# Tights - over or under shorts?



## homegrown2004

This may seem like a stupid question but I have to ask it. When wearing tights, do they go over or under your cycling shorts? In colder weather I wore thicker tights that wouldn't fit under, so that question is answered. But now that its colder I can wear thinner tights. The problem seems to be that there is a seam in all my tights right wear the chamois would normally be...which creates comfort issues. I've never seen pros wear tights over their shorts and I"m guessing they wouldn't do this if it wasn't comfortable. Any tips or suggestions as to what i'm doing wrong? Kind of superficial I know but...I am the epitome of superficial.


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## PdxMark

*I wear tights over my shorts...*

because chamois is nicer than an ill-placed seam on the tights and because I sometimes take off the tights. I don't know the right way to do it, or even what the pros do, but that's what I do.


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## Kram

*OVER!!!* You will be labelled a"fred" if you put them on under. Besides, the chamois (in your shorts), _needs_ to go next to your skin. The reason you don't see the pros wear what you think are tights over the bibs is that they are likely wearing leg warmers that go up just to the thigh.


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## benja15

*I wear the tights under*

used to wear them over then switched, works better for me


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## moschika

over.

it also makes it easier to take them off when it gets warmer.


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## zooog

never thought of over but never seen it either. Under for me.


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## 4bykn

Padded tights: under, or without shorts. Unpadded: over


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## Spunout

Over.


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## Coolhand

Over- but you can go with leg warmers if you prefer under. Actually what I really am looking for is a nice set of bib tights without a chamois- to avoid the dreaded plumber's crack and snagging the saddle on the edge of my drooping tights.


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## funknuggets

*Definitely over...*

decreases aerodynamic drag on the seam of the short over the tights... 

kidding, over.


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## bigassbike

*No Tights For Me*



homegrown2004 said:


> This may seem like a stupid question but I have to ask it. When wearing tights, do they go over or under your cycling shorts? In colder weather I wore thicker tights that wouldn't fit under, so that question is answered. But now that its colder I can wear thinner tights. The problem seems to be that there is a seam in all my tights right wear the chamois would normally be...which creates comfort issues. I've never seen pros wear tights over their shorts and I"m guessing they wouldn't do this if it wasn't comfortable. Any tips or suggestions as to what i'm doing wrong? Kind of superficial I know but...I am the epitome of superficial.



Here in So Cal, shorts w/ knee warmers do the trick!


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## ET_SoCal

bigassbike said:


> Here in So Cal, shorts w/ knee warmers do the trick!


'cept when it's a cold morning's commute 


Ya, the Solvang ride was nice, wasn't it ?


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## Spinfinity

*Depends on the color.*

Black tights should be worn over black shorts to avoid the fashion faux-pas of different color blacks.

Light colored tights are worn underneath the shorts so that the shorts cannot be seen through the stretched lycra, a sight too horrid to picture. 

Tights exactly the same color as any part of the shorts, can be worn either under or over, according to your comfort, unless the shorts have a panel that shows through the tights. In that case you must wear the tights under the shorts.


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## MShaw

Coolhand said:


> Over- but you can go with leg warmers if you prefer under. Actually what I really am looking for is a nice set of bib tights without a chamois- to avoid the dreaded plumber's crack and snagging the saddle on the edge of my drooping tights.


I bought a pair of PI bib tights that were chamoix free.

Mike


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## CARBON110

*Really?*

HAHA HAHAHAA AHHAHA AHHAHAH AHAHHA AHAHAHAHHAHAHHA H

HA AHAHH HAHAHHAH AHHHH

whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


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## MShaw

bigassbike said:


> Here in So Cal, shorts w/ knee warmers do the trick!


I haven't worn anything heavier than knickers since I moved to San Diego 7 years ago! Makes getting dressed for winter rides a LOT easier...

For all of y'all that wear tights under your shorts: how the heck do you take them off if you get too hot? Even better: what do you do about that seam that goes exactly in the wrong spot underneath where you sit? 

I always scratch my head and wonder every time I see several things:

bib straps worn outside the jersey (I can SORTA understand this one...)
underwear
tights under shorts
helmets worn backwards (saw it the other day)

Mike


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## Dave Hickey

Neither, wear leg warmers. I switched to leg warmers this winter and they are great. I can wear any pair of shorts I want.... The same applies to arm warmers. No need for long sleeve jerseys.


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## bill

Over, but if you wear them under, no one will know because no one will think that it's possible to get wrong and everyone will think that they're leg warmers.
I speak with the authority of one who grappled with the same metaphysical question until realizing that there was but one answer and what it was. Until then, I did, once or twice, in a bad moment, wear them under (THERE I SAID IT ARE YOU HAPPY NOW ARE YOU AAGGGHHHHH). I consoled myself later with the thought that everyone would have assumed that they were warmers, so I was able to continue to ride my bike in these here parts.


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## Gregory Taylor

*Good Lord Man!*

Tights go over padded shorts. If you wear them under your shorts and inadvertently break wind, you will blow your bike shoes clean off of your feet. Guaranteed. So don't do it.


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## Coolhand

MShaw said:


> I bought a pair of PI bib tights that were chamoix free.
> 
> Mike


I think the new fall/winter 2004 line will have a set of these in the line again, according to the catalog the rep left. If so I will EP a couple for myself. 

Coolhand


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## Mike Prince

*Now there's the best answer!*



Gregory Taylor said:


> Tights go over padded shorts. If you wear them under your shorts and inadvertently break wind, you will blow your bike shoes clean off of your feet. Guaranteed. So don't do it.


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## Mariowannabe

*Bib tights*

Don't cheap out.... Go to boure.com and get yourself some bib tights with the shammy. Best investment I've made in a long time. Great for 30-50 degrees.


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## trumpetbiker

homegrown2004 said:


> This may seem like a stupid question but I have to ask it. When wearing tights, do they go over or under your cycling shorts? In colder weather I wore thicker tights that wouldn't fit under, so that question is answered. But now that its colder I can wear thinner tights. The problem seems to be that there is a seam in all my tights right wear the chamois would normally be...which creates comfort issues. I've never seen pros wear tights over their shorts and I"m guessing they wouldn't do this if it wasn't comfortable. Any tips or suggestions as to what i'm doing wrong? Kind of superficial I know but...I am the epitome of superficial.



I know its an old thread, but for those of us who have used leg warmers and arm warmers for a couple of years, this is actually a really GREAT question. my wife bought me an expensive pair of Specialized thermal tights for Christmas, and I honestly didn't see how they could be worn under shorts ------------ defeats the purpose of the chamois design and effectiveness. makes sense then to pull over the shorts, but also seems like a patch fit if you don't have padded thermal tights or bibs, or leg warmers.

bottom line here ------------- its really smarter just to pick up padded high quality thermal tights. don't go cheap, whats your crotch worth?


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## bradkay

Nawww... personally I prefer unpadded tights. That way I can wear them multiple days without washing because I wear different shorts each day. 

My first pair of tights (way back around 1980) were a pair of Giordana wool tights with chamois. One April ride out of Boone, NC I wore them because it was about 40-45* at the start of the ride. Unfortunately it warmed up to near 80* that afternoon and my legs hated it - I couldn't take the tights off because I had no shorts under them. That evening I cut the chamois out of those tights and have never worn tights with chamois ever since...


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## tvad

trumpetbiker said:


> bottom line here ------------- its really smarter just to pick up padded high quality thermal tights.


^This. Thermal tights. No shorts.

Otherwise, fall/winter shorts and leg warmers.


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## Local Hero

trumpetbiker said:


> I know its an old thread, but for those of us who have used leg warmers and arm warmers for a couple of years, this is actually a really GREAT question. my wife bought me an expensive pair of Specialized thermal tights for Christmas, and I honestly didn't see how they could be worn under shorts ------------ defeats the purpose of the chamois design and effectiveness. makes sense then to pull over the shorts, but also seems like a patch fit if you don't have padded thermal tights or bibs, or leg warmers.
> 
> bottom line here ------------- its really smarter just to pick up padded high quality thermal tights. don't go cheap, whats your crotch worth?


Holy necromancy, Batman!

If I know I will spend significant time in the clothes I will not go cheap. Did you get these? 
Specialized Bicycle Components


Then again, I just wear bibshorts with knee warmers and--on rare occasion--leg warmers. If the weather gets too nasty I will get on a trainer.


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## ROAD&DIRT

It depends if they have graphics or not... plain black tights "no padding" go under the bibs. Tights with graphics "no padding" go over the bibs.. Just saying...: it works for me :thumbsup:


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## Blue CheeseHead

If one must ask this question then they must wear tights their under their shorts/bibbs.


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## ROAD&DIRT

Blue CheeseHead said:


> If one must ask this question then they must wear tights their under their shorts/bibbs.


They need to be worm like this







....:eek6:


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## ziscwg

bradkay said:


> *Nawww... personally I prefer unpadded tights. That way I can wear them multiple days without washing because I wear different shorts each day. *
> 
> My first pair of tights (way back around 1980) were a pair of Giordana wool tights with chamois. One April ride out of Boone, NC I wore them because it was about 40-45* at the start of the ride. Unfortunately it warmed up to near 80* that afternoon and my legs hated it - I couldn't take the tights off because I had no shorts under them. That evening I cut the chamois out of those tights and have never worn tights with chamois ever since...


This^^^

I can just get a couple of $80 tights without the pad and wear a good pair of shorts under them. I don't have to worry them about how good the pad is. I also adds another layer against your mid section that sees a lot of wind.

Good tights with a good pad cost $175 plus. That means I'd need 2 to ride home from work and back in the next day. Or, I'd need two if I went on two base building rides over the weekend. Or a hard ride, then a recovery ride. 

It just works better for me to have no pad in the tights. HOWEVER, you are stuck doing 2X as much washing......................BUT you only have two do it 1/2 as often.................SO...............


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## MisterMike

Friends don't let friends where shorts over tights. They also don't let friends wear bib short straps over jerseys.


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## JCavilia

bradkay said:


> Nawww... personally I prefer unpadded tights. That way I can wear them multiple days without washing because I wear different shorts each day.


Yep. For that reason precisely. I commute daily and ride on the weekend. I have 7 or 8 pairs of good shorts. I have multiple pairs of tights, but only because they are different weights for different temperature ranges. I can wear the same tights every day with fresh shorts, and do the laundry once a week.


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## trumpetbiker

great input there - for commuting, the end of the day scenario not wearing them is a good reason not to use padded.

for a long day here and there in cooler weather, having the padded pair is nice, simplified. I've used leg warmers and a wool liner under my light jacket and its worked great. getting the thermal tights made me wonder the best approach.

I'm sticking with the thermal tights and leg warmers, not going to bother with the padded tights. thx for the input, good info!


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## Oxtox

MisterMike said:


> Friends don't let friends where shorts over tights. They also don't let friends wear bib short straps over jerseys.


or underwear with shorts...


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## Blue CheeseHead

ROAD&DIRT said:


> They need to be worm like this
> 
> View attachment 312135
> ....:eek6:


and the tights shall be burlap.


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## trumpetbiker

Blue CheeseHead said:


> and the tights shall be burlap.


I'm speechless.


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## bradkay

JCavilia said:


> Yep. For that reason precisely. I commute daily and ride on the weekend. I have 7 or 8 pairs of good shorts. I have multiple pairs of tights, but only because they are different weights for different temperature ranges. I can wear the same tights every day with fresh shorts, and do the laundry once a week.



I am right there with you. I have several pairs of tights of varying thicknesses and materials. I also have lots of shorts - lots - that I've collected over the years - including at least five pair of high end shorts from the last four years. I use my older shorts on my commutes and the good ones on various long rides. I use the same tights for commuting as for weekend/vacation rides according to the weather conditions. 

Great shorts are a necessity, but great padded tights are too expensive to buy in order to build up a proper selection. Hey, I even use runner's knickers instead of padded ones for the same reason - in the shoulder seasons those are worn daily. 

I suppose that I should explain that I live in western Washington (transplant from Virginia and Georgia) and believe in keeping my knees covered when the temperature drops below 70 degrees (Cyrill Guimard recommended 68 degrees). This means that I need a lot of tights of various styles.


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## ColaJacket

Spinfinity said:


> Black tights should be worn over black shorts to avoid the fashion faux-pas of different color blacks.
> 
> Light colored tights are worn underneath the shorts so that the shorts cannot be seen through the stretched lycra, a sight too horrid to picture.
> 
> Tights exactly the same color as any part of the shorts, can be worn either under or over, according to your comfort, unless the shorts have a panel that shows through the tights. In that case you must wear the tights under the shorts.


Pffffffffffffftttttt!

What determines where you should wear your tights should never be the colors.

If the tights have a chamois, wear them next to your skin. 

If the tights don't have a chamois, wear them over your shorts/bibs. 

I purposely got 1 pair of tights w/o chamois. This way I can wear them multiple times over the bibs before having to wash them. I'm just getting back into cycling, and I figured it would be easier and less expensive to do this than to have to buy several sets of tights with a chamois.

GH


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## namaSSte

I only buy unpadded tights and wear them over the shorts. That way, I know exactly how my gooch should feel on any ride since it will be swaddled in the same chamois as the shorts I always wear. Happy gooch = happy rider! Remember that.


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## BCSaltchucker

Kram said:


> *OVER!!!* You will be labelled a"fred" if you put them on under. Besides, the chamois (in your shorts), _needs_ to go next to your skin. The reason you don't see the pros wear what you think are tights over the bibs is that they are likely wearing leg warmers that go up just to the thigh.


while I agree it only makes sense to have tights over top, I would not be able to label someone who put their shorts over tight as Fred. Why? Because can't really tell if they have tights on underneath, or are wearing leg warmers.


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## bradkay

BCSaltchucker said:


> while I agree it only makes sense to have tights over top, I would not be able to label someone who put their shorts over tight as Fred. Why? Because can't really tell if they have tights on underneath, or are wearing leg warmers.


Actually, until I saw this thread I would have immediately assumed that they were wearing leg warmers. I had never imagined that someone would be foolish enough to wear their tights under their shorts. Doing so means that they'll have to wash them after every ride...


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## bvber

bradkay said:


> Actually, until I saw this thread I would have immediately assumed that they were wearing leg warmers. I had never imagined that someone would be foolish enough to wear their tights under their shorts. Doing so means that they'll have to wash them after every ride...


Foolish enough? Last couple of years, I've seen at least 2 middle age guys wearing the liner bike shorts (underwear) as if those are regular bike shorts. How do I know? I own couple pairs which I use under my winter pants (no pads) during colder months ride. The fabric on those liners are semi-translucent. Yeah, their butt crack is semi-noticeable :nonod: (I have to look in front of me when riding).


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## greatestalltime

Both!!

I wear a pair of shorts. Then my thermal tights with no pad. Then my bib shorts to keep all in place. 

Sometimes knee warmers too.


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## No Time Toulouse

First, I'd like to thank this newbie for dredging a 15-year old thread.....

But, all "Fred" comments aside, I find that most tights don't stay up on my waist well. When they slide down a bit, I often end up catching my inseam on the nose of my saddle when mounting the bike, so I often wear an older pair of cycling shorts from when I was heavier over the tights (and with athletic underwear on, as well). I don't care how it looks, I just need to keep them up!


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## bradkay

No Time Toulouse said:


> First, I'd like to thank this newbie for dredging a 15-year old thread.....
> 
> But, all "Fred" comments aside, I find that most tights don't stay up on my waist well. When they slide down a bit, I often end up catching my inseam on the nose of my saddle when mounting the bike, so I often wear an older pair of cycling shorts from when I was heavier over the tights (and with athletic underwear on, as well). I don't care how it looks, I just need to keep them up!


That is what braces (suspenders) are for. We always had to wear them back in the days of wool shorts and tights; now we just need them when our Lycra tights are getting old or just don't stay up.


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