Kit guide · Lower Body
Bib tights, leg warmers or bib shorts?
Your legs go through three steps as it gets colder: bib shorts, then bib shorts with leg warmers, then bib tights. Leg warmers are the flexible middle step: full coverage on a cool morning, and you can take them off if it warms up, as long as you can get them over your shoes.
Updated
Short answer
At a moderate pace, wear bib tights when the feels-like temperature is below 8°C (46°F). Wear leg warmers when the feels-like temperature is 8–11°C (46–52°F). Ride harder and the range moves colder; ride easier and it moves warmer.
Bib tights by effort
below 10°C (50°F)
below 8°C (46°F)
below 3°C (37°F)
below 2°C (36°F)
Leg warmers by effort
10–13°C (50–55°F)
8–11°C (46–52°F)
3–8°C (37–46°F)
2–6°C (36–43°F)
Feels-like temperature from the forecast, light wind, no rain. Always cold or warm? Set your warmth tendency in the calculator.
Good to know
Practical tips
Bib tights are the default for winter: no gap at the thigh, and usually a fleece-backed fabric that holds heat. Thermal bib tights go a step further for the coldest days, sometimes with windproof panels on the front.
- 1
Take leg warmers off before you get properly warm: pulling them over cycling shoes on the side of the road only gets harder when you are sweating.
- 2
Tights without a chamois can go over your summer bib shorts, which is cheaper if you already own good shorts.
- 3
On the warm end of the tights range, bib shorts with leg warmers give you a way out.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What riders ask about bib tights and leg warmers, answered with the same ranges as above.
At what temperature should I wear bib tights cycling?
At a moderate pace, wear bib tights when the feels-like temperature is below 8°C (46°F). Ride harder and the range moves colder; ride easier and it moves warmer.
At what temperature should I wear leg warmers cycling?
At a moderate pace, wear leg warmers when the feels-like temperature is 8–11°C (46–52°F). Ride harder and the range moves colder; ride easier and it moves warmer.
Leg warmers or bib tights?
Bib tights when it stays cold the whole ride, leg warmers when it might warm up. Tights are warmer and more comfortable; leg warmers give you the option to take them off.
Thermal bib tights or regular bib tights?
Thermal bib tights for the coldest days, roughly around freezing and below at a moderate pace. Regular, fleece-backed bib tights cover the rest of the cold range.
Can I wear bib tights over bib shorts?
Yes, if the tights have no chamois. Two chamois on top of each other is uncomfortable; tights without a pad over your normal bib shorts work well.
Full kit lists
Temperatures where you'll want bib tights
More kit
When to wear the rest
Check the forecast for your ride
The calculator uses the hourly forecast for your location and ride window, including wind, rain and how hard you're going.