so when do the shorts come out?

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ANTONISH
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by ANTONISH »

ChrisButch wrote:I was lectured very strictly about this by my father, who grew up in the club culture of the 1920s/30s. Shorts were never to be worn before May, because of the risk of muscle damage. Of course naming a date is arbitrary, because of the variability of the seasons: but I've always stuck with the principle, and I still wince when I see riders in shorts in the middle of winter (of whom there seem to be an increasing number).

I was also lectured on this by an old Belgian "roadie". Basically don't wear shorts unless it's over 20C. If the weather is very cold ( I usually work on 10C) wear long thermal underwear under the top layer. I think this was good advice in protecting the knees ( at least I've made it to my early 70's without any knee problems)
oneride
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by oneride »

I'm in winter gear until double digit temps. Was reading an article on this subject a few weeks ago about micro tearing of muscle if you get cold which could explain any little niggles. Can always do a quick strip at the tea shop if it gets warm mid-route.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Double digits?!!!!

I'd be roasting!
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eileithyia
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by eileithyia »

shorts all winter but with a combination of leg warmers, longs or all 3....... briefly shorts only for a 10 mile event after a good warm up a couple of weeks ago.....
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Guy951
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by Guy951 »

My shorts came out in February, but only for commuting.(People at work think I'm well 'ard :lol: ). Been a bit fresh around the knee department, mind, but that's only to be expected this time of year.
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Mick F
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by Mick F »

Still FAR too cold here.
I'm wearing sandals now instead of shoes in "normal" clothes, but shorts not until the weather is warm.

Although the sun is nice and warm, the wind is quite cold. I rode out yesterday and wished I'd worn gloves, so shorts wearing is a long way off yet.

Temp gets to about 9 or 10degC or perhaps 12degC ............... and with a damned chilly wind.
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by The fat commuter »

I changed the bike to summer tyres a few weeks ago and ditched the builder's fleece and the thermal(ish) long johns for under my shorts.

The summer tyres are still on the bike - though it did snow apparently during the day yesterday.

The long johns and fleece went back on after two or three days. The fleece was on because my arms were cold - felt like someone had poured boiling water over them. That's not too bad. The long johns were back on because my knees hurt, a deep pain. It didn't feel like a damaging type of pain - but I did wonder whether it was doing me any good - so the long johns are back for another few weeks at least. Actually, thinking about it - when I was on Earlies I wore my long johns going into work at 6 am and ditched them for the ride home at 3. I'm on Nights this week which is an 8:30 pm ride in and a 7 am ride home - so I've not thought twice about wearing warmer clothes.

I think that it's an age thing (for me). I never used to be affected by the cold but that seems to have changed over the last year or two.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knee_pain#Cold-induced

Cold-induced[edit]

A Chinese study concluded that knee pain is significantly more prevalent in people working in cold stores than in those in normal temperature.[5]

One study came to the conclusion that 17% of adolescents with anterior knee pain (a common but benign self-limiting condition) report that their pain is associated with cold weather.[6] The same study indicated that the main activities associated with anterior knee pain are sporting, stair climbing and walking, but also sitting.[6] Some people with anterior knee pain tend to have generally colder knees, and such people also trend towards having to wear extra tights/long johns in the winter.[7]

Cold-induced knee pain may also be due to tenosynovitis of the tendons around the knee, in which cold exposure has a specific role, either as a causative or a contributing factor.[5] Frank arthritis has been reported in children due to frostbite from extreme cold causing direct chondrocyte injury.[8]

There is also a hereditary disease, familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS), which often features knee pain, in addition to hives, fever and pain in other joints, following general exposure to cold.[9]

Cold weather also aggravates knee pain in patients already having osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.[10]
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foxyrider
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by foxyrider »

been wearing 3/4's all winter as I've got dodgy knees and its not got too far below 0c! Shorts have been worn underneath so they've not been put away just covered, its usually April when my knees finally brave the elements!
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Cunobelin
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by Cunobelin »

I was in Iceland a few weeks ago.

The temperature was -5 (-15 with wind chill)... and we were going to walk on Grabrok, an extinct Volcano

Up comes an Australian with shorts as he "doesn't believe in trousers"

So apparently -15 degrees C is warm enough for shorts
Mistik-ka
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by Mistik-ka »

As soon as the snowdrifts are less than knee-high! (My best guess is the day after tomorrow 8) )
thidwick
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by thidwick »

My version of the rules: developed in several years of cycling to work....... The Shorts appear after the clocks change to BST, and back into longs as soon as commute involves cycling in the dark.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mick F wrote:Still FAR too cold here.
I'm wearing sandals now instead of shoes in "normal" clothes, but shorts not until the weather is warm.

Although the sun is nice and warm, the wind is quite cold. I rode out yesterday and wished I'd worn gloves, so shorts wearing is a long way off yet.

Temp gets to about 9 or 10degC or perhaps 12degC ............... and with a damned chilly wind.


Full gloves or fingerless?

I'm still wearing full length gloves in the morning, fingers don't stay too warm, since they do no work...

Legs are a major source of heat, and get a lot of blood flow from the other major heat centres, so they stay warm much more easily than fingers...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
pete75
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by pete75 »

CliveyT wrote:
Audax67 wrote:What mig noticed I've seen here too - there always seems to be one ostensibly-tough guy out in shorts in temperatures approaching zero. Dunno what those freezing purple-white-mottled legs are supposed to prove: tendinitis spares nobody.


That would be me-having worked in Finland I can tell you this country doesn't get cold. -10 I might consider for longs, but hardly seems worth it for commuting


It depends. If you spent a day working in a fen field in January, temperature hovering around freezing with all the humidity and a bitter East wind off the North Sea you wouldn't say it doesn't get cold here. Just breathing the damp winter fenland air really saps heat from your body.

If, as many claim, you lose half your body heat through your head presumably you'd be as warm riding bollock naked in a balaclava as wearing clothes but no hat and shorts should be ok in any weather provided you wear a hat.
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RickH
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Re: so when do the shorts come out?

Post by RickH »

I'm with the Belgians (my knees ache if they are cold)

  • Longs (Roubaix type material - usually "Team Aldi") unless the temperature is likely to be well into double figures. I'll add extra layers underneath if the temp is going south of freezing
  • 3/4s (again Roubaix) if I will be mostly in low to mid teen temps.
  • from mid teens shorts with knee warmers which I will remove as the temperature gets to the top end of the teens (& put back on if it drops again).
You can tell me in a group of cyclists - I will usually be the last bloke with my knees out but, often with short sleeves, when others are in shorts with long sleeves. 8)

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Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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