Cold weather and shorts

[AustinBike]

Yeah, it has gotten to this. I refuse to stop riding just because it is cold. I can ride with shorts down to about 45, but beyond that point, I need something better. Leg warmers don't work for me, they keep falling down. I normally have some long pants with chamois in them, but they are all old and were cheap to begin with. I ride Pearl Izumi short exclusively because I really like the chamois. Ordered a pair of cold weather PI long pants with chamois, but when they arrived I realized that they did not have a chamois and returned them. When I scoped out the Amazon page I saw that even though they showed a chamois in all of their pictures the description said something about "wear over your favorite shorts".

That seemed uncomfortable to me. So what is the wisdom here?

Long pants with a chamois?

Regular shorts with a chamois under long pants? 

If I am buying long pants to go over my shorts I don't need to spend the extra money for PI as I would already have that level of comfort underneath.

Thoughts?

[AntonioGG]

I have tights I wear over bibs, and long pants with chamois.  I even have merino base layer I wear under if it’s really cold.  I don’t like just plain pants or shorts(as opposed to bibs) because they seem to ride down (especially true for pants over shorts).  I think I’m going to take some old bibs and sew that top onto my pants with chamois.  They are the REI brand and they are very comfortable other than the riding down part.  I am thinking about pulling the trigger on some bib pants.

 

i used to have the same problem with knee warmers as you have, but now I fold my shorts really high and pull up the warmers so that they are centered over my knee, then let the shorts down over the warmers.  They stayed on for 12 hours of dragon slayer when worn with specialized bibs with gripper.  These are old Louis Garneau warmers.  Also, you’ve lost a lot of weight, maybe you need to size down?

Edited December 8, 2018 by AntonioGG
Work->worn

[Anita Handle]

I was just shopping for some kind of good quality bib pants or bib knickers. I don't like the feeling of  a waistband on my riding shorts, especially when I have several layers on, so I'm looking for something with bibs. I think covering my knees would probably be good enough on almost any day I was willing to ride.

I've tried long tights over shorts and neither were bibs so it was squeezing my gut the whole time. hated it and frankly didn't feel all that warm, which I'm sure was due to the particular tights.

Since these will probably be expensive, they'll probably be my Christmas gift to myself.

[WhoAmI]

I wear a pair of knickers over padded shorts when it's colder out.  It works for me.  If it's even colder when I start and I anticipate it warming up later, I wear a thermal long legged base on bottom over the padded shorts and under my pants.  

[CBaron]

I think you're doing leg/knee warmers wrong.  Make sure the warmers are going on UNDER your shorts legs.  Hike up your shorts legs as high as practical, then pull up your warmers to that appropriate length.  Them roll down your shorts leg down on top of warmers.  If this doesn't work, then like AGG said, try sizing down.  But I too wore my knee warmers for 3 laps of DS with no issues.  I've got 3 different pairs of knee warmers and can wear any of them like this for any time necessary.  Although, I have found that my recent bib shorts with the extra wide sticky leg gripper holds them tighter (rather than the older version of elastic gripper did).  Even though both bib shorts always held them up.

I can post pics if needed.  :)

Later,
CJB

[taco_junkie]

Leg warmers stay up for me. I put the shorts gripper over the leg warmers to help hold them up. Knee pads can also help with warmth and holding things in place.

I have a pair or two of the pants over shorts thing. I tend to only wear those on the road bike and only when the temps drop even farther. They don't fall down or feel uncomfortable wearing over bibs but they aren't as convenient to remove mid-ride if it warms up.

Long pants with a chamois seems limiting. I have a stable of comfortable liners & bibs and I'll layer the long pants on top of those. I only use them a few times a year anyway.

[bestbike85]

I have a pair of columbia brownsmead pants that I wear to ride in cold weather. Loose fitting where they need to be but not baggy. That, insulated socks and a jacket and I can ride sub 40 pretty easily. 

[Ridenfool]

Go to Academy. Get a pair of thermal underwear bottoms in black. It works, and people will think you have some high-tech kit, and they work. Did I mention that they work?

Here's a link to the Magellan house brand. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/magellan-outdoors-mens-20-baselayer-bottom-with-scent-control#repChildCatid=4784770

Size them so they can be worn over the chamois short and under the baggies, so you can take them off easily if things get too toasty.

Other sources, REI, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

Get a synthetic material, avoid cotton.

 

At the other end of the spectrum are things like the Endura MT500 Onesie for a wee bit higher cost.

Edited December 9, 2018 by Ridenfool

[Jessica]

I just picked up a nice lined pair of cycling pants with chamos from performance for 50% off. If it's very cold we have gortex pants, but I have used them since fat biking in NY.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[Big_papa_nuts]

IMO you're all doing knee/leg warmers wrong. I have to put them on before my shorts in order to get them high enough to stay. I also had to add some silicone patches to the outside of the upper cuff, but that may be because I bought them big as I don't like tight clothing around my knees.

[sherpaxc]

The new PI knee warmers are awesome. They have a wide gripper material and stay put. Highly reccomend. Match with a pair of smartwool 12 in ski socks and youve got a great modular set up. 

[June Bug]

So, this morning some friends invited me to ride from their house near the Mueller development to try the 80-layer biscuits at Confituras in South Austin. These biscuits are tall and puffy, but made with more butter than you think is possible.  Just imagine a croissant with 20 x more butter in the dough.  I know, I know, the biscuit thing, right up there with avocado toast at the tip of the hipster spear, but this IS Austin. 

Anyway, I finally just pulled on a pair of slightly fleeced regular tights over bike shorts; worked perfectly.  Wool socks, running shoes kept the feet warm.  Up top, two layers (base layer and medium wt smart wool top), light fleece vest, down jacket, light weight nylon bike jacket.  On top, ear warmer and little nylon wind-proof beanie under helmet.  Warm gloves.  

It was around 40 degrees when we started riding but I was comfy and warm; didn't start shedding upper layers (down jacket came off!) until south of the river.  

I saw bundled up people walking, bundled up people riding, runners in long sleeve tee and shorts, and hard core roadies  not wearing much more than a long sleeve jersey, vest and shorts, because, you know....."40 degrees isn't even cold in Minnesota," or something.   

I don't do the "You'll be cold insanely f******* miserable for the first 20 minutes of the ride and then you'll warm up."   I do the "Dress for the first freezing 20 minutes of the ride and then remove layers as necessary."

Last week on Tuesday, which was nipppy,  I did fleeced leg warmers with 3/4 bike shorts (knickers), which also worked fine. 

[AustinBike]

Rode yesterday and it was miserable. Rode today and it was fine. Sunshine makes all of the difference.

Also, old Chicago trick is plastic bags on the feet (over the socks). All parks have convenient dispensers for these, the right size for your feet. Dog poop bags. Just please use fresh bags only, off the roll. Work great in a pinch.

[CBaron]

In the winter I also put duct tape of the vents in my shoes (road & mtn).  My Swiftwick wool socks are lifesavers too!  I was shocked how low I could go temp-wise with just those socks.

-CJB

[Anita Handle]

Red Wing boots, calf length tube socks in Packers colors, Dickies work shorts, wife-beater, and a Dickies work shirt. 

[AustinBike]

10 minutes ago, Anita Handle said:

Red Wing boots, calf length tube socks in Packers colors, Dickies work shorts, wife-beater, and a Dickies work shirt. 

Packers colors? You lost me.

[Anita Handle]

3 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Dog poop bags. Work great in a pinch.

Shitty humor. Just my style.

[June Bug]

On 12/8/2018 at 11:49 PM, Ridenfool said:

Here's a link to the Magellan house brand. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/magellan-outdoors-mens-20-baselayer-bottom-with-scent-control#repChildCatid=4784770

You had me at scent control! 

[June Bug]

13 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Also, old Chicago trick is plastic bags on the feet (over the socks).

Good to know this works!

The daily Austin American Statesman comes in a plastic sleeve.  I've saved some and on the bike tours we've done over the past summers, I always put two in the panniers;  in case we end up riding on a rainy day I could just slip them over the socks.

Never had to use them, but nice to have a backup.  

[cxagent]

What works for one person may not work for someone else. I had to try a lit of different things before I found something that worked for me.

I have arm warmers and leg warmers. I tuck the tops well inside my normal cycling shorts. They work fine when it is cool to slightly cold depending on what / how hard I am riding. Make sure the leg warmers are sized right for YOU. As they wear or you lose weight they may not work anymore.

I am convinced leg warmers without a zipper were invented by a sadist. If I am warm enough to want to take the leg warmers off, I have to stop and take off my shoes to get the zipperless leg warmers off. By the time I get everything off and start riding again - I am freezing and want the leg warmers again. With zippers at the bottom of the leg warmers, I can stop quickly and slide the leg warmers off over my shoes. That way I am riding again before I am too cold.

For the next level of cold weather (estimated 45F down to 35F), I have some "tights" I pull on over my regular shorts. Mine have enough elastic in the ankles that I can pull them off over my shoes. I don't remember a time when I started riding with these and wanted to take them off during the ride - but I could.

For the next level of cold (estimated 35F to 10F), I have "neoprene-like" bibs I put on over my shorts. I rode snow bikes in these and was fine.

I don't think I want to ride in weather any colder than 10F.

Note there are layers and other 'tricks' for keeping other parts of my body warm. Having snow ski gear to pick from helps. (Ski socks, different weight base layers, smart wool vests and jackets, etc.) I also have neoprene shoe covers so I can wear my regular shoes. On the snow bike I wore water resistant hiking boots with flat pedals. On any other bike I wear the same vented Sidi shoes I wear year round.

Everybody is different - but I will resort to a plastic bag only under the wettest or most extreme cold conditions. In snow skiing, anything that gets wet with sweat is cold. Miserably cold. Plastic bags don't breath so all moisture is trapped and things get wet like you have sweated like crazy. Your experience may be different. But I have stopped in the middle of a long bump run to take off a wet layer. That means I stripped down to bare skin on the side of the mountain to get rid of the sweaty base layer. And I was more comfortable afterward for doing it.

[AntonioGG]

cxagent, the wet layer, does it apply to Merino wool?  I find that my base stuff (and socks) made of mostly Merino doesn't feel like anything else that gets wet, and I may be completely soaked in sweat without realizing it or feeling like it until I take everything off.  This is mostly a problem when I wear a rain shell.

The biggest revelation for me this season is to go with more head warmth than you think you need and that keeps you from needing extra stuff on your extremities.  When in the past I needed the big Gore-tex gloves (one step removed from lobster claws), adding a thin Smart Wool cap under my helmet meant I could ride with my regular off-road gloves.  When it's cold and dry, I like a lined balaclava.  The biggest benefit IMO is to capture the moisture you're breathing out.  This keeps me from the hacking cough you get when breathing hard cold dry air for hours.

 

[cxagent]

16 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

cxagent, the wet layer, does it apply to Merino wool?  I find that my base stuff (and socks) made of mostly Merino doesn't feel like anything else that gets wet, and I may be completely soaked in sweat without realizing it or feeling like it until I take everything off.  This is mostly a problem when I wear a rain shell.

The biggest revelation for me this season is to go with more head warmth than you think you need and that keeps you from needing extra stuff on your extremities.  When in the past I needed the big Gore-tex gloves (one step removed from lobster claws), adding a thin Smart Wool cap under my helmet meant I could ride with my regular off-road gloves.  When it's cold and dry, I like a lined balaclava.  The biggest benefit IMO is to capture the moisture you're breathing out.  This keeps me from the hacking cough you get when breathing hard cold dry air for hours.

 

The merino wool (Smart wool) layers can take a lot of sweat / moisture and still be fine. Unless they get soaked, they wick the moisture away from my skin and still keep me warm. Just a comment on wool insulation - put a breathable shell over it and never take it off until you are done. I can usually unzip my jacket a little if I start to get too warm and keep going.

I have never been able to wear "heavy gloves" and still use the brake. Even back in the dirt bike days I was bare handed because I couldn't use the front brake when I needed it. On a motocross bike, I needed it even more. So I also put a beanie cap or a balaclava on to stay warm. It is frequently one of the first things that comes off. Fortunately, it is a quick easy task to take off helmet, take off hat, put helmet on, put hat away. I don't get cold in that operation and want it back on.

Edited December 11, 2018 by cxagent