Winter clothes advice please

[Deep]

Hi
I'm new to cycling, started about four months ago at the age of 50.
I'm sorted for my top half for now ie nice base layer and jacket.

Am struggling a bit with my lower half. I'm not really a bib person and so have been trying to find padded tights. I suffer from a sore arse so the pad is very important to me. Also there isn't a huge selection of tights out there, mainly bibs.

A number of tights I have tried had nice pads but just didn't fit me properly. Very tight on the legs even though I have a slim lower half.

I have found some gore wear tights that fit well, feel lovely and keep me warm. Unfortunately the pad is pretty basic so not great for longer rides.

Funnily enough some cheap summer shorts I bought from Amazon had a fantastic pad. So I'm wondering whether I can wear those and buy leg warmers.
Would this work or will the very top of my legs/crotch/arse get cold??

Any other suggestions welcome.

Sorry if it's a stupid question but am new to all this!

[JEA1K]

Deep said:

Hi
I'm new to cycling, started about four months ago at the age of 50.
I'm sorted for my top half for now ie nice base layer and jacket.

Am struggling a bit with my lower half. I'm not really a bib person and so have been trying to find padded tights. I suffer from a sore arse so the pad is very important to me. Also there isn't a huge selection of tights out there, mainly bibs.

A number of tights I have tried had nice pads but just didn't fit me properly. Very tight on the legs even though I have a slim lower half.

I have found some gore wear tights that fit well, feel lovely and keep me warm. Unfortunately the pad is pretty basic so not great for longer rides.

Funnily enough some cheap summer shorts I bought from Amazon had a fantastic pad. So I'm wondering whether I can wear those and buy leg warmers.
Would this work or will the very top of my legs/crotch/arse get cold??

Any other suggestions welcome.

Sorry if it's a stupid question but am new to all this!

Leg warmers will be fine, have worn this combo for 5+ years. When you say your not a bib person, I'm not sure why you wouldn't wear them when they're designed for a job? The bib is supposed to hold your shorts in place and stop you loosing heat when you're on the bike. If your jacket/jersey starts to ride a little high, the bibs come high enough to protect you from heat loss. There is no question that this is the most comfortable option with the best selection of pads for everyone. You won't find a decent selection of tights as cyclists just don't wear them ...

The best shorts for winter are fleece lined, rather than just lycra which won't be warm enough and when coupled with leg warmers, you should be good.

[Daveyraveygravey]

If you can stand JD Sports, they do some runners tights, the brand is Karrimor, and they are cheap, a tenner if there is a sale on. The quality isn't great, and they don't last forever but they do a reasonable job of keeping me warm.

[Ares]

The answer really is bibs.

They are more comfortable, don't move about and give you a huge range of thermal options.

[Deep]

I suppose I feel like a bit of a fraud in a bib. I associate them with proper cyclists ie wiry thin superfit men who can cycle hundreds of miles at ridiculous speeds. I'm just a middle aged man with a slight paunch trying to keep fit and get out in the fresh air.

But point taken, I will look at bibs.

Thanks

[addey]

You can get unpadded tights that you can wear over your current shorts. This is my preference in winter, padded bib-shorts with unpadded tights over the top. Have a look at Pearl Izumi.

[millen]

I'm happy with Funkier non-bib full length tights. Have both the thicker winter ('polar') type and a lighter summer pair. Both have a decent B14 pad. There's also a water resistant version - unclear if that has a pad. Not too many stockists but Merlin normally have them. Personally I see no point in the faff of bibs - my paunch holds the waistband securely enough!

Possibly also Decathlon, DHB, Lusso might make similar - I haven't checked recently.

When it's around 10C I tend to wear some very lightweight cheap black and white patterned tights from Planet X/On-one (my go-to brand for clothing) under my normal padded Lusso shorts. Very stretchy and extend half way down the foot. Takes the chill off the knees and legs but definitely not windproof. Wearing them over shorts, not under, might look a bit weird - I've never tried.

[Marcellus]

Deep said:

Funnily enough some cheap summer shorts I bought from Amazon had a fantastic pad. So I'm wondering whether I can wear those and buy leg warmers.
Would this work or will the very top of my legs/crotch/arse get cold??!

In which case wear these under (or over) a pair of unpadded tights.

[gl20]

OP - aside from bibs/tights are you sorted for overshoes? I find it’s my feet that suffer most in the cold. Just getting my second pair. Lesson learned for me is waterproof matters more than thermal protection. Get thicker socks for the latter then make sure the overshoes keep them dry.

[Bucksspeedyboy]

I’m another one in the bib camp. I would never ride in anything other than bib tights or shorts because they are so much more comfortable than ordinary tights or shorts. Forget feeling like a fraud and just get the best tools for the job. I have a pair of thick DHB bib tights that I got from Wiggle and if you don’t want to spend a fortune and as mentioned earlier, places like Decathlon are good

[mooseracer]

Deep said:

I suppose I feel like a bit of a fraud in a bib. I associate them with proper cyclists ie wiry thin superfit men who can cycle hundreds of miles at ridiculous speeds. I'm just a middle aged man with a slight paunch trying to keep fit and get out in the fresh air.

But point taken, I will look at bibs.

Thanks

Don't worry about it - when you are on your bike you are cycling just like anyone else. No-one will be inspecting your legwear to try and figure out if you have bibs or tights on (well, some might, but they are the type that are best avoided and ignored).

Go for some bibs - the choice is huge for all budgets.

[mikeiow]

addey said:

You can get unpadded tights that you can wear over your current shorts. This is my preference in winter, padded bib-shorts with unpadded tights over the top. Have a look at Pearl Izumi.

Can also get “padded underwear”, then wear whatever you like (heck, I sometimes pedal in my craghoppers lined trousers!)

[millen]

On a related issue, I've been scanning Amazon and eBay for something to keep my top half warm and have gotten increasingly confused at the difference between 'soft shell jackets' and 'long sleeved jerseys'.

It seems that many winter jerseys are 'thermal', have full length zips, 3 rear pockets. Some claim water resistance. So is this essentially a jacket under a different marketing name? Or perhaps a jersey is stretchy snug fitting while a jacket is looser and flaps in the wind? Or is it that a jacket involves two or more layers of material while a jersey has just one? Or is there a degree of price perception - eg £60 might seem expensive for a jersey but fair game for a jacket? (PS I'm talking road stuff here - fully accept that MTBers may need more durable outer layer for branch/scratch protection.)

Am I simply over-thinking the distinction?

[Ares]

Deep said:

I suppose I feel like a bit of a fraud in a bib. I associate them with proper cyclists ie wiry thin superfit men who can cycle hundreds of miles at ridiculous speeds. I'm just a middle aged man with a slight paunch trying to keep fit and get out in the fresh air.

But point taken, I will look at bibs.

Thanks

Not at all..... Only in so much as non-marathon runners are frauds in running shoes.

[Ares]

gl20 said:

OP - aside from bibs/tights are you sorted for overshoes? I find it’s my feet that suffer most in the cold. Just getting my second pair. Lesson learned for me is waterproof matters more than thermal protection. Get thicker socks for the latter then make sure the overshoes keep them dry.

Spatz overshoes will protect against significant sub-zero...

[Ares]

mooseracer said:

Deep said:

I suppose I feel like a bit of a fraud in a bib. I associate them with proper cyclists ie wiry thin superfit men who can cycle hundreds of miles at ridiculous speeds. I'm just a middle aged man with a slight paunch trying to keep fit and get out in the fresh air.

But point taken, I will look at bibs.

Thanks

Don't worry about it - when you are on your bike you are cycling just like anyone else. No-one will be inspecting your legwear to try and figure out if you have bibs or tights on (well, some might, but they are the type that are best avoided and ignored).

Go for some bibs - the choice is huge for all budgets.

...but they might notice the 'builders-cleavage' if you're wearing non-bibs

[chris7676]

You could combine bibs with shorts / base layers. I personally have quite a few layers around my bum as it gets much colder than the legs. (And yes thanks I'm comfortable and no "chaffing" / chavving or whatever )

[David_M]

millen said:

On a related issue, I've been scanning Amazon and eBay for something to keep my top half warm and have gotten increasingly confused at the difference between 'soft shell jackets' and 'long sleeved jerseys'.

It seems that many winter jerseys are 'thermal', have full length zips, 3 rear pockets. Some claim water resistance. So is this essentially a jacket under a different marketing name? Or perhaps a jersey is stretchy snug fitting while a jacket is looser and flaps in the wind? Or is it that a jacket involves two or more layers of material while a jersey has just one? Or is there a degree of price perception - eg £60 might seem expensive for a jersey but fair game for a jacket? (PS I'm talking road stuff here - fully accept that MTBers may need more durable outer layer for branch/scratch protection.)

Am I simply over-thinking the distinction?

There are probably many ways to cut it and the lines get blurred, but I think of (winter) jerseys as being warmer fabric and jackets being windproof. Windproof makes a huge difference when it gets colder - for me the crossover is about 6 C.

I highly recommend the Gore Bike wear ones for good cut and quality - Phantom for windproof and C5 jersey for slightly warmer autumn weather.

[Ares]

millen said:

On a related issue, I've been scanning Amazon and eBay for something to keep my top half warm and have gotten increasingly confused at the difference between 'soft shell jackets' and 'long sleeved jerseys'.

It seems that many winter jerseys are 'thermal', have full length zips, 3 rear pockets. Some claim water resistance. So is this essentially a jacket under a different marketing name? Or perhaps a jersey is stretchy snug fitting while a jacket is looser and flaps in the wind? Or is it that a jacket involves two or more layers of material while a jersey has just one? Or is there a degree of price perception - eg £60 might seem expensive for a jersey but fair game for a jacket? (PS I'm talking road stuff here - fully accept that MTBers may need more durable outer layer for branch/scratch protection.)

Am I simply over-thinking the distinction?

No rule of thumb, but long sleeved will typically be just 'normal', usually merino/merino-blend, or synthetic. Soft-shell then to be two layer, jersey material lined (merino/merino-blend/synthetic) with a more robust windproof outer. Some will also have varying degree of water resistance (Gabba/Shadow/etc), but non will be truly waterproof.

A Jersey is a top, a jacket is usually to be worn over a jersey....although a lot of the soft shells are hybrid and can be worn just over a base layer.

As the temperature drops I go...

Lightweight Jersey + featherweight base layer
Normal Jersey + featherweight base layer
Long sleeved Jersey - Merino base layer
Thicker Merino Jersey - Merino base layer
Training Jacket - Merino base layer
Training Jacket - Longsleeved & collared Merino base layer
Training Jacket - Longsleeved & hooded Merino base layer

If really cold, add insulated jacket.

Carry either gilet or rain jacket if likely to be wet

[millen]

Excellent! Thanks Ares and David for summarising.
I've just taken the plunge on a Gore Wear C5 Thermo Windstopper Jersey, which is what prompted my query yesterday.

I had a more complex layering hierarchy but prefer to avoid jackets when dry, so ended up with a summer short-sleeved jersey plus 3-4 layers underneath (and arm warmers) which inevitably gets Mr Blobby-style and constraining and still lets the north wind through!