best winter pants?

[vegasbikermom]

Hi-I cannot believe here is this whole site with women bikers!!!! Wahoo! We live in Las Vegas and just finished participating in the Century Bike Ride October 16th-our colder weather is here and my friend and I are trying to keep logging miles through the winter. We just checked out 3 sporting goods stores-all the winterpants we looked at had cross seams in the crotch area and no chamois. Are there some websites that have good selection or a paticular brand that is really comfortable??? I am SO glad to have found this site.....really excited...thanks for any help on this.....S

[Veronica]

How cold does it get in Vegas? I'm in San Francisco Bay area and most of the the time it does not get below freezing so I usually wear wool knee warmers or leg warmers with my shorts.

I do have a pair of Castelli bib tights, but the ankle zippers are really cheesy. Granted I do have big calves, but the zippers are really flimsy. :mad:

Veronica

[pedalfaster]

Originally posted by vegasbikermom
. Are there some websites that have good selection or a paticular brand that is really comfortable??? I am SO glad to have found this site.....really excited...thanks for any help on this.....S

Not only is this a great site for women cyclists to share information, Team Estrogen also carries some pretty nice winter cycling tights. Clickhere. (http://www.teamestrogen.com/categories.asp?catID=80)

As far as brands go, I've loved eveything I've had from Garneau.

Happy winter riding! :)

[vegasbikermom]

I guess I must be a baby-the temperature in the early am is probably 50-60. I usually wear a biker short/skort-i don't own just biker shorts-again, I would prefer without the cross seams. Do the knee warmers help enough with shorts? (Would arm warmers be enough also? Still not familiar enough with better brands either-thank you...S

[pedalfaster]

In the 50's and 60's arm and knee warmers are pretty much perfect. . You might also want to add a wind-front vest, an ear band and some full-fingered gloves to your fall/winter cycling wardrobe.

[jobob]

I have a pair of lightweight sport pants from REI that I like to wear over my shorts, they work out very nicely for cooler days. They have zippers on the back seams at the ankles which allow them to fit close enough not catch on the chainring and also makes it easy to take them off while you have your cycling shoes on. And they're not form-fitting, which makes it a bit easier for people like me to wear them out in public :D

http://www.rei.com/product/47625343.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_WOMENS_CLOTHING_TOC

I also plan to get a pair of warmer tights for when the weather starts turning colder.

I prefer pants/tights without the chamois pad so I can wear them over my regular cycling shorts, that would let me take them off in case the weather turns warmer than I expected.

[CorsairMac]

welcome to the board bikermama! I live in Albuquerque - not too far from your neck of the woods. You might try the leg warmers/knickers and arm warmers. I found they worked perfect for me when the mornings here were below 60. In my case due to the mountains - as the year progresses it has/does get colder but I've found I can layer the warmers under other things like - Long sleeved jerseys and/or jackets for some additional warmth. The nice thing about warmers - as the ride/day warms up you can peel them off and pack them or carry them in your pockets. I also found a very nice lightweight wind-resistent jacket from PI that is very comfy, helps keep my chest warm and packs very small when I don't need it anymore. Good luck and have fun!

OK - I'm a dodo...you asked about tights and here I am talking about jackets! I have found tho that the leg warmers/knickers have taken me to below 35 degrees before I had to add another layer. Then I wore them as underclothes with a pair of REI windpants down to 25 degrees and stayed very comfy.

[Dogmama]

I swear by my Pearlizumi's. Long tights, good breathability and also warm.

Your head releases heat too. I read somewhere that tape over the vents keeps your head warm. Probably looks really geeky. Guys would use duct tape, no doubt.;)

[CorsairMac]

will keep an eye out for pink duct tape!......

[spazzdog]

I put a watchcap on under my helmet. One of those Fleece/Lycra type caps. It folds down over my ears and the helmet still fits.

[DeniseGoldberg]

When it's really cold I wear my Pearl Izumi AmFIB tights. You can see them here (http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=10474).

I also wear insulated shoe covers, and I layer on top - several light warm layers topped with a wind breaker. I too wear a cap under my helmet - again from Pearl Izumi. If you search for "skull cap" on the REI (http://www.rei.com) site you'll find it.