Pants vs Leg warmers
 

Trying to keep riding thru as much of the winter here in Northern VA as possible. For us bigger guys (Im around 230) are we better off with pants or leg warmers. Looking for pros vs cons of one or the other.

GO!

Not sure about pants. I've worn jeans for a short commute (3.25 miles) in below freezing temps and legs were cold. Leg warmers, running tights and cycling tights all seem to work about the same for me. I have also had good results with polypro long underwear under cargo shorts my first winter riding.

I've only got a couple rides experience, but I've been wearing pants, and they certainly keep the legs warm. Only downside I've discovered is the absence of gel padding, so not as comfortable as bike shorts. As a result, I'm considering buying leg warmers, although I'm not sure if they're made bigger than XL, which might not be big enough.

I think the only real purpose for leg warmers is if you plan to take them off in the middle of the ride as the day warms up.

Depending on the weather, when I need more than shorts, I usually go:

-- padded full-leg tights (light weight fleece)
-- regular bike shorts under unpadded tights (also light-weight fleece)
-- heavy Ambfib tights (these really are only good for below 30-degrees)

--Jim F.

I like leg/knee warmers for chilly rides that will likely warm up. For cold rides that will stay cold, heavy tights (with or without chamois depending on the bike I ride) work better. Best is heavy tights with some sort of wind blocking feature, like Gore Windstopper.

I recently went through this exercise myself. There's no clear winner, it comes down to temperature.

If you think you might get too warm, leg warmers are awesome as they can easily be removed. Well, I suppose you can take off your pants, but you might notice people (especially law enforcement) don't appreciate your efforts. :D

What really helped me a lot was keeping a record. Every ride, I'd write down what I wore, what bike I was riding, what the temperature was, wind speed/direction, etc.. After a short while I was able to get a good feel for what to wear.

For example, with the current season and the climate I'm in (Ontario), I'm wearing cycling tights with a cycling liner (has a chamois). A few weeks ago if I took my hybrid out, I was fine with leg warmers, but felt like I still needed tights on my road bike. Two weeks before that, leg warmers only.

I have both ... it comes down to the temperature.

Days of 40 and over, I prefer leg warmers. 40 and under, I go with Pearl Izumi thermal tights OVER my bike shorts.

I agree with those saying it depends. I wear shorts and leg warmers down to about 45, and go with bib tights if it gets colder than that. It also depends on how quickly it is forecast to warm up. If it is going to be 40 when I start riding, but is sunny and will be 60 by 3 hours in, I would go with warmers so I can take them off later in the ride. If it is cloudy and expected to stay cold during the ride, I wear tights.

I have a thick pair that I use in lieu of tights. Keep them on and they perform the same function.

The only draw back to leg warmers is that your bike shorts might not keep that part of your body warm. If you have cold weather bibs then leg warmers are awesome, and as mentioned above, if you expect changing conditions, they're great for adapting too.

I chose leg warmers because I am shrinking and did not want to lay out cash for thermal bibs or tights to only wear them a month or two. They are/were good down to about 40F with the normal high humidity here when the temp first drops.

I think I will invest in thermal bibs in the spring when my sizes are closer to goal weight.

Really my feet and hands seem tougher to keep warm than my legs really. I'm glad I did not lay out $$ for winter shoes because I lost two American shoe sizes due to weight loss, but that might be another spring investment.

Bill

Dude - it gets down to like 55 there. Santa needs a camel to drag his sled round that joint. :roflmao2:

I wear unpadded PI thermal tights over shorts. Leg warmers are fine, but you'll find that you might end up with a cold butt (unless you have thermal bike shorts I guess, is there such a thing?). After using leg warmers last winter, I decided this year to invest in a couple of pairs of tights and I couldn't be happier.

Nope, I've been on rides in the 30s, but they're infrequent, and it usually warms up anyway. I'm warm from the ankles to the thigh and from my waist to my chin but that pesky middle part... brr.

Unpadded tights over bike shorts. Thin running tights for warmer days, thick thermal tights for colder days.
I never found leg warmers that fit and was annoyed when they crept down, bunched up, and left gaps.
I like having the extra layer of warmth over the bike shorts.

One more vote for tights over shorts below 40F. Sometimes above 40, depending on wind and rain.

You should at least wear some form of shorts.
I'll go out on a limb and say that leg warmers and a jersey probably isn't a good look for you (or me for that matter) :thumb:

:twitchy:

I didn't say I was nekkid, just wearing my standard warm-weather-all-the-time shorts.

Sheesh. You need a hobby now that you're all crippled again.

:thumb: I'll be back on the bike, out of shape as ever mid Dec.

I went with leg warmers, rarely is it cold enough to warrant fleece lined everything, so I can't justify the purchase. Granted, the fleece feels fantastic in the warmers, and I can imagine that it would be great in a full set of bibs since as mentioned above, the part between my jersey and my warmers gets a little chilly sometimes. I wish I lived in an are that would give me an excuse to buy a fleece jersey set, however its not happening.

OK... Thermal tights over bike shorts... Got it...

If it's going to be cool enough that I can wear my tights all day long, then I'll wear the tights. If it's cold at the ride start and going to get up into the 60's or 70's, then leg warmers so I can take them off and stow them easier.

Here in NorCal conditions tend to be "variable". So I use warmers to remove them. I've worn jackets in the past, but now I love the vest + arm warmer combo, for example.

I use leg warmers and can say my fleece lined warmers are OK till about 45, then I need more than normal shorts anyway. If you go the leg warmer route, make sure you MEASURE YOUR LEGS and get the correct size because its easy to order too large and you can't keep them in place. Most mediums fit around 23" legs up top, I'm 6-4, 34" inseam and have a 37" waist, wear XL shorts which are slightly loose, I wear medium leg warmers.

Being in the SE and mostly riding Alabama I like leg warmers better than full tights or pants. I have fleece lined pants also, but the leg warmers are more effective to me. I don't like thermal tights because temps go up and down here too much. I ride in the 50's during the afternoon mostly and finish after dark when its near 40 usually. Colder than that I just ride indoors. Below 40 is no fun for me, guess I'm getting soft. At 40 I need to cover up too much, wear a jacket and crap that makes me sweat then freeze... Looking forward to spring!

I do like leg warmers with my baggy MTB shorts too, thats my favorite combo. Never was into the "look", like my Gel Canyon shorts.

There is a important difference in design between shorts w/ leg warmers and tights. Shorts are designed to be worn in warm weather, so... They are designed to allow air to get through and cool you off. Granted the leg warmers are designed to block the wind, but the crotch isn't going to get the same type of protection.

Because of cost I purchased the largest Pearl Izumi leg warmers, but they where still too right. I pulled the trigger on the Pearl Izumi Thermal tights and they are simply wonderful! I have ridden in the upper 50's with just shorts and been fine and in the 40's and 50's with the tights and was as snug as a bug in a rug. Personally I don't see the need for the leg warmers.

Oh, my tights don't have padding so I ware my cycling shorts under them.