# What temperature for shorts?



## som3blok3 (17 Feb 2011)

Just wondering if any body else has a certain temperature number that they start wearing certain clothes at? 

It's meant to get up to 9 degrees today, same as yesterday and yesterday I saw a couple of guys on the commute wearing short sleeves and short legs. I must say that when I got home in my tights and thermal base and long sleeve top I was sweating. Didn't even wear gloves or headband. (God, if i turned the clock back 12 months and read that I'd be wearing tight lycra, I wouldn't beleive it!!)
So today I'm gonna give the shorts a go, bought them at xmas and havn't worn them (out) yet, not sure what to wear on top though? Will the exposed pins make up for the thermal top and equal it out??

What are other people wearing at this time of year on the commute???


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## gaz (17 Feb 2011)

It's important to look at the temperature at the point when you are commuting, it may well be 10degrees at lunch time but are you commuting at that time?

when the temp in the morning gets to above 6 or 7degrees then i will put shorts on, until then it's tights and base layers on top.


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## beanzontoast (17 Feb 2011)

I wear shorts under bikesters on the way in when it's cold, then I can always revert to just shorts if it warms up later. On the whole, my inward commutes seem colder than my journeys back, but the hills may have something to do with that.

Really it's different for everyone - whatever you're comfortable with.


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## ThePainInSpain (17 Feb 2011)

Wore my shorts for the first time this year 10 days ago.....................................it was 23c in the sun (a very cold 18c in the shade).


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## Lizban (17 Feb 2011)

Don't forget you need to dress for walking as well. If my bike breaks I've got an upto 9 mile walk, therefore I'm always a little slower returning to shorts.


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## snapper_37 (17 Feb 2011)

3/4 lengths bibs for me - all year round. Haven't quite got the confidence for shorts as yet.


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## Dayvo (17 Feb 2011)

Normally +15 for me. 

Unless it's the peak of the summer, or we're in a hot spell, then I'll take leggings as well, as back-up.

Unfortunately I'm not going to see +15 until about mid May, at the earliest!


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## moralcrusader (17 Feb 2011)

Been wearing shorts since I pulled the bike out of the garage last week to begin this year's commuting season. My legs don't get cold*....grr....


*this is because my commute is only 5 miles each way...


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## 400bhp (17 Feb 2011)

Dayvo said:


> Normally +15 for me.



About the same for me.

I do wear shorts all year round......under my leggings.


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## martint235 (17 Feb 2011)

I tend to work on:

Zero and below: Longs with shorts underneath
Zero-7: 3/4s 
7-9 shorts with a windproof jacket
9 and above: full summer kit, shorts, short sleeved top and fingerless gloves. Wore this a couple of weeks ago for LazyJ's tour of Hertfordshire.


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## upsidedown (17 Feb 2011)

Been in the Humvees all year, probably not doing my knees any favours but no problems as yet.


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## XmisterIS (17 Feb 2011)

I think it's important to keep the joints covered (arms, legs, fingers, etc) even when it's starting to warm up - the windchill on a bike is fierce compared to walking.

I know that if you let your joints get cold for prolongued periods you can store up trouble for later years ... I don't know why though! Lack of blood supply to a joint while it's in motion causes problems, perhaps?


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## Fran143 (17 Feb 2011)

I wear them all winter long....on top of my running tights!


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## 400bhp (17 Feb 2011)

XmisterIS said:


> I think it's important to keep the joints covered (arms, legs, fingers, etc) even when it's starting to warm up - the windchill on a bike is fierce compared to walking.
> 
> I know that if you let your joints get cold for prolongued periods you can store up trouble for later years ... I don't know why though! Lack of blood supply to a joint while it's in motion causes problems, perhaps?



One of the main reasons I wear longs for longer than perhaps necessary.


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## 400bhp (17 Feb 2011)

Fran143 said:


> I wear them all winter long....on top of my running tights!



Interesting. Why on top, not underneath?


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## BSRU (17 Feb 2011)

Winter longs plus Icebreaker leggings this morning, 3 degrees as I set off and colder at the top of Swindon's only hill because of the lovely cold fog. No need for leggings later, just the winter longs.


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## Dan B (17 Feb 2011)

400bhp said:


> Interesting. Why on top, not underneath?



It worked for Superman, don't knock it. 

But perhaps one garment is padded and the other not, in which case the chamois should usually be next to the skin


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## suecsi (17 Feb 2011)

I had standard leggings on this morning as we don't have any visitors today, not the usual leggings over ladies opaque tights under a skirt (which looks like 'normal' office clothes unless you look closely). I had plenty of layers on the top, so was nice and warm, but my legs really felt the difference.

I was sitting waiting for the train at Twickenham on one of those lovely cold metal seats when a cyclist walked up the platform with baggy shorts on, bare legs on display. Twickenham station is pretty drafty, so it did give me a bit of a 'OMG I can't believe he's got his legs out in this weather' moment.


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## Downward (17 Feb 2011)

When 1st starting out as a Maverick commuter Shorts when 10 degrees or above. Now I don't get as hot i'll stick to longs or those leg covers until it's Summer


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## Kestevan (17 Feb 2011)

I dont usually feel the cold.

I tend to wear winter longs only on the very coldest mornings ( -5 and below).
Most winter days I usually wear much thinner longs or 3/4 length bibs, then back to shorts as soon as the tempgets around the 9-10 mark.

On top I almost always wear a thin base layer and a shirt. In winter it's long sleeved, otherwise short, with a gilet if it's windy.

Only bits of me that seem to get cold in winter are my feet and hands. I've spent more on socks and gloves than anything else and I still suffer with cold toes.


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## PK99 (17 Feb 2011)

som3blok3 said:


> Just wondering if any body else has a certain temperature number that they start wearing certain clothes at?





http://www.fairbankscycleclub.org/Downloads/winter-clothing-list.pdf

Take the advice of the experts!


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## Moodyman (17 Feb 2011)

I wear tights until I'm feeling *too hot* - usually 12/13C and above.

As Xmister says - keep the joints warm


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## GrasB (17 Feb 2011)

It generally has to be around the 20C for me to go for shorts. That said I have a 3/4 longs which are lightweight lycra, that little bit of material over my knees seems to have a rather large positive impact on my available climbing power even at 15C


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## rusky (17 Feb 2011)

I've always used 5C as the threshold to go from shorts to trousers, slightly higher going from trousers to shorts. Probably psychological!

Wearing Altura Boulders at the moment but wore Hummvee's on Monday as the trousers weren't dry & was fine.


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## potsy (17 Feb 2011)

I'm still in my winter fleecey lined tights




Not even contemplating shorts until May at the earliest, will move to my summer tights soon as it gets over 10c but as it's only 6 or 7c here in the day and I commute at silly O'clock the temp is much colder then


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## Glow worm (17 Feb 2011)

Mostly shorts/T shirt year round here as it means less clobber to dry off if wet and my legs never seem to get cold- hands are a different matter though so it's gloves below 40F (4.5c). Tracky bottoms if below 30F and sweat shirt at 25F and below. I noticed this winter that below 20F (-6c) the bike doesn't work either (gears / pedals freeze) so it's bus time anyway!


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## martint235 (17 Feb 2011)

potsy said:


> I'm still in my winter fleecey lined tights
> 
> 
> 
> Not even contemplating shorts until May at the earliest, will move to my summer tights soon as it gets over 10c but as it's only 6 or 7c here in the day and I commute at silly O'clock the temp is much colder then



I assume arm and leg warmers are in use all year round......


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## Amheirchion (17 Feb 2011)

Shorts all year round for me.  Normally baggy 3/4 length, though it was a pain trying to find any like that a few months ago after my old pair gave up the ghost, so my current baggies are slightly shorter, reaching just to the tops of my shins when stood upright. On some bitterly cold days I wear trousers, but I tend to avoid it as much as possible, to the point I have been wearing combat boots and shorts out to do surveys this year. ^^


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## Downward (17 Feb 2011)

PK99 said:


> http://www.fairbanks...othing-list.pdf
> 
> Take the advice of the experts!



Although on a gentle commute I wouldn't fancy just a jersey in 5-8 C temps


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## GrasB (17 Feb 2011)

Downward said:


> Although on a gentle commute I wouldn't fancy just a jersey in 5-8 C temps


Assuming you have some kind of compression base layer then a semi-windproof heavy jersey should be okay. That said I disagree with the sweating thing... if my next to skin base layer isn't soaking wet I'm too cold, the key is to isolate the 1 or 2 layers closes to your skin from needing to be effective in the wind. This can be done easily with a lose open weave layer & a lightweight windproof jersey or base layer.


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## glendower (17 Feb 2011)

Its got to be over 15+ for me to get the shorts on so probably looking towards May at least. Bit of a softy really. LOL


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## Leaway2 (17 Feb 2011)

Still longs at 06:30. It was very cold here yesterday and today. I felt it mainly in my fingers, today even with 2 pairs of gloves on.


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## 400bhp (17 Feb 2011)

Leaway2 said:


> Still longs at 06:30. It was very cold here yesterday and today. I felt it mainly in my fingers, today even with 2 pairs of gloves on.



Wasn't too warm in Sale this morning was it.

Where do you cycle from/ to?


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## Leaway2 (17 Feb 2011)

400bhp said:


> Wasn't too warm in Sale this morning was it.
> 
> Where do you cycle from/ to?



Woodhouse lane to the airport.


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## 400bhp (17 Feb 2011)

You live very close to me.


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## cyberknight (17 Feb 2011)

gaz said:


> It's important to look at the temperature at the point when you are commuting, it may well be 10degrees at lunch time but are you commuting at that time?
> 
> when the temp in the morning gets to above 6 or 7degrees then i will put shorts on, until then it's tights and base layers on top.



+1

it was 2 degrees on my way home ,definitely a legging day assuming i was on the bike, skivving due to the sniffles this week .

I tend to carry extra stuff just in case so atm i have a pair of shorts and some tights over the top.
When it warms up a bit i shall ditch the tights and take leg warmers which i can stick on or bung in the bag when its nice.

When i see daylight on my commute i might think of just wearing shorts again


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## JDP (17 Feb 2011)

Still wearing a jumper, windproof jacket, gloves and a buff on occasions! 

Did takes the gloves off for a few minutes last week but it didn't last.

It may be a few months before the shorts appear.


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## johnr (17 Feb 2011)

I usually check it'll be at least 10 degrees for the ride home... and carry leg warmers to be on the safe side. Had two short-wearing commutes in January this year, and I'm no hero.


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## Maz (17 Feb 2011)

Simple rule of thumb for me...

If it's less the 10 celcius keep your knees covered.


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## Tynan (17 Feb 2011)

longs base and ls a the mo, gillet too

shorts won't come out until longs and ss are too warm for a few days running


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## totallyfixed (17 Feb 2011)

On club run last sunday only one guy in shorts, he was the one that ran out of energy at the end. Check the pros,never in shorts until around 17 - 18C. For me as with others on here, 15C+. I don't feel the cold much but I do know the damage I'm doing to my knees in shorts below these temps. Just cracks me up seeing the mtb'ers in there baggy shorts in winter, wish I was that 'ard.


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## potsy (17 Feb 2011)

martint235 said:


> I assume arm and leg warmers are in use all year round......



You ass-u-me wrong Martin





In a fit of madness I did wear my gilet today instead of the long sleeve jacket, was flipping freezing


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## som3blok3 (18 Feb 2011)

Well, I can confirm that I did have slightly chilly legs on the ride home ..... Think I'll hang the shorts back up for a few more weeks at least, wait for 15+c. 
The ride in at 08:30 was quite liberating, it was around 7 degrees, felt a bit naked!! Well, it was my first time in Lycra shorts.


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