Apparel - tights that cover knees
 

Does anyone wear tights that cover knees. I have some nice tights (nylon shorts) that cut off mid-thigh and I wear these under my running shorts. No, I don't wear biking shorts with pads ... I'm not there yet.

But this morning was chilly, especially in the rain and my left knee felt weird. Then in the office my knees felt cold. I'm thinking I should cover my knees on cold wet mornings, yes?

Anyway, I would appreciate a recommendation. Cheap ones too ... :-)

Why not just wear pants, if you're not into bike shorts?

Get some knee warmers so you don't have to wear them home when it's warmer out.

You could try some knee warmers. I have a set of Ibex warmers that keep me comfortable down to about 40ishºF.

Seriously. I'll never wear lycra, so when on the bike, I just wear what I'd normally wear when walking. In the summer, that's shorts. In cooler weather, that's pants.

these are fantastic for what you describe:

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/img/p...s/sugxas7s.jpg

You can wear knee warmers with or without lycra. They do match a bit better with lycra since that is what they are made of. Then there are merino wool knee warmers like:
http://www.backcountry.com/store/IBX...144&mv_pc=r126

timmhaan - are those specific cargos with specific features, or are you saying any cargo pant will do? There was no link to any specific product, so I wasn't sure.

DataJunkie - thanks for the link - interesting product

uke - I like the way you think

lil brown bat - I was thinking of pants this morning before I left but then that would mean a bigger load of laundry to carry home in my bag

Others - thanks

Right now I change and carry the used clothing home and start fresh top to bottom. Those knee warmers are intriguing.

Knickers.

I have both lycra bib knickers and non-lycra Endura Zyme 3/4 http://www.endurasport.com/Product.a...12&prod_id=108 - both are pricey.
You can also just go down to the army-navy store and get some military utility pants and cut them down. Best is to find pants that haved a gusseted crotch, so you ain't got seams to deal with.

Why cut them down? What's the benefit? They look like "clam diggers" I had as a kid. Do you wear long socks?

sorry, forgot the link:

it's at the bottom of this page:
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/display/40100/

i have a pair and absolutely love them. not only are the pockets useful, but they look decent as well. you can probably find something cheaper than Colorado Cyclist, though.

Another vote for knee warmers. You might also consider leg warmers. I have leg warmers which are a little longer than knee warmers to cover from lower-mid thigh down to your ankle-ish. Very nice for cold mornings!

Knee warmers are part of the daily kit pretty much from March to May and October to December. Old school roadie wisdom holds that the knees should be covered when the temperature is 65F or lower.

65F? I'd be wearing knee warmers starting in another couple weeks - early September mornings often get down into the low 60's / upper 50's. Last year I wasn't wearing anything beyond shorts until it got below 50.

What's the "wisdom" behind saying we need knee warmers at 65F? Just wondering.

Must be Californian old school roadies. 65 is pretty dang comfy for shorts in my book.

Get some knee warmers, and arm warmers while you're at it. Pretty essential gear for a cyclist.

Knee or leg warmers are something I'm very likely to lose one of. I'd be wary of pants if the problem is rain unless they're wool or water proof.

During the summer I don't mind getting wet, especially my legs. When it's colder I wear packable rain pants over cycling tights or a wicking set of long underwear.

As I understand it, the 65 ºF rule is based on preventing tendinitis and not just about personal comfort.

There's very little covering the tendons that surround your knees.

FWIW: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ees+65+degrees

Why not cut them down? If I wanted long pants, I'd wear long pants, if I wanted shorts, I'd wear shorts...in some applications you want something that only covers your knees, not the entire leg...knickers or 3/4 length works. Best example of an application...temps between 45-60F - too cold for bare knees, too warm for long pants.

Why, if you're also wearing them home? If you're wearing bike shorts now, just wear them under pants; if you're not wearing bike shorts now, then just wear pants. Wear your work pants, it's simple as that. Mind you, I don't think it's necessarily optimal bike clothing, but for most commutes it would do fine, and if you want the cheapest possible solution, well...that's to wear the clothes you already have.

lil brown bat - Just to explain - I get wet on my way in and so I change into clean dry clothes and I don't want to wear yucky wet clothes from the morning ride. I also work-out at lunchtime so I actually have 3 changes of clothes. Right now it's no big deal using 3 sets of running shorts and t-shirts, etc. I can dress casual where I work.

I'd suggest warm-ups with some ankle clips/straps. That or hammer pants.

When the temperature range is 45 to 55 I find knickers the perfect solution to chilly mornings and semi warm conditions just before noon. I ride in them much of the Fall and Spring.