Temperature Weenie Anonymous

Last winter I got out in high 20's to practice riding in parking lots. THIS year, well, I've not been out in temps <45 yet. Granted, this is mainly due to my lingering injuries, but now that I am finally healed enough to start riding more than a few miles at a time I find myself wimping out on purchasing winter thermal tights...my excuse is that is Gunnar money, which is true but still!

I WANT to ride, but I think my body still remembers that very hot summers worth of riding. I wasn't able to ride hardly at all this fall due to injuries, so my body didn't get a chance to acclimate to the changing season.

This week, however, if there is enough left over after putting down the deposit on my Gunnar, I intend on purchasing the winter tights :)

Would it be overkill to layer Midzero tights over leg warmers with shorts? I think I've enough layers for my upper body, and I have a balaclava, but am still working out my lower body. I already have the leg warmers, but that isn't enough for 30ish temps. I do have chemical toe warmers as well, so I should be good to go once I have the tights. My fitter has advised me to use the toe covers for warmer temps, and to leave the covers off to use the toe warmers in colder temps so there is good air flow for the chemical warmers.

This is my 3rd or 4th winter cycling, and I'm still constantly experimenting with what to wear. What works one day isn't enough the next, or is too much. So no, I don't think it's overkill to wear shorts, leg warmers and tights, as long as you can still pedal. ;)

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Originally Posted by redrhodie

This is my 3rd or 4th winter cycling, and I'm still constantly experimenting with what to wear. What works one day isn't enough the next, or is too much. So no, I don't think it's overkill to wear shorts, leg warmers and tights, as long as you can still pedal. ;)

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I wear my tights over shin-length knickers, so I don't think wearing them over shorts and leg warmers would be overkill, depending on the temperature. But I also don't fault anybody for being a temperature weenie. If I really want to ride, I'll put up with the cold, but if I'm not up for it, then I don't beat myself up for it either. Riding is supposed to be fun and sometimes riding in the cold just isn't. What'll get you around here is the damp. Look at the humidity along with the temp when you're deciding to ride on cold days (and the wind, of course).

My first winters I kept a detailed log of what to wear at what temperatures. I helped that I was mostly commuting the same distance and tine every day, so comparing was easy. So I'd get home and note down - "wore x, y and z, temp was tt, some wind. I was a bit cold there, but a bit too hot there, Should have worn xx and yy instead". And gradually I figured out where the different temp cut-offs were for the clothing and rides I have.

Keeping comfortably warm but not overheated is so individual, depending not only on the terrain and the weather and the wind, but also on how hard you ride, how much does your pace change, do you charge up hills getting all sweaty or just amble up at a gentle pace, do you go all out on the downhills getting freezing etc etc. Sometimes you just have to adjust your pace to what you're wearing, not to how you want to ride...

I use shoe covers when I use chemical toe warmers. Today, I had 2 pairs of the oversock style shoe covers on in temps below 30 with 20mph+ winds. My feet were warm when I got home after 35mi or so (and so were the warmers). I put the same warmers inside my neoprene gloves, and they were totally cold (so were my hands--which is unusual for those gloves). There must have been too much wind. When I use the chemical warmers, I wear a thin wool sock and keep the toe box of my shoe set a little looser. That seems to block enough cold air but still allow the chemical warmers to work.

Thanks for the good ideas :) I am just waiting to place the deposit on my Gunnar and next comes the tights!

I suppose that I COULD wear jeans over the leg warmers, but I suspect that would be difficult to move in.

Don't wear jeans for a few reasons. One is mobility. The second is if you do get sweaty through your base layers, cotton is the last thing you want to be wearing. Until you get tights, you can try doubling up on your shorts with leg warmers for a little more protection. This is easiest with shorts with a thinner chamois.

Catrin-
Big sale at Sierra Trading Post on cycling tights. Could save you some dough.:cool:

I wear bicycle shorts, long socks (above the knee so sort of like tights) with a pair of pants - either the stretchy yoga style capri pants or I have this pair of stretchy fabric cargo capris - over the shorts. Works well.

I did invest in shoe covers. LOVE THEM!!!

a week ago, i did a 100 k ride. For much of the day the temp was in the 30's and a little in the 40's too. I wore 3 layers everywhere except my hands where I wore two. All the tights, woolen undergarments, fleece gloves, etc, etc came in handy. Oh wait, all i had on my head was one little wool hat under my helmet. I was just fine as long as I was moving.
Catrin, you need to just DO IT. it's not the cold, we can make excuses when it's (too) warm out as well.
I'm not suggesting you ride in snow or ice either. but if conditions are safe, you owe it to yourself to just get out and DO IT.