colombo357

At what temperature threshold do you switch from shorts + leg warmers to medium weight tights?

Pelotoner

for me it is from 45 degrees before windchill down to 32 degrees... below that I do not ride. I prefer the tights over leg warmers.

bradtx

colombo357, 45F-55F depending on humidity. I prefer tights.

Brad

loreley

wouldn't know, live in california

kvangundy

+1

You mean it get to a temperature in some places where it's uncomfortable to ride your bike? What a horrible place.

Jandro 

So do I and it gets cold enough to wear my tights. Hell it got cold enough today in SF where I live and the sun was shining! ~49* + wind = cold.

TheHen

When I lived in CA, my riding partners and I used to wear tights if temps were below 70F. Now, in OR, we wear shorts down to 45F and dream of days where the temperature gets above 70F.

Sundance89

I say this with no shame (I moved here 15 years ago from Michigan). But I live in Arizona and I'm wearing my tights now. Desert mornings are cold enough to and it's much better for the knees right out of the gate on my commute.

By the way, Nashbar has some slammin deals going on right now with their own brand tights for like 74% off. These things a warm but also breath well enough to handle the rise in temps as the day goes on. Very comfortable. As you can tell, it's tights for me all the way and not leg warmers.

gundom66

There was a bit of sunshine when I woke up Saturday morning in San Jose (South of SF for those who don't know). It was in the upper 40's and I was fine with my new Bib Knickers. Of course I had a base and long sleeve dry fit shirt. My legs can take the cold and my body was warm enough. What bothered me were my ears!!! Maybe I should get something for my ears... Will a beanie under the helmet look funny? Any suggestions for cold mornings in the Bay Area?

colombo357

What brand of knickers? I've been looking at the performance knickers.

Skull cap will cover your ears.

ptle

At 45 degrees Fahrenheit or 7.2 degrees Celsius.

cyclezealot

Below 40 our winter club kit is fleece lined. Really comfortable. .

Essex

I've been using a ear band to keep my ears warm. It's nice because it doesn't get in the way of the helmet fitting correctly + the helmet keeps my head almost warm enough on days that are 45 F and a tiny bit below.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Catalo...hTerm=ear+band

Homebrew01

Why knickers ? If it's cold enough to cover 75% of your legs, just cover everything.

vantassell

Don't knock 'em 'till you've tried 'em.

Knickers are the perfect 'in between' seasons bibs. It's not 'freezing', but not 'warm'. My bib selection goes as follows

if temp < 30 - knickers w/ sweat pants on top (If I had some extra cash i'd get tights, but these work for the short term)
if 30 < temp < 55 - knickers
if temp > 55 - shorts

I think 30 - 45 is the trickiest temperatures, 5 degrees make a big difference in what you wear in this range.

Back to the OP, tights > leg warmers. Summer weight shorts get pretty cold under 50 degrees, even with leg warmers.

Menel

Knee warmers. Only need one pair, reusable, and extends my vast closet of pricey bib shorts I already know serve me right. My calves don't really get cold.

Full length leg warmers are unnecessary IMO. The knee + shorts setup is good down to at least 28degree, which is as cold as it's been in the morning so far this year.

botto 

Location: Atlanta, GA

carpediemracing 

+1, although I would debate the temp ranges and I do have tights:

<40-42 Tights
40-60 Knickers, always with booties under 55 deg.
>55 Shorts, with booties if 55-ish or warmer

Subtract 5 to 10 deg for racing (but keep booties note). If raining avoid tights until it's absolutely unbearable, like 32-33 deg.

I wore and liked kneewarmers a couple times, carried them a few times without using them. Used them well in FL - it was in Gainesville, we were starting in very cold temps (low 30s), and I wore shorts/kneewarmers and rode in shorts later (70s). I also used them in CA when the temp ranged from under 40 deg to over 90.

I prefer really warm tights, windproof, thicker material. They're a bit constricting since they're snug.

My knickers are warm also, "roubaix" fabric, thicker, not windproof. They keep me warm above just my lower thigh and for me that's key - keep my core warm. Once core is warm I'm good.

Shorts are normal. If I had "roubaix" fabric shorts I'd use kneewarmers. I may pay to have some "roubaix" knickers converted to shorts so I can do this.

There's a huge difference in feel between knickers and tights. It is most significant in the rain. And my calves don't get cold.

"Roubaix" fabric is like thick jersey fabric without windproofing. Puffy inside (threads are raked with something to make them unravel a bit, makes threads better for trapping air and worse for absorbing moisture), smooth outside, typically more weight per ounce or whatever they use as a measurement of fabric density.

cdr

rangerdavid

pretty much this. below that I have on occasion worn wind proof knee/leg warmers over thermal tights. or just wear bib shorts inside on the trainer.

FLvector

Some that I ride with wear shorts with short sleeve jersey in the low 40's, while others wear tights, long sleeve jersey+ and gloves at the same temps. It's just personal preference.

I prefer knickers down to about 40-50, then tights below that. If the temps start in the low 40's and get up to mid 60's, then leg warmers since they can be pealed off later.

My cold weather gear doesn't get used that often ----> FL

mzeffex 

I wear leg warmers and shorts if I ride whether it is 15 or 50. I'm too cheap to buy tights.

cmolway

I wear the leg warmers only if there's a chance they might be removed during the ride. Otherwise I prefer tights b/c they have a better chance of staying put.

Picked up a pair of Nashbar thermal bib-tights last week for $19. Wore them for my sub 40F commute this morning and they were surprisingly comfortable. I normally wouldn't splurge for winter bib-tights but for $19, how can you go wrong.

jshelly

$19.00 and you didn't tell anyone else! :-(

cmolway

I figured anyone one who owns a bicycle, gets 3-5 daily emails from Nashbar touting their latest "blowout sale" and knew about it already.

Sundance89

I told, but not in a separate post. They are an awesome deal. Nashbar has three: Padded Bib Tights, Padded Tights, and Unpadded Tights. Usually you can get the padded and unpadded tights on sale for 19-17 bucks. I got two pair of padded at that price. But the other day they dropped the price on their bib tights to 17 bucks and I jumped on it too! Now it's gone. Nashbar is tricky like that. They keep you checking in.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, the tights are "very" comfortable, and as I mention in my review on site, they are offered in tall sizes, great for me at 6'4". The only criticism you will see in other reviews are directed at the zipper. However, I have had NO such problems with my zippers and can only attribute that to a design change. So bottom line - slammin deal.