3/4 tights?

[in4]

What is the consensus surrounding 3/4 length tights? I'm referring to those padded lycra shorts that extend over the knee. Leaving aside the fact that my knees would not be out of place in any Queen Anne dining room, I tried a pair of 3/4 tights on recently and wondered if the grippers below the knee might prove uncomfortable; perhaps causing the material to stretch and recoil with each pedal stroke. The pair I tried did not have zips below the knee area and wondered if that was a disadvantage. I do like the idea of covering the my knees though, Queen Anne dining room chair-esque or not!

[Danneaux]

Hi Ian!

Until I toured The Netherlands in 2008, I had not seen 3/4 tights (they called them "knee tights") in general use for cycling. They looked to be the perfect solution to keeping my knees warm without overheating and I managed to get some upon my return home to the States. Looking online, they were common here for women, not men. The situation was reversed in the online European shops. Now, it seems the rest of 'Merka has come 'round, as they are a common sight for men on our bike paths. Much of cycling is fashion-driven and it can take awhile for trends to catch on locally.

I have chosen to have (synthetic) chamois padding only in my cycling shorts, keeping all my tights padding-free. This way, the shorts become my base-layer and I can don or doff the tights at will and remain decent for passersby. Riding on two pads was "two much". The unpadded tights can be tightly rolled and secured with nylon-covered hairbands (longer life and no snagging compared to rubber bands) to take minimal storage space in my HB bag or panniers or even a jersey's back pocket.

It does help to try on several different models. I've found there is a sweet-spot between too long (constricts my upper calf) and too short (keeps crawling upward. You definitely don't want fabric bunching up behind the knee, and a common sweaty spot. If the fabric is too rough there, it can cause some irritation on long day rides. For some reason, not all 3/4 tights seem to have the traditional cyclists' "cut" (higher in back), so that is something to watch for as well. Not as critical when work over cycling shorts, but still convenient to have.

Overall, 3/4 tights work well for me and have become a staple in my cycle-touring wardrobe.

Best,

Dan.

[NZPeterG]

Hi,
Below 18c 3/4 Cycle Shorts are the best! you need your knee's cover below 18c for your knee's to work best.
There is a lot of 3/4 Shorts made but only a few wear them? so we only have Ladys ones in the shop (at my work) and order in Men ones when asked.

Pete.........

[peter jenkins]

Ground Effect does a good version of these.

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product/LON/MON/

There is also a Premium version called Geronimos. They must be REALLY good!

I appreciate them on a cool day and they are comfortable enough to wear all day on an Audax ride during our "so called" winter..

Cheers,

pj

[Andre Jute]

Below 18c 3/4 Cycle Shorts are the best! you need your knee's cover below 18c for your knee's to work best.
There is a lot of 3/4 Shorts made but only a few wear them? so we only have Ladys ones in the shop (at my work) and order in Men ones when asked.

Below 18C? Where do you hear that, Pete? Last year we saw 18C exactly once (it was up to 19C for a couple of hours!), and I live in West Cork, warmest place in Ireland; most of the time 13C makes a very good cycling day. We'd have to wear tights all year round. I do as a matter of fact, but not 3/4, full length, unpadded, running tights, whenever I'm not wearing khakis in summer or cords in winter or tracksuits. It seems to me unlikely to be a universal rule. People adapt to their environment. My Alaskan chums would consider the present 8C here hellishly hot, and start wondering about circulating their dogs through the freezer to keep them alive.

[NZPeterG]

Below 18C? Where do you hear that, Pete? Last year we saw 18C exactly once (it was up to 19C for a couple of hours!), and I live in West Cork, warmest place in Ireland; most of the time 13C makes a very good cycling day. We'd have to wear tights all year round. I do as a matter of fact, but not 3/4, full length, unpadded, running tights, whenever I'm not wearing khakis in summer or cords in winter or tracksuits. It seems to me unlikely to be a universal rule. People adapt to their environment. My Alaskan chums would consider the present 8C here hellishly hot, and start wondering about circulating their dogs through the freezer to keep them alive.

Hi Andre Jute,
One of my work mates was away in O.Z. and doing a week long bike fit Couse, Can across some Doctors that had just done a paper on Knee's and keeping them warm.
Yes 18c is a warm day in some parts of the World but I keep my Knee's covered below 15c.
I'm in training to ride around Lake Taupo two times later this year 320km's and would like to finish in under 12 hours, No not on Tom 
But it for fun 

Pete 

[Andre Jute]

I'm in training to ride around Lake Taupo two times later this year 320km's and would like to finish in under 12 hours,

Mind you, that sounds more impressive in kilometers. But it's still 200 miles. I don't think my knees, no matter how toasty, would last. Never mind "under 12 hours". I can recommend a good electric motor. Presumably around a lake it is relatively flat?

[il padrone]

Plus fours FTW 

[Andre Jute]

I vote for plus fours. But they'd have to be in tweed and that could be hot... Last year, roundabout freezing but a nice day, so I thought I'd chance it on a road I know where there's no shadow and thus less chance of black ice, I went out in a padded leather jacket, and as long as I went at a relatively slow pace, it was actually rather good. I don't imagine it would be ideal for climbing big hills though.

[Chris M]

I hadn't really considered tights until I read this thread. With stumpy little legs that barely reach the floor, normal tights would have probably been too long for me. I manage with Endura Humvee shorts when the weather allows but when it turns cold turn to poly cotton combat trousers which have been ok'ish until now.
3/4 tights may be the way forward so have just ordered a pair of these to see how I get on with them, I figured I could wear the Humvee outers over the top as I'm not a fan of the Lycra look:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-vaeon-roubaix-padded-34-bib-tight/

Chris

[John Saxby]

Knee warmers can be useful, as well. 

Some examples: http://www.mec.ca/shop/mens/50089/?Ntk=productsearch_en_q32008&q=Knee+warmers&h=10

I've found that I need to ensure (i) there's enough overlap with my cycling shorts above my knee; and (ii) my shorts have an elastic that's sufficiently grippy/sticky.  (I pull my shorts *over* the knee warmers -- I guess the issue is enough "underlap".)