OK, I tried bib tights. Please help me correct this error!
Discussion
Who the hell ever thought these were in any way, and on any planet, a good idea????
Intending to keep commuting by bike right through the winter, but with my knees in particular starting to feel the cold in the mornings, I decided something more comprehensive was required. Given that something like 80% of the options fall into what I now know to be the loathsome category of bib tights, I decided that this would appear to be the way to go.
As a result of my ride in this morning, I now know this to be a big mistake!
To be fair to them, they did admirably perform the task of keeping my legs warm. Where the problem starts is with their equal ability to keep half of my torso warm too. What point is a garment which keeps half of my top warm??
I am now faced with three options on the way home - keep all my top layers on and suffer an overly hot stomach, take one of them off and suffer from a chilly chest, or cut the bottom half off my T-shirt and ride home looking like Priscilla, queen of the desert's homage to Flashdance. Stupid bloody bib tights.
Oddly, as a grown adult, I have managed to master the notion of keeping my trousers up without needing braces, especially when they're skin-tight Lycra (and yes, I know, for those who know me, I've just put you off your lunch!
), so I'm now after recommendations for normal, "trouser-length" padded tights or trousers.
All recommendations that aren't bib tights warmly welcomed, but I'm limited to around £50-60 budget.
Intending to keep commuting by bike right through the winter, but with my knees in particular starting to feel the cold in the mornings, I decided something more comprehensive was required. Given that something like 80% of the options fall into what I now know to be the loathsome category of bib tights, I decided that this would appear to be the way to go.
As a result of my ride in this morning, I now know this to be a big mistake!

To be fair to them, they did admirably perform the task of keeping my legs warm. Where the problem starts is with their equal ability to keep half of my torso warm too. What point is a garment which keeps half of my top warm??

I am now faced with three options on the way home - keep all my top layers on and suffer an overly hot stomach, take one of them off and suffer from a chilly chest, or cut the bottom half off my T-shirt and ride home looking like Priscilla, queen of the desert's homage to Flashdance. Stupid bloody bib tights.

Oddly, as a grown adult, I have managed to master the notion of keeping my trousers up without needing braces, especially when they're skin-tight Lycra (and yes, I know, for those who know me, I've just put you off your lunch!
), so I'm now after recommendations for normal, "trouser-length" padded tights or trousers.All recommendations that aren't bib tights warmly welcomed, but I'm limited to around £50-60 budget.

I use DHB bib tights and have no problem but you could try something like these!
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-pace-padded-waist-tigh...
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-pace-roubaix-padded-wa...
Both within your budget
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-pace-padded-waist-tigh...
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-pace-roubaix-padded-wa...
Both within your budget
GreatGranny said:
The downside makes up for the comfort and warmth in other areas IMO.
How would they be different to non-bib items? From a warmth perspective, I can't get my upper body temperature uniformly comfortable with bib tights, but can without them.
From a comfort perspective, I don't like the shoulder straps, but that would be a minor quibble if I didn't also have the half too hot/half too cold problem. I wear braces with my dinner jacket because it's not the done thing to wear a belt with it, and the trousers would fall down with neither, but I've never had this problem with my cycling shorts, so I'm not sure what the bib and braces effect adds on the comfort side of things?
I had assumed from the ratio of bib to non-bib options that they would possess some great advantage, but I've not found it myself.
Kermit power said:
I'm not sure what the bib and braces effect adds on the comfort side of things?
It removes the necessity to have a piece of elastic tight around your upper waist, which restricts comfortable breathing, and digs into your abdomen when crouched over your handlebars.All pro cyclists wear bib shorts for those reasons.
I do agree that some bibs have far too much material up top though. Simple 'braces' parts of lycra would be enough, and let the rider decide on his own layerings for warmth.
Edited by Get Karter on Wednesday 14th December 16:43
Get Karter said:
It removes the necessity to have a piece of elastic tight around your upper waist, which restricts comfortable breathing, and digs into your abdomen when crouched over your handlebars.
All pro cyclists wear bib shorts for those reasons.
I suppose that makes sense. My personal preference is definitely for a waistband rather than braces though. Then again, maybe that's why I'm not a pro cyclist! All pro cyclists wear bib shorts for those reasons.

Get Karter said:
It removes the necessity to have a piece of elastic tight around your upper waist, which restricts comfortable breathing, and digs into your abdomen when crouched over your handlebars.
All pro cyclists wear bib shorts for those reasons.
I do agree that some bibs have far too much material up top though. Simple 'braces' parts of lycra would be enough, and let the rider decide on his own layerings for warmth.
fair enough, I've never felt like regular ones have given me problems. Whatever works for you is the rule to be applied here I think All pro cyclists wear bib shorts for those reasons.
I do agree that some bibs have far too much material up top though. Simple 'braces' parts of lycra would be enough, and let the rider decide on his own layerings for warmth.
Edited by Get Karter on Wednesday 14th December 16:43

These semi roubaix leg warmers might do http://www.wiggle.co.uk/descente-coldout-roubaix-l... I've got the knee versions and they're great, they come a long way up my legs and they're half way between lycra and roubaix fabric in terms of warmth.
Now try getting 3/4s, then you can have freezing cold, nice temp, boiling hot all in one 
P.S. Serious face on: I've never had issues, love bibs and would never go back to normal, currently riding with 3/4s, one cycling top and a jacket and end up unzipping the jacked toward the end of my ride to cool down!

P.S. Serious face on: I've never had issues, love bibs and would never go back to normal, currently riding with 3/4s, one cycling top and a jacket and end up unzipping the jacked toward the end of my ride to cool down!
swerni said:
eeer, why not just remove one of your layers if your too hot.
Because the bib part comes half way up my torso, so if I remove a layer to cool my stomach down, my chest and shoulders get chilly. It's not the number of layers causing the problem.I may, however, have found a solution, as my other cycling jacket, which I wore this morning, can be unzipped from the bottom as well as the top, so I can balance out temperature with it.

I HATE bib tights purely because they make my top half too warm - I end up sweating like crazy as a result.
I've got a pair of full-length DHB bibless tights and have no problems with them sliding down or feeling uncomfortable/restrictive around the waist. I'm currently searching for a 3/4 length version as I even find the full-length unnecessary some of the time, despite them being lycra. I just seem to generate a lot of heat.
That plus taking a p*ss wearing a pair of bib tights is just bloody awkward!
I've got a pair of full-length DHB bibless tights and have no problems with them sliding down or feeling uncomfortable/restrictive around the waist. I'm currently searching for a 3/4 length version as I even find the full-length unnecessary some of the time, despite them being lycra. I just seem to generate a lot of heat.
That plus taking a p*ss wearing a pair of bib tights is just bloody awkward!
Hate to point out the obvious but surely the pro bib versions (as a rule) have incredibly light weight upper straps and material.
I have a pair of Shutt VR Pro Bibs and the new version (I have old and new) really are not very heavy 'up top'. Give them a rinag and chat through with Pete or someone else there as the old ones are heavier up top but the pro bobs are incredibly light up top
I have a pair of Shutt VR Pro Bibs and the new version (I have old and new) really are not very heavy 'up top'. Give them a rinag and chat through with Pete or someone else there as the old ones are heavier up top but the pro bobs are incredibly light up top

The OP should just harden up
If you want to wear bibs, wear em
If not, dont,
if you are too hot, by definition you are wearing too many layers
i frequently go out at sub 3'C, with bibs, a wicking top, and a soft shell jacket, and cover 40-50km. Get too hot, unzip clothing, get too cold, work harder and zip up clothing
Simples
If you want to wear bibs, wear em
If not, dont,
if you are too hot, by definition you are wearing too many layers
i frequently go out at sub 3'C, with bibs, a wicking top, and a soft shell jacket, and cover 40-50km. Get too hot, unzip clothing, get too cold, work harder and zip up clothing
Simples
Karussell said:
The OP should just harden up
If you want to wear bibs, wear em
If not, dont,
if you are too hot, by definition you are wearing too many layers
i frequently go out at sub 3'C, with bibs, a wicking top, and a soft shell jacket, and cover 40-50km. Get too hot, unzip clothing, get too cold, work harder and zip up clothing
Simples
What does "hardening up" have to do with anything?? You appear not to have read my OP.If you want to wear bibs, wear em
If not, dont,
if you are too hot, by definition you are wearing too many layers
i frequently go out at sub 3'C, with bibs, a wicking top, and a soft shell jacket, and cover 40-50km. Get too hot, unzip clothing, get too cold, work harder and zip up clothing
Simples
Then again, what is to be expected of someone actually capable of lowering themselves to the point of saying, or in this instance writing "simples".
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