Calling Winter Commuters:

[CorsairMac]

Ok ya'll who commute all year - got a question for you.............


Just curious which method most of you seem to prefer to keep your hinneys warm during these mid-40 to low-50s mornings:

Lined Tights

or

Second pair of shorts?


I've heard both suggestions. I have plenty of shorts but the thought of 2 pairs of shorts just sounds bunchy and uncomfortable to me....I don't want to be halfway through my morning commute and miserable. Before I commit to purchasing lined tights, I'm just curious which method works better for everyone.

[mimitabby]

lined tights. A second pair of short would be kind of useless, your legs would still freeze.

[lph]

I go from: shorts to
thin pair of tights plus shorts to
shorts plus windbreaker pants to
thin pair of tights plus shorts plus windbreaker pants.

And I have all the alternatives, upper body, hands and feet too, listed according to temperature in a little matrix stuck on the fridge...

[CorsairMac]

lined tights. A second pair of short would be kind of useless, your legs would still freeze.

It wasn't my legs that was the problem (lined leg warmers).........

[Dianyla]

Here's the range of bottoms that I'll progress through as temperature decreases:

shorts
knickers
shorts + unlined PI thermafleece tights
shorts + unlined PI amfib tights
shorts + tights + rainpants (even if not raining)

I actually don't own any tights with chamois pads. I've tried, but never managed to find some that I like. There aren't very many makes/model of tights on the market every season, so it gets even harder to find a good tight+chamois combination. It's hard enough to find a compatible pair of shorts with a chamois that I love, and there are tons of shorts on the market at any given time.

Also, I use my thermafleece tights quite often in winter for non-bike activities such as skiing/hiking/camping etc, that's another reason to have unlined tights.

[nuthatch]

Ugg, the dreaded winter season booty chill. Corsair, girl, what you need is some sort of spoiler attached to your jersey pockets on the back! Just channel that cold air right on by!

Barring that, if it's cool enough for a jacket, maybe you could find one with an extra long tail. That's what I've wished for on the fall commute, especially a softshell with a long tail and maybe pit zips. I'm not sure why softshells don't come with pit zips - maybe it would make them look too weird.

But that backside does get so chilly even while the front is a sweaty mess!

[newfsmith]

My sequence is pretty much like Dianyla's, knickers usually take me through the 40's if it is dry. Being rather blubber covered, I don't usually have problems with a cold tush until it is in the teens. I do like the Performance triflex tights for very cold weather, they have a wind & water resistent seat panel.

[KnottedYet]

Wool Ibex knickers.

Knickers plus rainpants.

[Kitsune06]

I've never had to commute more than 3-4 miles. That said, I tend to wear lycra shorts, boys' silk thermals (more crotch room for the chamois...) and rain pants. Then scurry to the bathroom to take all that off and put on your regular pants. *shrug* I'll never win fashion awards, but it seems to work.

I rarely have problems getting cold, though. On cold days, I steam after hardly any activity. DGF says it's creepy.

[Geonz]

Heavens, my backside has always had enough insulation. Sweats will work 'til the 40's. THen tights under the sweats. Then tights and thermal undies and sweats. Then the really, really warm tights, the silk undies, and the thick sweats. That works for 4 degrees (F) and 8 miles, and I haven't had to do more than that.

I'm unchamoised in the winter.

[lph]

That works for 4 degrees (F) and 8 miles, and I haven't had to do more than that.

Kudos. I have roughly the same distance to go but usually give up at about 12-14 F. I find it gets really hard keeping my hands warm but still limber about then.

But otherwise I prefer temps between 18 and 25 F when things are dry (gee, I sure hope I got that conversion thing right so this makes sense) to temps around 32. I just *hate* wet feet, dark roads, slush all over the place, freezing on the cassette, packing in the brakes... yucko

[Geonz]

For the hands - and generally - when it gets really, really, really cold I get on the trainer for five or ten minutes, until I feel my furnace kick in and up the circulatoin to my hands. Then I'm already warmed up for going outside.
We haven't had too much of the slushy stuff - yukkers!!!
And this winter I will have the rain suit, which is a toasty layer and a little large for me (it was a hand-me-down - me fork over the bucks for Gore-Tex??? NOT!) ... so I'm almost looking forward to adversity...

[7rider]

Well, I can say....Don't do what I just did.
Was so excited to have a chance to wear my new long-sleeve jersey this a.m. and knickers, that I wore them without regards to what the weather would be like for the *ride home* this evening!
Ugh.
Long sleeves were fine this a.m., but I'm going to be roasting on the ride home. It's a good thing I can push the sleeves up a fair bit (I can't on all my LS) and it's a full zip. May have to flash the folks in cars tonight!
So...
Pay attention to the AFTERNOON forecast when planning your a.m. ride!

[Susan Otcenas]

OK, so here's a question (in a roundabout kind of way).

Pearl Izumi has a new women's short this winter. It's the Microsensor Thermal Short. A thermal short. I, of course, said. "Well, that's dumb. If it's cold enough to need thermal, then why wouldn't I just wear tights? Thermal with bare legs seems dumb." But, as was pointed out to me by my dear sweet man, my butt always seems to be very cold to the touch after a winter ride (even if I don't *feel* chilled).

So, now this thread has me wondering how many people would find this type of a short a useful product. (Useful enough to actually purchase, of course. ) Would you wear it with leg or knee warmers? Or layer wam tights over it to get extra thermal just on the buttocks?

What do you think? Useful? Hokey? You all kow I value your feedback greatly, so have at it! And thanks!

Susan

[Dianyla]

Pearl Izumi has a new women's short this winter. It's the Microsensor Thermal Short. A thermal short. I, of course, said. "Well, that's dumb. If it's cold enough to need thermal, then why wouldn't I just wear tights? Thermal with bare legs seems dumb." But, as was pointed out to me by my dear sweet man, my butt always seems to be very cold to the touch after a winter ride (even if I don't *feel* chilled).

As someone who prefers to always layer chamoisless tights over shorts in winter, I think it sounds pretty darn good, actually.

I'm also amazed at how warm and toasty I can feel, but there is an outer layer of about 1" of flesh that is quite cold. Yay for insulation.