Alternative to tights?

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

~Rob

I've had warm-up pants made by these people:

<http://youngoriginals.com/zippants.htm>

In addition to the material described, they'll also make them from
Polartec "Powerstretch", a smooth on the outside, fuzzy on the inside,
lightweight synthetic 4-way stretch fleece. This is my favorite cold
weather bottom when I don't wear tights. They look pretty much like
pants and go on & off over any layer with full-length zippers.

They did a great job, to my custom measurements and directions, fast
turnaround and prices better than bikes stores.

There are other places that do similar things, like col'd lizard
<http://www.coldlizard.com> ( I have used -- good people) and foxwear
<http://www.foxwear.net> (I haven't used).

You may find similar things for less $$ in a local mega-store, but I
think getting the right fabric and fit is worth a little extra.

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

If you don't want to spend much money, wear what you're comfortable
wearing warmth- and style-wise, and get a velcro leg strap to keep the
cuff out of the chain if it's loose and floppy. If you have some money
to spare, there are many manufacturers that make nice winter-weight
versatile "semi-fitted" sports pants that are usually marketed for
runners, hikers, and x-country skiers, but which would be fine for bike
commuters (depending on style you might want to cinch down with handy
reflective leg strap). Hind makes some nice models.

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

For a cheaper alternative to Peter's excellent advice, there are these:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=14154&subcategory_ID=1121#

They call them tights, but they're not; they're fairly loose fleece
pants with zippered pockets, a drawstring waist, and zippered ankles.

In colder weather, I prefer layering these over lighter tights in the
morning, so I can wear just the tights if it's warmer later in the day.
By themselves, I thing they're probably useful down into the 30s (YMMV)
although obviously, since they're looser, they're less effective than
tights of the same weight.

They look a lot like normal athletic wear when you're off the bike.

RichC

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Until you find what's ideal for you, get a safety pin for each cuff.
(IME, they work better than the various ankle bands, because your cuffs
won't gradually slip out.)

- Frank Krygowski

When I did tons of urban winter commuting in Chicago, I wore lycra
tights (don't have to be cycling specific) with jeans and Blundstone
boots.

I usually would *never* recommend jeans for cycling, but with lycra
tights under them, they don't bind to your skin as the lycra is so
slippery and work great for cycling. Good to around zero degrees if you
can keep the rest of your bits warm. Best things about this arrangement
are that if you're riding on ice and snow and fall--jeans are pretty
tough and when you get to your destination, lycra under your jeans is
not nearly as sweaty as long johns.

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

Yes, swallow your pride and pull on a pair of tights. ;-)

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

"~R" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

~Rob

SportHill makes what I could best describe as "relaxed fit" tights, or
"tights for chubby people". They are somewhat form fitting, stretchy, but
there's enough room in them for a pair or two of long underwear, or to hide
your own extra padding. They also have front zipper pockets and ankle
zippers, and the legs are cut close enough that they won't get caught in a
bicycle chain. I've been quite happy with mine.
--
mark

In article <[email hidden]>,

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

~Rob

I use cheapo Target wind pants.

They work pretty well, but. I wear my bike shorts underneath them and
find the wind pants like to creep wayyy down around my butt, a problem
exacerbated by the smoooth bike shorts, giving me what would be
super-ultra-mega plumber's crack if i didn't have the sexy spandex
underneath to obscure the view.

The only anti-creep-down solution that i found workable is suspenders.
You need good seriously grippy clips on the suspenders or the slippery
wind pants won't stay connected.

Nice thing about the wind pants is they make an excellent foundation
(well, shell, actually) for layering as the temps continue to drop.

I use a bit of velcro around the right ankle to keep it out of the
chainring. When the weather is snowy or super rainy or when i wear
boots, i velcro both pants legs around the outside of the boots.

fwiw, hth, yadda.

..max

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Until you find what's ideal for you, get a safety pin for each cuff.
(IME, they work better than the various ankle bands, because your cuffs
won't gradually slip out.)

The velcro i use is adhesive backed. What i did was (inadvertantly)
remove the plastic strip from _one_ piece of the velcro and basically
let it get all gunked up with road dirt. It's still got tack, but it
doesn't transfer adhesive to the pant leg. Pants don't slip. This
discovery was more accidental than sought after.

..max

Jeans -- with a layer of something underneath when very cold -- are
great for cycling. Just take a length of old innertube to tie around
the bottoms -- to keep them out of harms way, and out of the chain.
Regards,
Larry

max said:

I use cheapo Target wind pants.

Wind pants also come with zippers or elastic on the legs. They are not
expensive. You are wise to think about keeping the material out of the
chain. That is critical no matter what you are wearing. I rode in wind
pants down to the mid 20s F and my legs did not get uncomfortably cold.
For me, the main thing is keeping the wind away from my skin.

if the lycra police are a concern then wind pants are a good
alternative--just be sure they are plenty loose across the front of your
thighs when you bend your legs. I wore a pair once in very cold weather
(about 15 degrees) and the fronts of my thighs were almost frostbitten. The
pants were tight enough to squeeze the insulation underneath them flat and
useless each time I completed a pedal stroke. Ouch. Cold ride out....car
ride home to a hot bath. I bought tights the next day and never looked back.

"catzz66" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

max said:

I use cheapo Target wind pants.

Wind pants also come with zippers or elastic on the legs. They are not
expensive. You are wise to think about keeping the material out of the
chain. That is critical no matter what you are wearing. I rode in wind
pants down to the mid 20s F and my legs did not get uncomfortably cold.
For me, the main thing is keeping the wind away from my skin.

John Everett said:

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

Yes, swallow your pride and pull on a pair of tights. ;-)

Why do women love the ballet.......MEN IN TIGHTS!! Do you think they
are actually watching the ballet? How many times can you keep going
to the Nutcracker every year in December without realizing why you are
going. Wear the tights.

As for me, I wear sweatpants. Sometimes I double them up so I look like
two ton tillie. I don't give a [censored] if I look cubby when I am cycling.
I'm not out there to impress anyone. There are other times to impress
if you want to.... ;-)

I have no idea why I need special cycling clothes, I never have and
probably never will. As much as everyone yells about people who dare to
say they hate lycra...I hate lycra.
I grew up banding my pant leg when I was a cycling little kid so it
would not get caught in the chain.

BTW, I did wear my sons motorcycle jacket one morning and that is
amazing. I can fall and not even feel the pain. ;-) Those jackets
are awesome. Talk about staying warm. They are wonderful jackets for
the cold and for falling ;-) .
Maggie

wore jeans today. Wworked out great, with reflective velcro bands
around the ankles.

~Rob

"LF" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
: Jeans -- with a layer of something underneath when very cold --
are
: great for cycling. Just take a length of old innertube to tie
around
: the bottoms -- to keep them out of harms way, and out of the
chain.
: Regards,
: Larry
:

trust me on this one, I'm doing the environment a favor by NOT
wearing tights! It's not that I care to impress anyone, I just
look rediculous in them. My legs are in great shape, but I still
have a belly that riding all year and dieting have not done much
to dent.

~Rob

"John Everett" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...
: On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 10:55:06 GMT, "~R" <[email hidden]> wrote:
:
: >Hi,
: >
: >Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
: >don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm
still
: >a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
: >other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
: >warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a
parachute.
: >Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
: >mechanisms.
: >
: >Any suggestions?
:
: Yes, swallow your pride and pull on a pair of tights. ;-)
:
:
: jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net
http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

"Maggie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

John Everett said:

~R said:

Hi,

Cold weather is upon us. Time to pack away our shorts. But I
don't feel comfortable wearing tights to bike to work. I'm still
a little chubby and very tall. What pants are good for biking
other than tights? Right now I'm wearing these lined nylon
warm-up pants, but they're so baggy that it's like a parachute.
Plus I'm afraid the baggy cuffs will get caught in the chain
mechanisms.

Any suggestions?

Yes, swallow your pride and pull on a pair of tights. ;-)

Why do women love the ballet.......MEN IN TIGHTS!! Do you think they
are actually watching the ballet? How many times can you keep going
to the Nutcracker every year in December without realizing why you are
going. Wear the tights.

As for me, I wear sweatpants. Sometimes I double them up so I look like
two ton tillie. I don't give a [censored] if I look cubby when I am cycling.
I'm not out there to impress anyone. There are other times to impress
if you want to.... ;-)

I have no idea why I need special cycling clothes, I never have and
probably never will. As much as everyone yells about people who dare to
say they hate lycra...I hate lycra.
I grew up banding my pant leg when I was a cycling little kid so it
would not get caught in the chain.

BTW, I did wear my sons motorcycle jacket one morning and that is
amazing. I can fall and not even feel the pain. ;-) Those jackets
are awesome. Talk about staying warm. They are wonderful jackets for
the cold and for falling ;-) .
Maggie

Now, when I'm out cycling, halfway up the first hill or so, I start to
perspire. After the first hill I take off my wind jacket and roll it into
my pocket. By the second hill my headband is also in my pocket. If there
are more hills the tights come off (which is why I wear them OVER shorts).
They also roll into my pocket. So I'm wondering, do you have baskets for the
leather jacket after you work up a glow? I'm sure sweatpants won't fit in
my pockets. And don't sweatpants get damp when sweaty? Does the second
pair over the first keep the wind from chilling the damp sweaty pants? Or
maybe I'm out of shape and real cyclists don't perspire. (I have the same
problem with running or playing tennis, thus the "high performance" lycra
wear, keeps me from dragging around extra pounds of wet clothes.)

Cathy Kearns said:

Now, when I'm out cycling, halfway up the first hill or so, I start to
perspire. After the first hill I take off my wind jacket and roll it into
my pocket. By the second hill my headband is also in my pocket. If there
are more hills the tights come off (which is why I wear them OVER shorts).
They also roll into my pocket. So I'm wondering, do you have baskets for the
leather jacket after you work up a glow? I'm sure sweatpants won't fit in
my pockets. And don't sweatpants get damp when sweaty? Does the second
pair over the first keep the wind from chilling the damp sweaty pants? Or
maybe I'm out of shape and real cyclists don't perspire. (I have the same
problem with running or playing tennis, thus the "high performance" lycra
wear, keeps me from dragging around extra pounds of wet clothes.)

Are you kidding me....do you think I work out as hard as you do riding?
You must never read my posts. I really don't work up a sweat. I
ride for enjoyment. And I rarely do hills. I do my best to avoid
them. I ride on bike paths. Level bike paths. I will ride a fairly
good distance....but I do it at my leisure. I only wore my sons
leather motorcycle jacket once....and it was not a long ride. It was
cold, but I did not ride a great distance. It was my morning before
work ride. I stopped commuting to work since I bought a new car. I
know that is a BAD ME, BAD ME.....but I like my car. I like my bike,
but I like my car too. Maybe if I was into racing or something, lycra
would win me over.....but I am not. I think people should ride in
whatever clothes works well for their style of riding. Mine is just
recreational. So I don't buy special clothes to ride. I did buy
lights for my bike though. It is getting dark so freaking early.
Maggie.

On 13 Nov 2005 06:52:52 -0800, "Maggie" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I did buy
lights for my bike though. It is getting dark so freaking early.
Maggie.

Which lights did you get?

Indiana Mike

Mike Rice said:

Which lights did you get?

Indiana Mike

I bought the Cobra headlight It is made for short commutes at night.
It is a 2.5 watts Xenon headlight. It runs on batteries which I wanted
and it will last up to 6 hours. I never ride 6 hours in the
dark....so I think I am safe with what I purchased. It mounts on the
bike very easily....and I can take it off very easily. I like it.
Probably not the type most of you like, but for me its great. I wanted
one that ran on batteries and could be mounted on the bike easily. I
got it.

Maggie.