fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Never - just lightweight bibs - hairy legs and road bikes don't go. MTB then the legs come out.
It's got to be nice and warm for me before the shorts come out as i'm nesh.
My temperature wasn't there. I don't go into shorts in spring until it's at least 20C, although I'll be in a short sleeve top long before that. I'd rather keep my legs covered than my arms. I generally stay in shorts longer in the autumn, though.
I used to go on Cost Blanca training camps in March when it was typically 15-25 °C and we'd all be riding in shorts and short-sleeved jerseys. You'd see the local Spanish riders out on their bikes wearing full-finger gloves, arm and leg warmers, scarves round their necks and faces, and woolly hats on their heads! We'd ride through hilltop villages and see old men sitting chatting on roadside benches and they'd have big jumpers and heavy jackets on, plus flat caps. The Spanish appeared to feel that it was still the middle of winter!My temperature wasn't there. I don't go into shorts in spring until it's at least 20C, although I'll be in a short sleeve top long before that. I'd rather keep my legs covered than my arms. I generally stay in shorts longer in the autumn, though.
Mind you, one day when it got to about 30 °C, we Brits were wilting in the heat but the Spanish were in summer kit and sauntering up the climbs as if conditions were merely pleasantly warm!
I've been out this week in long fingered-gloves, long sleeved top, fleecy jumper ontop, oh, and shorts!
If you have any respect for your knees, then at least 18c before the shorts. Otherwise a progression from full to 3/4 legs once over 12c ish. Oldroadman was taught this is 19 and frozen to death by a top coach, and years after finishing competition the old kness still function nicely. Quite a few of the "hard men" from my younger days, who got their knees out all the time, now have all kinds of problems. One can hardly walk, others are looking at surgery, all kinds of niggles.
So look after yourselves, because as the years go by, the invoice comes in for all the time you spent not being properly prepared in cold weather!