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When do you folks start wearing winter tights?

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When do you folks start wearing winter tights?

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Old 12-19-06, 11:44 AM
  #26  
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When do I start wearing winter tights? Never.

Thermal underwear? Below 15° F.
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Old 12-19-06, 12:54 PM
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Only when it's REALLY cold or cold and dumping buckets of rain. Only a few days a year really.
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Old 12-19-06, 01:09 PM
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The last time I wore any tights was in 1965, when I was on the school wrestling team.

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Old 12-19-06, 02:32 PM
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You guys are wusses, seriously, come on. I saw so many bikers today in tights and winter coats. It was shorts and my underarmour t-shirt for me. Ultimately, it's just your own preference, if you're too cold, then add layers.
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Old 12-19-06, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by 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.
In all seriousness, I wear tights when the temperature gets to 60 F. If it's just below 60 (to around 50F), I'll wear waist high tights. From 40 F to 55 F, I'll wear bib tights but not the PI thermal ones. From 20 to 45 F, I'll wear the PI thermal ones and below that I have a pair of Amfibs that are best for artic condtions.

My temperature ranges are not hard and fast and are based on other factors like whether or not it's a night ride (I almost always wear tights when I ride at night in the summer or winter) or if it's overcast, etc. Without solar radiation, our thin dry air tends to cool very quickly compared to other places.

By the way, my earlier response was not entirely faceatious. I really do start to wear tights in the middle of September, sometime in late August. Our mornings tend to be chilly.
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Old 12-19-06, 03:17 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by BigMacFU
You guys are wusses, seriously, come on. I saw so many bikers today in tights and winter coats. It was shorts and my underarmour t-shirt for me. Ultimately, it's just your own preference, if you're too cold, then add layers.

yea, some people around here feel like wearing nothing is proof of their manhood. We frequently see posts about those "overdressed roadies" or whatever...

If I'm comfortable in tights, a jacket and booties, and passed you wearing shorts and a tshirt, I'd conclude that you either didn't have the appropriate gear or were trying to prove something. You'd think I was a wuss, and we'd likely both be wrong.
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Old 12-19-06, 03:19 PM
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I'll almost always cover my knees below 15C to avoid tendinitis.
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Old 12-19-06, 03:34 PM
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Uhm, never! Its almost always in the 70-80 here in Miami in the winter!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.
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Old 12-19-06, 03:41 PM
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I swap to poly fleece tights in October and go to regular pants in April.
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Old 12-19-06, 03:42 PM
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Originally Posted by BigMacFU
You guys are wusses, seriously, come on. I saw so many bikers today in tights and winter coats. It was shorts and my underarmour t-shirt for me. Ultimately, it's just your own preference, if you're too cold, then add layers.
You didn't answer the question. So what is it? 40,30,20,10, lower?
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Old 12-19-06, 03:55 PM
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Originally Posted by BigMacFU
You guys are wusses, seriously, come on. I saw so many bikers today in tights and winter coats. It was shorts and my underarmour t-shirt for me. Ultimately, it's just your own preference, if you're too cold, then add layers.
This morning in Astoria, NY it was 42F with a wind from the North at 12 miles an hour.

Sorry if the rest of us like to take care of our bodies and cover it in this weather.

Besides, how long were you out for? My commute is 17 miles each way. Also, you have to take into aco**** the temperature when we'll be going home. I'll overdress slightly in the morning to ride home comfortably when there is no sun out.

Regardless of how warm or cold you may or may not be, calling someone a wuss because they choose to cover up at 40F with winds of 10+ MPH, is idiotic.
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Old 12-19-06, 04:11 PM
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Old 12-19-06, 04:59 PM
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I wear tights when it gets below 30F so that means...never.
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Old 12-19-06, 05:13 PM
  #39  
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I have about 12 miles each way to work, and it's dark and windy when I leave in the morning... lots of stopping, lots of lights, and I go over the river where the wind is pretty nasty.

I was just trying to get a sense of when it's worth putting on the windblocking tights, in terms of temperature... I'm getting used to the winter riding for the first time really as a full-time endeavor and wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to be way too overdressed tomorrow at 34 degrees.

I have leg warmers, but my twigs and berries, as well as my hindquarters get frozen over an hour or so.
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Old 12-19-06, 06:20 PM
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Up your nose with a rubber hose! Seriously, did you read my post? Wear what makes you comfortable.

Originally Posted by Scorer75
This morning in Astoria, NY it was 42F with a wind from the North at 12 miles an hour.

Sorry if the rest of us like to take care of our bodies and cover it in this weather.

Besides, how long were you out for? My commute is 17 miles each way. Also, you have to take into aco**** the temperature when we'll be going home. I'll overdress slightly in the morning to ride home comfortably when there is no sun out.

Regardless of how warm or cold you may or may not be, calling someone a wuss because they choose to cover up at 40F with winds of 10+ MPH, is idiotic.
Data, I throw on pants around the 20's sometimes. I'm the kind of guy who walks around in sandals in the winter, I just don't get cold if my core and head are warm.
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Old 12-19-06, 06:22 PM
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I wear tights starting between 50F and 55F; I start wearing long sleeve jerseys and lighter long fingered gloves about 5 degrees warmer. When it hits the low 40's I'll add shorts and below 35F I start considering adding long johns (polyester/wool).
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Old 12-19-06, 06:27 PM
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I did find this year that going to full-finger gloves way earlier than I was expecting (mostly due to biblical amounts of rain) had big thermoregulatory benefits.
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Old 12-19-06, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
I'll almost always cover my knees below 15C to avoid tendinitis.
Exactly

50F and above - shorts or knickers and kneewarmers
15-40F pants or tights
Below 15F thermal undies & pants
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Old 12-19-06, 06:40 PM
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I don't find warm legs to be uncomfortable. Warm feels loose and fast to me. So on fun rides, I don't wear shorts unless it's positively balmy. Going to work, I just wear work clothes.
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Old 12-19-06, 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by BigMacFU
Up your nose with a rubber hose! Seriously, did you read my post? Wear what makes you comfortable.



Data, I throw on pants around the 20's sometimes. I'm the kind of guy who walks around in sandals in the winter, I just don't get cold if my core and head are warm.
I'm more in the 30s. At home I am almost always in shorts. Then there is my wife.... Driving along in the 40s with the heater blaring on high. ugh!
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Old 12-19-06, 06:51 PM
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There are so many variables here:
bodyfat, circulation, acclimatization, insulating capability of tights, windstopping ability of tights, tollerances to cold feeling, etc.
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Old 12-19-06, 07:42 PM
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My wife gets cold when it's 70 and no sun. Heater when it's 60's. My brother who's lived in Cali now for a while needs a coat and hat in the 50's when it's sunny.

Noisebeam, that's a really good comprehensive list of what factors in.
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Old 12-19-06, 07:47 PM
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One factor is a constant - your knees ain't got a lot of insulation and riding with a cold wind blowing on them will have consequences as you get older - take it from someone who done got older. Any doc will tell you to cover them knees below 60-65F.
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Old 12-19-06, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by BigMacFU
You guys are wusses, seriously, come on. I saw so many bikers today in tights and winter coats. It was shorts and my underarmour t-shirt for me. Ultimately, it's just your own preference, if you're too cold, then add layers.
I want to personally invite you on our next 70 mile ride through piermont and rockland county when it's 40 degrees outside, wind blowing pass you at 50mph, sucking the life out of you in a little pair of tights and t-shirt.
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Old 12-19-06, 08:15 PM
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My doc is a cyclist also. I have my yearly physical soon and will ask him that exact same question. Somehow, I think chipcom is correct. Another excuse to purchase a pair of mid weight tights. Mine are too heavy to wear above 40F.
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