What temperature for shorts?

[som3blok3]

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???

 

[gaz]

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.

 

[beanzontoast]

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.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

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).

 

[Lizban]

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.

 

[snapper_37]

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

 

[Dayvo]

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!

 

[moralcrusader]

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...

 

[400bhp]

Normally +15 for me.

About the same for me.

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

 

[martint235]

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.

 

[upsidedown]

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

 

[XmisterIS]

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?

 

[Fran143]

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

 

[400bhp]

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.

 

[400bhp]

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

Interesting. Why on top, not underneath?