khatfull

I mean, if its cold enough you want a thermal bib why do you want your calves exposed?!

hammond9705

I like mine for days in the 40-50s. I don't mind if my calf is cold, but I like to keep my knees warm.

Tsuru

I'm thinking warm knees. Critical for us older folks.

The_D

I find my knees, glutes and, um, bits n' pieces need more warmth than my calves.

nayr497

I have been using the Assos RX knickers for a few weeks. They use a thermal material in special spots up front and have a lightly fleeced inner lining.

I just rode in them for 5 hours yesterday in mid-to-low 50s*F and they were excellent.

As for why I purchased them - I wanted to get either tights or knickers this year, pick up the others next year. The knickers seem to be the most versatile. With high socks + booties only a few inches of leg are out, which isn't a big problem for me until it gets down to the below freezing.

I think I'm going to pick up some windproof tights without a chamois and use them with regular bibs or the knickers on really cold days. You can get pretty nice ones rather inexpensively. I'd also like to get regular knickers (non-thermal) because I realize now how much nicer knickers are than bibs + knee warmers.

^^ Ha ha...exactly! I can deal with cold calves, but a cold undercarriage just isn't any fun

khatfull

Haha, THAT was graceful

Tsuru

think of 'em as bibs with built in knee warmers... de-complicates it fer yer noggin'.

CrimsonKarter21

Bacuse you can add on some shorter "leg warmers" and make them full.

Craft and maybe PI make thermal bib shorts, and the mentality is that they triple as warm shorts (maybe for a 'cross race), a pair of kinckers and a pair of full-length tights.

late

I have some custom knickers that come almost halfway down my calves. A pair of long socks, and I'm good to go. On really cold days I pull my Sugoi Espresso pants over them.

Love 'em, need another pair.

TMB

I ride knickers all winter, down into well sub-freezing.

Very rarely wear full length tights.

If it's cold enough to really worry about it I'll wear a pair of XC ski socks that come up under the knickers, but for the most part, I ride with bare calves.

The calves don't really get cold, the family jewels can though.

JonnyV

Lots of nerve endings in the knee. Not many on the shin, plenty of meat on the calve to keep itself warm. Atleast this is how my clothing rep explained it. I'm picking up my first pair of bib knickers in a couple days, I like the idea even though I think they look a little goofy.

celticfrost

Yep, just think of knickers as the McDLT of the road cycling fashion world.

xfimpg

I don't understand it either. :-O

NickDavid

I hate wearing full leg bibs. Nickers cover the knee and keep me warm enough. Plus, I can just toss on the leg warmers if necessary.

cyclezealot

Exposed calves is exposed flesh like any other part of the body.. If the skin turns blue from exposed flash to sub-freezing temperatures it hurts no matter where on the body it is located.

DaveSSS 

I've got two pair of Descente thermal knickers and find them useful only over a narrow temperature range, like 46-52. Much warmer and I can wear regular shorts without getting the crotch too cold. Much colder and I don't like the cold shins. Mine ride up quickly, leaving a lot of exposed leg, but I'm afraid that the next bigger size would be too large.

I've lost interest in riding in really cold temps, so I actually use mine quite a bit in the fall and spring.

idcruiserman

I love them. Good for mid 20s to 40s, which is most of the winter for me. If it's colder, wear longer socks .

coasting 

what is the purpose of exposing calves? tights if it is really cold and shorts if it is not cold. the middle ground is silly.

nayr497

Update: I have been using my Assos RX tights since October, almost daily. They are amazing. Great from around 43-57*. I tried them for the first time the other day with leg warmers underneath and that was great, minus the seam in the LW (hate my tights). I need to get nicer ones, as these are poorly made Performance ones. I'm finished with spending $20 on cheap stuff when for $35 I can get really nice stuff. It is a waste of time and money.

On this note, I have the PI Amfib tights. Wow, they suck. They are constantly sliding down on me. I hate them. It is like they were designed for people without hips or an arse, like low-rise girl jeans. They fit so oddly. Around every 10 minutes I have to tug them up. They function well, but fit horribly AND on top of that swish when I walk, like Costanza's corduroys.

I'm going to pick up the regular Assos tights for the spring. Am I right that they a) only come in black b) don't have a zipper like the RX knickers?

Wow, getting the right Assos stuff is a nightmare because each dealer uses different numbers, names, codes, etc. And, not many people have the regular knickers right now. Is it too early for them or what? I'd like to have them in my drawer waiting to go once it warms up.

cyclezealot

... If for nothing else , thermal.. I have a pair of Nalini thermal lined( fleece) and they are super, super warm.. Compared to my non thermal lined, the difference is amazing.. With the fleece lining, I'd say I could hack it to 25 degrees or so.. My non lined bibs I don't think they'd suit the bill for that kind of cold.

carpediemracing 

I've been a fan of thermal bib knickers since I could first get them. In prior years I wore shorts over knickers - two layers where it counts, 1 on knees. With bib knickers I don't have to do that, although on one ride where I wasn't sure how hard I'd ride (harder ride = feel warmer) I wore bib shorts over thermal bib knickers (a few months ago).

Under 50-55 degrees I use booties or similar (thermal shoes etc) for my feet.

I wear tights once it gets below 42-44 in training, 38 or so racing.

I am actually going to get a pair of thermal bib knickers with stupid tight calf grippers converted to shorts. I figure these will be good in cooler rainy conditions. I want some air pockets (i.e. thermal) on my quads, I'll use "Belgian Knee Warmers" (vaseline + some kind of surface wrap) on my knees, and of course booties. Should be good down to a rainy 38-40 degrees.

I'm all about protecting the core. Under 50 I'll commonly wear a jacket up top. Lots of heat in my core means I can waste some of it on my legs. I also protect my arms and hands - I'll wear my cold weather gloves (good to mid-upper 20s) in 50-55 degree temps (and I did recently). In rain I almost always wear a clear rain jacket if it's under 60 degrees - I don't care about breathability, I'm concerned about wind blowing through wet clothing and ripping away all my precious core heat.

Two things about trying to keep legs less constricted (which thermal bib knickers help with):
1. Less constriction feels better to me. I tried this when I read about Sean Kelly's Tour of Ireland TT - he set a TT record in 38 degree weather, and he did it in shorts. In dry weather I'll use heat rub, in conjunction with a thick vaseline type cover layer. Atomic Balm, my heat rub of choice, comes in a vaseline-like paste.
2. MUCH less weight when it's raining. Since clothing does little in rain (no insulating air pockets left in soaked clothing), I'd prefer to wear less. I also don't want to pedal 10 pound tights in circles. So shorts or knickers, booties, and lots of non-heat rub (which just helps bleed off heat energy).

As I get more cycling gear I realize there are optimal clothing combinations which work in very small ranges of temperatures. Thermal shorts with booties would work excellent in certain temps (I've sometimes resorted to wearing two bib shorts at one time to replicate thermal shorts). I've used 3 different types of arm warmers, 2 knee warmers, and even my thermal bib knickers have come in 3 flavors.

Why not just knee warmers? Because then you have too thin a short (forget about knee warmers that move around on you). Thermal shorts with knee warmers would be an option, especially for longer rides where temps may vary by 30-40 degrees (like riding from the 75 degree coast up to a 40 degree Palomar and back).

cdr

caloso

I have Giordana bib knicks that I love. When it's in the 40s, I'll wear those with a merino jersey and it's perfect.

DScott

I can recommend the ebay seller tta_mem- he's reliable, has good prices, and uses the Assos product number in his ad descriptions, like here:

RX knick ad

Get the product number off the Assos website to know exactly what you're ordering. It doesn't look like he's got any of the non-RX bibs up for sale now, but contact him and see. He might have them available.

roadiejorge 

I don't have thermal kickers but love the knickers I do have which I use in temps down to the upper 30s, after that I use my thermal bib tights. I like the versatility of knickers because I can use them in the fall and spring.

DScott

Was curious which of the Assos knicks are not nmade with the roubaix fabric- they're called "T knickers", and excel sports has them: https://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?p...jor=4&minor=12