superslomo

I am planning for the commute tomorrow, and it's supposed to be about 34ish when I leave in the morning, and low forties on the way home.

I have the regular shorts with leg warmers as an option, and then the windblocking winter tights (Amfibs). I'm just wondering whether I'm going to be roasting in them if I go with the full tights in the conditions mentioned above.

ItsJustMe

The tights I have are just running tights. I use them just as a wicking layer under some lined running pants.
I will wear just the tights if the temp is in the 50's or so. I put the running pants on below about 50. That's all I wear down to about 10*F. Below 10 or so I throw some regular long underwear on over the running tights.

timhines

If you cramp I suggest wearing them any time the temp is in low 50s or when it is raining and under 60. Call me a wuss, but it never fails when it's cold and raining a dog comes at me and I have that "knee jerk" reaction and my calf cramps.

slvoid

Here's my general guide for myself:

130+: Wuss out.

115-130: Shorts, loose white long sleeve mesh jersey, ride slower. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

100-115: Shorts, loose jersey. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

55-100 degrees: shorts and jersey. Skull cap. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

40-55 degrees: long sleeve top, jersey, mtb shorts and shorts. Skull cap. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

30-40 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece powerstretch/windproof jersey, mtb shorts, leg warmers and shorts. Skull cap, ear warmers. Full finger gloves. Cycling socks. Shoes with no mesh.

25-30 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece windproof jersey. mtb shorts, shorts, legwarmers. Skull cap, ear warmers. Windproof gloves. Wool socks. Winter shoes.

15-25 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece windproof jersey. windproof climbing pants, shorts. Balaclava. Windproof gloves. Wool socks. Winter shoes.

10-15 degrees: long sleeve top, windstopper jacket. tights, windproof climbing pants, shorts. Balaclava. 2-layer windproof fleece gloves. Wool socks. Winter shoes. Booties.

0-10 degrees: long sleeve fleece top, windstopper jacket. tights, windproof climbing pants, shorts. Balaclava. 2-layer windproof fleece gloves. Wool socks. Winter shoes. Booties.

-15-0 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece sweater, windstopper jacket. amfib windproof tights, shorts, windproof climbing pants. Balaclava, ski-mask/heat exchanger, goggles. Down gloves. Wool socks. Winter shoes. Insulated booties.

-45 - -15 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece sweater, windstopper jacket. windproof tights, leg warmers, windproof climbing pants, shorts. Balaclava, ski-mask/heat exchanger, goggles. Down gloves with chemical warmers. Wool socks. Winter shoes, insulated booties with chemical warmers.

Below -45 F: Wuss out.

But I usually push pretty hard so I warm up. If I'm going a bit slower, bump everything up by 1 layer. Also, this is in the city, where I'll be drafting heat off cars and doing a lot of stop and go (which means the wind isn't continuously sucking heat off my body). It'll usually be a few degrees colder on the open road vs. the city so dress appropriately.

If you're like me, you'll be roasting in the windproof tights.

TheBrick

When my legs feel too cold for just leg warmers.

When do you put on a jacket?

When I feel cold with just a jumper on.

RonH

Depending on the temperature, humidity, wind, etc.
Some 35F mornings it feels like leg warmers will suffice. Other 35F mornings tights are definitely needed.


I guess this is a Brit thing. What's a jumper?

idcruiserman

A jumper is a short denim dress that homeschoolers wear.

I wear Polartec tights (not windblocking) when it's around 15F like today.

sauerwald

I usually put on the tights when the temp drops below 50 or so. In that transition region, I will often wear leg warmers that I can take off once I warm up. I can also regulate my comfort level by how hard I work. One of the problems for me is that the first mile of my commute in the morning is downhill. Mornings are the coldest time, and it is hard to get warmed up in that first mile.

squegeeboo

I just layer up the pajama pants under my waterproof outer-pant layer, 30 and up, one layer of PJ's, 30 to 10 2 layers, haven't had under 10 yet this year, so who knows what that happens.

TheBrick

Ha ha,

A jumper / sweater

DataJunkie

Highs 30s or the low 40s. It depends on the time of day, wind, and my energy level.

cyccommute 

When do I start wearing winter tights?

September

Sawtooth

Months ago when it hit 60 or so I started wearing running tights over bike shorts. Then I added leg warmers to the outside of that. Then I added a pair of long underwear underneath the tight. That combination will take me down to 0F.

nick burns

50F & above - shorts
35 to 50 - knickers
35 & below - tights

squeakywheel

20F this morning. I wore two pair of cotton sweatpants. Call me Fred. I wouldn't be caught dead in tights.

JeffS

I'm wearing something like a PI Thermafleece tight/bib once it's into the 50's - sometimes warmer if the mood's strikes.

Sometimes I'll put on something a little warmer (gavia/amfib), maybe once it reaches the low 30's.

My legs don't get that cold, but they also never overheat. I usually dress for the morning and deal with the ride home by removing/unzipping a jacket, switching to lighter gloves, etc.

JeffS

Actually, dressing for apearance sake would make you the opposite of a Fred right?

I think back to high school football when we'd laugh at the guys who would show up for winter games in tights (under their uniforms). Looking back, they were smart, and I was the idiot freezing anytime I stopped moving for ten seconds.

eubi

When it gets in the low 60's in the morning (I leave home at 3:30 AM).

It's still dark, and my tights are reflective.

Call me a wuss, but I live in SoCA! It was in the low 40's this morning, and that's COLD for me!

gregtheripper

Yeah, I'd wish I had known about the whole wicking fabric thing when I was doing highschool sports as well..

TRaffic Jammer

um...in the winter?..sorry is this a trick question?

jimmuter

Tights? Sorry, I'm not confident enough in my masculinity to wear something called 'tights'.

superslomo

TRaffic Jammer... I'm not sure I'm following.

Yeah, it's wintertime, but it's winter in strangely balmy New York at the moment. I'd be willing to bet that you guys have had a harder winter thus far than we have. As far as the weather info I can see we've had a good extra fifteen to twenty degrees on you folks.

HardyWeinberg

Lately I've just been wearing shorts down to the high 20sF (although only because I thought it was 30/31F but it turned out not to be). l/s smartwool T has been good through most amts of rain but the truly torrential (and we've been having a lot of that, but still I only wore the burley raincoat over the shirt one day last week. I am pretty sure the smartwool shirt would be good down to low 20s before adding that raincoat again, but fortunately haven't had a chance to try that out.

If I had smartwool bottoms I would be wearing those now I think. I've kind of had it with these but I did wear them a lot last year, and during the one really cold week this year. They broke out of the geekstrap a couple times too often and there are now too many tatters on the right cuff to easily contain.

Every morning I come in wearing just shorts I give thanks for a climate like this.

JeffS

I'm sorry.

TRaffic Jammer

it was tounge in cheek sorry.... you wear cold weather tights when it's cold out. Just seemed like a silly question... like when do I wear gloves? Made me giggle. Ihope we get a good snowy winter but not looking like it so far.... shorts a couple days ago.