The first cuckoo?

[thirdcrank]

Although it's been bright and sunny here all day, it's been bitterly cold, with a sharp northerly wind. There had been quite a frost overnight. I was passed by a cyclist in shorts.

Perhaps it's something to do with global warming - there''ll Easter Knees at Christmas before we know it.

[kwackers]

I wear shorts whilst cycling down to around freezing. And even then I usually just wear some over trousers which I remove after a few miles...

Speaking of cuckoo's has anyone ever heard one? It suddenly occurred to me that I never have...

[Mike Sales]

Speaking of cuckoos has anyone ever heard one? It suddenly occurred to me that I never have...

I have, often.

[eileithyia]

I have often but they are becoming rarer. I did hear one last year, but prior to that was a gap of a couple of years.

Have been seeing plenty of shorts around here recently... not that I thought it was warm enough though have certainly worn my 3/4's already this year.

[reohn2]

I usually hear a Cuckoo every year.

Shorts have been in evidence most days out,usually by people with bluey to purple legs and knees,nutters.
As someone who isn't shy about showing my legs early and late,I haven't even taken the razor to them yet,Brrrr!
Cyclist's knees are things to be protected in cold weather

[kwackers]

Don't you guys get 'hot' legs? My legs simply overheat if I'm wearing any trousers - unless I'm just tootling to the shops.

Ditto running - but more so. I just don't understand how anyone can run in leggings!

[RickH]

Don't you guys get 'hot' legs? My legs simply overheat if I'm wearing any trousers - unless I'm just tootling to the shops.

Ditto running - but more so. I just don't understand how anyone can run in leggings!

Nope - I'm the other way round I'm usually the last one in shorts of any given group. I get achy knees unless the temp is 18-20C or above.

I'll be in short sleeves though as I get hot arms, I almost never wear more than a t-shirt under a cycling jacket in winter unless it is within a couple of degrees of freezing (or below) and then only a single thine long-sleeve layer.

Rick

[PDQ]

Bit early for the cuckoo.
It' still a common enough bird in hill country in N. Wales. As an old farmer once said to me " Nice to hear it but you'll be sick of it in a week!" I know what he meant.
Weather looks as if the shorts might have to get dusted off by the end of the week

[PW]

Cuckoos are still fairly common on the moors 5 miles west of here, we heard them often last summer and even saw a few. If you do a bit of googling they're now heading back N from the Congo, should be with us late April.

[Malaconotus]

I was in shorts for the last couple of weeks, but back to longs the since it turned a bit chillier on Saturday.

Not just on the bike. I wear shorts March to November, as long as the daytime max is about 10 degrees or more. Nature has insulated me well.

[reohn2]

Don't you guys get 'hot' legs? My legs simply overheat if I'm wearing any trousers - unless I'm just tootling to the shops.!

It depends what you wear,Roubaix(Lycra shiney or matt on the outside with a short pile fleece on the inside)material is magic,keeps you warm but not too warm as it breathes very well.
I think we've discussed this before.

[kwackers]

Don't you guys get 'hot' legs? My legs simply overheat if I'm wearing any trousers - unless I'm just tootling to the shops.!

It depends what you wear,Roubaix(Lycra shiney or matt on the outside with a short pile fleece on the inside)material is magic,keeps you warm but not too warm as it breathes very well.
I think we've discussed this before.

We probably have - I have vague recollections...

I think the problem is my legs wouldn't like very much in the way of insulation, such that in order for the 'leggings' to allow them to get stay cool they'd have to have practically no insulating properties - which would make them a bit pointless.

What I'd need is something that insulated for a few miles and then lost the insulation, some sort of temperature sensitive super material.

Obviously I haven't tried Roubaix so can't say but the "short pile fleece" sounds awful!

[reohn2]

Obviously I haven't tried Roubaix so can't say but the "short pile fleece" sounds awful!

No,magical

[thirdcrank]

... No,magical

+1

I have Lusso tights in Coolmax, Roubaix and Repel. The claims made for these fabrics sound preposterous but they are fully justified IME.

[seventeezlad]

Yes, I heard my first Cuckoo of the year on Saturday. They're noramlly not around for a few weeks yet, but then we've not had much of a winter really. Any other birders might also like to know the first Ospreys of the year have also been sighted, last known to myself was in Gloucestershire, possibly heading to Mid Wales or perhaps onwards towards Northern England/Scotland.

Right... back to cycling