Cold, Stiff Knees (with tights)

OK - I am late going out, but I am trying to layer the tights. I just hope this doesn't exacerbate the problem by making the movement more difficult. I will report later on the results of this experiment.

Well, my knees aren't so stiff, so I think I am on the right track with the layers, but it seemed way more difficult to acheive the same average speed today than it did in the summer. I don't know if it was the stiff NW wind, the fact that I had way more clothes on, or maybe it is harder on the body to ride when it is cooler out.

All I know is that I am worn out and will welcome a sauna this evening. 🙂

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I was out yesterday and it was about 56F. I noticed that my knees were kind of stiff and cold
after my ride, despite the fact that I was wearing tights.

Do others have this problem? What is the solution? It's just going to get colder and this is my
first autumn with my bent, which is why I haven't noticed the problem before. Maybe my tights are
inadequate or ??? They are just a plain knit, cotton/lycra, not shiny.

Thanks for the input. Please hurry and reply - I am about 15 minutes from the start of my ride
today and it is 52F today. 🙂

The Quick answeer is 'pedal faster'. That is spin in a lower gear and the increased blood flow will
keep the legs warm(er) BTW tights will (maybe) block the wind but provide little or no insulation. I
use Bike leg warmers instead of tights. These are cotton/Lycra and are perhaps a little thicker than
what you are describing. Cotton/Lycra will not be shiny like Nylon/Lycra

And then there is wool for those in the frigid North.

(At least two months to go before I need Leg warmers). It was 55 this AM on my ride to work.
--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.orgOpen ↗
- Bellaire, TX USA -

PreciousBbird said:

I was out yesterday and it was about 56F. I noticed that my knees were kind of stiff and cold after
my ride, despite the fact that I was wearing tights.

Do others have this problem? What is the solution?

My knees were fine riding in painter's white pants at 34F on the way to work last week (it's 10-20
degrees warmer this week), so I don't think the temperature should be your problem.

I'm comfortable wearing shorts when temps are in the 50's.

Mike Rice

Quoted message said:

It's just going to get colder and this is my first autumn with my bent, which is why I haven't
noticed the problem before. Maybe my tights are inadequate or ??? They are just a plain knit,
cotton/lycra, not shiny.

Thanks for the input. Please hurry and reply - I am about 15 minutes from the start of my ride
today and it is 52F today. 🙂

Cletus is correct and I just figured it out tonight myself, drop a rear gear and pedal faster, my
legs feel much better than they usually do because of
it. You will maintain the speed you did before (if not faster) and you won't lose quite as much
speed when in slightly hilly areas

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

Quoted message said:

OK - I am late going out, but I am trying to layer the tights. I just hope this doesn't exacerbate
the problem by making the movement more difficult. I will report later on the results of this
experiment.

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Cletus Lee <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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...And then there is wool for those in the frigid North.

Not this one! I prefer polarfleece sweats under running wind pants. The wind'll go right through
wool tights or leg warmers, and you *really* don't want certain body parts to freeze and fall off!

In the 50's I'm still wearing shorts. But I bought a pair of trim (not skin tite) pants from Hostel
Shoppe. Haven't had a chance to try em yet but I like the fact that they leave a little air between
the pants and my leg...and they are windproof and wick moisture. Wish I could tell you how good they
are...but have not had occasion to try em yet.

phil

Ok, I'm sorry, I just can't resist this. I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. I've
been doing some night rides, because that's when it gets below 90. It's pretty nice in the mornings,
but if I do a long morning ride, it gets a bit warm. Supposed to be 101 on Saturday. I've not gotten
out of shorts yet.

Welcome to Phoenix.

--
Mark Gregory Longbikes Slipstream O \ _____,%) (*)-'------------(*)

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

Quoted message said:

I was out yesterday and it was about 56F. I noticed that my knees were kind of stiff and cold
after my ride, despite the fact that I was wearing tights.

Do others have this problem? What is the solution? It's just going to get colder and this is my
first autumn with my bent, which is why I haven't noticed the problem before. Maybe my tights are
inadequate or ??? They are just a plain knit, cotton/lycra, not shiny.

Thanks for the input. Please hurry and reply - I am about 15 minutes from the start of my ride
today and it is 52F today. 🙂

--

Quoted message said:

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Posted via cyclingforums.com cyclingforums.comcyclingforums.comOpen ↗

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Madog
Supposed to be 101 on Saturday. I've not gotten
out of shorts yet.

Welcome to Phoenix.

OK Madog- that's just plain taunting. LOL I love riding in very hot weather, but in MN we don't get the oven-like temps you do in Phoenix.

As far as wearing shorts in the 40's, 50's, etc. Maybe this goes back to my DF days and it's not true for bents, but I was taught that you should cover the knees if it is under 64F. Now that doesn't mean wool, but covered, or you are asking for knee problems. And I am probably a wimp.

"MaDoG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Ok, I'm sorry, I just can't resist this. I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about.
I've been doing some night rides, because that's when it gets below 90. It's pretty nice in the
mornings, but if I do a long morning ride, it gets a bit warm. Supposed to be 101 on Saturday.
I've not gotten out of shorts yet.

Welcome to Phoenix.

--
Mark Gregory Longbikes Slipstream O \ _____,%) (*)-'------------(*)

Rubbing it in to us poor northerners? 🙂 Denis

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

Quoted message said:

I was out yesterday and it was about 56F. I noticed that my knees were kind of stiff and cold
after my ride, despite the fact that I was wearing tights.

I commute to work everyday on my GRR/ZIPPER. The last few days it has been 50 deg F. at 7:30 am and
I am still in shorts. I do wear a nylon shell windbreaker.

When it starts to cool off I plan to use a pair of common sweat pants. I will get a pair that is a
little bit small so the leg will fit a bit snugger. Back when I trained on the MTB at 30 degs it
worked well. Better than tights for the reasons previously mentioned by others.

Jerry

In article <[email hidden]>, PreciousBbird says...

Quoted message said:

Madog said:

Supposed to be 101 on Saturday. I've not gotten out of shorts yet. Welcome to Phoenix.

OK Madog- that's just plain taunting. LOL I love riding in very hot weather, but in MN we don't get
the oven-like temps you do in Phoenix.

As far as wearing shorts in the 40's, 50's, etc. Maybe this goes back to my DF days and it's not
true for bents, but I was taught that you should cover the knees if it is under 64F. Now that
doesn't mean wool, but covered, or you are asking for knee problems. And I am probably a wimp.

I use the same rule. Low 60s and sunny - shorts. Below 60, or low 60s and cloudy or windy - tights.
Though now that I'm using a fairing for cold weather riding that may change.

As for Phoenix, well it might be nice NOW, but how about summer? (grin) I was at a conference once
in Phoenix in July, and the pavement was so hot that you could easily burn your feet if you tried to
walk outside to the pool.

Steve Christensen

[email hidden] (Jerry Rhodes) wrote in message
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PreciousBbird <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I was out yesterday and it was about 56F. I noticed that my knees were kind of stiff and cold
after my ride, despite the fact that I was wearing tights.

I commute to work everyday on my GRR/ZIPPER. The last few days it has been 50 deg F. at 7:30 am
and I am still in shorts. I do wear a nylon shell windbreaker.

When it starts to cool off I plan to use a pair of common sweat pants. I will get a pair that is a
little bit small so the leg will fit a bit snugger. Back when I trained on the MTB at 30 degs it
worked well. Better than tights for the reasons previously mentioned by others.

Jerry

Hi folks, I live in the Northeast (Boston) and commute to my business any day the F temperature is
20 or higher. When the temp is 50 I'll wear common cotton sweat pants one size too small. When the
temp falls to 40 or less I wear silk under the cotton. The silk wicks moisture away and traps a
layer of warm air between it and the cotton. Legs never sweat enough for moisture to be a problem,
particularly at cold tempertures. If it goes below 20 then polar fleece and wind pants over. I don't
ride then. Upper I wear cotton and switch to fleece and finally silk and fleece as the T decends.

Gene

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

Quoted message said:

Ok, I'm sorry, I just can't resist this. I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about.
I've been doing some night rides, because that's

when

Quoted message said:

it gets below 90. It's pretty nice in the mornings, but if I do a long morning ride, it gets a bit
warm. Supposed to be 101 on Saturday. I've not gotten out of shorts yet.

I rode to work today in 28 fahrenheit, nice sunrise and spots of fog spattered around the
countryside. Alas, I didn't bring the camera.

I felt fine all the way (25miles), and didn't have the summer problem of stopping swetting after the
ride. The only cold parts after the ride was my feets and the unmentionable one (no, not the nose).
I guess I have to look for the wollen socs and whatever now ;-)

Regards, Torben

I have found some cross country ski pants that combine wind proofing with insulation at REI. Theye
were pretty effective for the legs.

I also stretch in the middle of a ride once I am warmed up. Helps knees, Achilles tendon,
hamstrings and back.

But to prove that I am a real wimp I have ordered a fairing for the trike this winter. Hope it
arrives before the first real cold snap.

Gary McCarty, Greenspeed GTO, Salt Lake City

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

Quoted message said:

I was out yesterday and it was about 56F. I noticed that my knees were kind of stiff and cold
after my ride, despite the fact that I was wearing tights.

Do others have this problem? What is the solution? It's just going to get colder and this is my
first autumn with my bent, which is why I haven't noticed the problem before. Maybe my tights are
inadequate or ??? They are just a plain knit, cotton/lycra, not shiny.

Thanks for the input. Please hurry and reply - I am about 15 minutes from the start of my ride
today and it is 52F today. 🙂

I just read another (current) article that states when you ride with nekkid knees when the temp is below 60F, your connective tissue is more prone to injury. Once again, it depends on the individual, I guess. Because I am female, I already have a greater possibility of knee injury due to my knee geometry, so I will continue to take precautions.

On a brighter note - it is already 67F today! Headed for 70 something! No tights needed! YAY!