Cool weather is here in the mornings already, it is 57 right now. I did manage to get comfortable with wearing cycling shorts while cruising around town and am pondering the resulting look of a 69 year old riding around in tights.

What do you folks wear on your legs in fall, and the few pairs of tights I have seen do not have padded liners. I am a bit confused on that. Leg warmers with shorts ?

Where I live, it's not an issue in the fall. But we still have winter and I wear tights when it's cold. No problem wearing them on a bike.

On days when it's too cold for biking, I wear them under my pants on the golf course. Especially on cold and windy days. But in this climate there are days when it starts out in the 30s and then rises considerably by afternoon. The whole ensemble can get a bit warm then and I've fleetingly considered just taking off my pants. Women in their 20s and 30s play golf in tights. But I fear that's a step too far. I think a 60 something guy on a bike with tights is fine, but on the golf course it may cross one of those unwritten social codes.

Leg warmers with bib shorts. If the weather warms up you can always remove them.

You would look better in tights than a lot of the women I see wearing them. I have a couple of pairs for cold weather and just wear them under my regular bike shorts. You could get some MTB shorts to wear over them.

Get the pink ones

I have some Pactimo tights without chamois that I wear over bib shorts. In this area we can have wild temp swings . Leave home in low to mid 50's and get home in mid 70's or worse. The tights roll up small enough to put in a jersey pocket if I get too warm on the ride.

I tried leg warmers and didn't like them. Couldn't find any that would stay put.

I don't worry about what I look like on the bike. Non-cyclists will think you look ridiculous no matter what you wear. Other cyclists won't care. Wear whatever makes you comfortable.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Baleaf-Sweatp...s%2C332&sr=8-8 with padded underwear or even a bike short under them. If it's real cold, you could add thermal bottoms under them.

Leg warmers under ​​​​​​​padded shorts (be sure they have a grip band), till cool enough to wear full exercise leggings under the cycling shorts.

https://www.theblackbibs.com/shop/legwarmer

legwarmers with brushed fleece inner

but I prefer tights (padded) and have 2 - different weights for cool vs cold weather. Finding bargains on tights is only a matter of patience, but maybe not this time of year.

And for very very high visibility there's these. You may not want this much vis.
Affordable and padded.

https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/meti...ntent=AeroTech

A few years back somebody turned me onto to cross country ski clothing. I found some ski pants that are warmer than any of the bike tights that I've found, they are reasonably snug at the ankles so I don't have chain or sprocket interference, and they were affordable. I like them a lot.

I have a pair of lightweight cycling leggings/tights that I pull on over regular bike shorts when the temperature gets below 60 or 65 F. I'm 68 and I look marvelous with my tights on, if I may say so. Not that it really matters, since one of the fun things about getting older is that you can do all kinds of weird stuff and get away with it.

I have several sets of tights: a couple pair of wool Protogs tights I've had since the late 70s, and a couple pair of more modern lycra tights. The lycra tights have a chamois. The Protogs tights do not. I just wear some old bike shorts under them when I wear the Protogs. Shorts that have become a little too [ahem] translucent to wear as an outer layer are still good enough to provide a chamois for the wool tights.

I wear knee warmers when it’s in the 50s and low 60s. Leg warmers from there down to mid 30s. Colder than that and I wear unpadded tights over bibs.

Leg warmers 50-55. Ordinary PI or similar tights down to 40 in the dry. In the wet, go to PI Amfib or similar at ~50. I no longer ride in the wet below 40.

I wear running pants easy to find in the running store and they are not exactly like tight tights.

Didn't count my vintage wool as bottoms have gone somewhat crotchless.
The one pair of tights go under shorts and the one pair of cycling pants nust have black shorts underneath to be passable, if not fashionable.

I have some 2XU thermal tights for the winter and recently picked these thermal bibs up:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

The 2XU's were pricey but do the job in 30 degree temps.

https://www.2xu.com/us/p/thermal-acc...SILVER#start=1

• Knee warmers if it's below 60ºF
• Leg warmers if it's below 50ºF
• Thermal bib tights if it's below 40ºF

Thanks for the tips everyone. Think I will invest in some new gear.

Today is a good day to buy some new kit, if you like the Voler stuff. They're having a Labor Day sale through September 3. 20-40% off everything.

Their Jet line is not very expensive and has knee warmers, leg warmers, and thermal tights.

You need this code on checkout to get the discount: GETREADY.

I'm having flashbacks just looking at those.

Why wouldn't the lifeguard rescue the hippy?
Ah man, he was too far out!

I’m very happy with the Aero Tech tights I purchased this past year. I wear padded bike shorts underneath, so use the unpadded tights below 55 down to about 30 on the road, all year in the woods. Reasonable price at $30 or so a pair.

https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/cycling-tights.html

69 & riding....
Be proud to be out there in tights riding thru town

I have one pair of tights but only get to wear them once or twice a year (I have a low tolerance for the cold). In my view tights are for when it cool form beginning to end.

As for age concerns, its more a question of condition or shape you're in than age. In any event, the concern is with males as 90% of females that wear legging are grossly out of shape, and undaunted about how it looks.