish booties, use duct tape to seal the top of the bootie. This is only if you shave your legs. The worst thing is having the water suddenly start pouring down your ankle. The shock of cold water is horrible and you can just feel the tendons becoming brittle. Better to slowly seep through the bootie and warm up the water that's going to soak your foot.

If you have poor booties, go out tomorrow and buy some shoe waterproofer and spray that stuff everywhere. Then use the duct tape. When I was poor, I simply covered my whole bootie with duct tape. Works well for water proofing, and black duct tape when viewed in the rain looks just like high quality bootie material

If you're guaranteed rain, I'd also duct tape my number to a rain jacket. You'll stay warm (esp your core - and if you core is warm, more heat for joints and for racing), tape means no holes in your rain jacket, and number won't flap at all. This is my good luck thing as I've won the first two field sprints where I taped my number like this (the next two I didn't win though so it's a selective good luck).

I wear warm gloves (the thinnest warm glove I've owned so far is the Specialized glove rated down to 25 degrees - and they're right, I've worn it down to low 20's "feels like 15" without a problem).

Finally heat rub - I use Atomic Balm (Medium - Hot is the stuff you lend to your rivals). It is as thick as vaseline with a billion times more heat stuff than regular things. You *burn* with this stuff - and taking showers is somewhat painful. They used to use turpentine to help it permeate your skin - now it's not an ingredient anymore. I use rubbing alcohol to get it off, then take a shower. And even in cold conditions I'm warm for the next few hours.

Unfortunately, I find that when it's wet it just makes losing heat a little easier. What I prefer (I have a box of 40 packets) are stick on heater pad things. It's meant for skiing and stuff but works well on knees, achilles, etc. Perhaps a bit warm if on the skin.

Finally, put RainX on your glasses or eye things. I also wear a cap so the brim shields my eye things a bit.

You'll look pro, feel pro, and ride about as well as you can.

I've raced a few times like this and felt totally comfortable in the rain from the high 30's to the mid 40's.

I fix my bike with hammer and duct tape guy,
cdr

ed073

Quick Step are sponsored by Ozone. It's one of the better brands...check it out.

Plissken!

Thanks ed

ed073

np

MDcatV

You would do all that for a 23 mile (i.e. 1 hr.) race?

wfrogge

I would rather be too hot than cool or cold.



Regardless of what you wear make sure you warm up really good; even stretch.

ohmyspokes

I'll be at the Mount Joy race, too - racing in the Women's 3/4 field.

The forecast is looking better, no rain til after 2pm.

carpediemracing 

I could be obnoxious and say, yes, for a 1 hour 24-28 mile race Seriously though all my races are under two hours - they're typically just over an hour long. And they're all pretty much 24-28 mph.

If you read the post, it's simply a matter of pulling the right stuff out of your bag. The rest of it is simply preparing - similar to making sure your bike is in shape or that your bottles are full.

What I detailed doesn't take long to implement. I typically change 20-30 minutes before my race and ride a mile or two to make sure nothing is going to fall off my bike. Then I race.

cdr