Cycling UK Forum

Eight degrees the other day and still felt fine - what's your cut off point?

It has to be pretty warm before my shorts come off - probably the last thing to do so apart from my shoes.

My knees don't get let out unless the temperature is above about 18C (with the very rare exception that if I'm somewhere warm and the temp is slightly below that at the start of the day but certain to be considerably warmer alter), below that I wear knee warmers or 3/4, or full length if the temp isn't going to get above about 8C. I find my knees start to ache if out in cool air on a bike.

I often wear short sleeves though (or long sleeves pushed up to the elbows) so I'm easy to spot on a group ride - I'll be the one with my knees covered but my arms bare where everyone else has shorts & long sleeves!

Rick.

Can't wait for MickF's reply...b

I never wear shorts. Never felt the need.

If the max temp forecast for the day is 12C or more, I wear shorts. I don't mind being a bit cold if it's colder to start, particularly if it's sunny (sun makes a big difference to how warm you keep, but that fact isn't shown by the official 'shade' temperature).

I always wear shorts (out cycling). Even frosty mornings. Exposed legs don't seem to feel the cold whereas upper body/extremities really don't get on with even cool.

Ian

RickH wrote:My knees don't get let out unless the temperature is above about 18C (with the very rare exception that if I'm somewhere warm and the temp is slightly below that at the start of the day but certain to be considerably warmer alter), below that I wear knee warmers or 3/4, or full length if the temp isn't going to get above about 8C. I find my knees start to ache if out in cool air on a bike.

I often wear short sleeves though (or long sleeves pushed up to the elbows) so I'm easy to spot on a group ride - I'll be the one with my knees covered but my arms bare where everyone else has shorts & long sleeves!

Rick.

+1. I started club riding on Cheshire, where the grizzled oldies told me to cover up my legs straight after racing in high summer. Now I'm the grizzled oldie, and I cover up my knees unless it's really warm. I'm still riding to work (only a couple of miles from the station mind) in a short-sleeved shirt, even now. For a cyclist, knees deserve special care.

RickH wrote:My knees don't get let out unless the temperature is above about 18C (with the very rare exception that if I'm somewhere warm and the temp is slightly below that at the start of the day but certain to be considerably warmer alter), below that I wear knee warmers or 3/4, or full length if the temp isn't going to get above about 8C. I find my knees start to ache if out in cool air on a bike.

I often wear short sleeves though (or long sleeves pushed up to the elbows) so I'm easy to spot on a group ride - I'll be the one with my knees covered but my arms bare where everyone else has shorts & long sleeves!

Rick.

Yeah - +1 from me for that also. Look after knees - they have to last a long time - you can tell cyclists who've abused and not looked after their knees - they grimace on the bike and limp off it. Honestly, it's not worth being tough and macho. Rick and Drossal speak words of wisdom.

Hi,
Above 5C my legs sweat with togs
So its below that with some wind chill.

I think I have taken them off twice in the last year.

I haven't worn full length tights for nearly two years now, even through the winters. It's been shorts and knee warmers or 3/4 bibs for me. I could probably handle the cold on my legs in just shorts but want my knees to work in later life. Work colleagues ask if I get cold when riding in the winter and my usual reply after trying to do a mile in 3 minutes soon warms me up, a fast pace for the first 5 minutes is usually enough to warm me up.

Heltor Chasca wrote:Can't wait for MickF's reply...b

Don't tell anyone, but all I'm wearing at this moment is a t-shirt!

Shorts, or shorts for cycling?
I'm in shorts and sandals during the day, and in shorts and cycling shoes when I go out riding.

However, now it's getting cooler, I'll be in trousers ( but still sandals) in the evenings, and I'll wear my cycling bib tights if I go out riding early. Yesterday for instance, I rode out at soon after 9am and it's damned cold down by the river.

I've been wearing my LS windproof top for a couple of weeks now, and yesterday I regretted not taking gloves. I was home shortly before lunch and by that time I could easily have been in shorts and a light top, but first thing round here it's very chilly indeed.

I can't say what temperature specifically, it depends on windchill and the weather. Up and down the valleys, the temp can vary greatly, so I pick what to wear to suit. If I was to be riding all day, I'd need to take a change or top and bottom and also take a saddle bag.

The other day it was mild and wet, so when I went out I wore a thin base layer and my Goretex top, but I was in shorts. I was wet and happy and pleasantly warm.

They don't. Well, not for cycling. In autumn I wear shorts with knee-warmers down to about 8°C when I'll put full leggings on; then in winter I wear shorts under full-length tights.

I think that there are two issue at play.

1. Do you feel the cold? A lot of cyclist take the view that if their legs/knees don't feel cold and therefore why should they cover them up.

2. Does riding in 'cold' weather have any possible detrimental effect on your joints/muscles? Unfortunately people have not evolved with temperature sensors in their knees.

As I only have the one pair of knees and was hoping that they would last a life time if it's going to be less than about 15 degrees my knees are stay covered.

13 degrees. Thats as very precise estimate.