what is the difference?

[Cari]

Same here. Bike shorts with tights over them. I have noticed most of the
men around here do it the other way. Tights then bike shorts over them.

Shorts with tights over them sounds logical. But... yikes! Tights with padded shorts *over* them sounds kind of uncomfortable. Doesn't that sort of defeat part of the purpose of using a chamois in the first place? Or maybe it's a guy thing?

Do any of you ladies wear your tights underneath your padded shorts?

[Nanci]

They do that around here, too. Weird. I've never seen a woman do it. Though you _do_ see women runners wearing compression shorts (excellent because you don't chafe) with regular running shorts over them.

When I want to wear tights or knnickers with no chamois, I just wear my reg bike shorts under them. Good for if it warms up, too.

Nanci

[skibum]

I wear shorts with tights over them and so does my BF. I asked him once why so many guys do it the other way. He said he didn't know of any guys that did that and thought it would be quite uncomfortable. So, I pointed out a guy that looked like he was wearing tights with shorts over them. He replied, those are leg warmers. Around here at least, where it doesn't get too cold, the shorts + leg warmers combo is pretty common for the guys.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I guess people must think I have my shorts on top of my tights too... In the "between" season - as in when it's not cold enough to really need full tights, I often wear knee warmers or leg warmers with my cycling shorts.

--- Denise

[Brandi]

See I love my tights for cold morning's cause tey are fleeced lined. But no padding. I guess I will try my shorts under them and see how it works. I got the tights on sale for a great price couldn't pass it up. That's why there is no chamois figured I could endure but once you've worn shorts with chamois it's hard not having that extra padding you know.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Brandi -
I use my tights for both biking and for walking - and I don't want a chamois when I'm not biking. So if I'm biking in cold weather, I always start with my bike shorts and top them with tights. Oh, and if it's really, really cold then I wear bike shorts, knee warmers, and tights.

I suspect that you'll be a lot happier with both your shorts (with chamois) and tights, as opposed to just using unpadded tights.

--- Denise

[susiej]

Brandi -
I use my tights for both biking and for walking

Performance brand cheap-o tights make great long underwear and yoga pants too. Which is good when you don't manage to get on the bike in the cold weather after buying them and kick yourself for wasting the money.

--SJ

[Brandi]

No dought!

[Cari]

I wear shorts with tights over them and so does my BF. I asked him once why so many guys do it the other way. He said he didn't know of any guys that did that and thought it would be quite uncomfortable. So, I pointed out a guy that looked like he was wearing tights with shorts over them. He replied, those are leg warmers. Around here at least, where it doesn't get too cold, the shorts + leg warmers combo is pretty common for the guys.

Thanks for the insight, skibum. Maybe the guys that Surly saw were wearing legwarmers and it just *looked* like they had the tights under the shorts.

[FelesRidet]

I wear my padded shorts under my tights. However, my brother-in-law is a masters road racer. During the recent very cold race, he had quite a bit of chafing in certain spots (can't say specifically!) and one of the other male racers told him to put his tights under his shorts. When he did so, he said it cut down on his problems ...