Men in tights

Having read the thread about Tracksters, I feel a little embarrassed to wear mine any more now.

Seriously though, I've been wanting to ditch my Tracksters for some time because I find it harder to run up hills in them - they seem to restrict bending at the knee. However, they do keep me warm and I don't look like I've got skinny chicken legs when I've got them on.

So, I would like something similar to keep my bandy legs warm on the hills when running on cold windy (and wet/snowy) days, but which are not so restrictive. The only other (preferable) requirement is that they don't fit like a second skin as those make my wife and daughter fall about in fits of laughter (did I mention my bandy legs?).

So, any recommendations for me - other than trading in the wife and daughter for versions who admire men in tights?

I prefer to stick to shorts but whenit's really cold I wear a pair of Saucony mid tights. I love em, not too thin but not too thick ankle zip so you can take them off wearing trainers, dry mesh behind knee allows extra airflow to stop over heating.

Accelerate sell them

Posh end Of Sheff that'd be Dore then?

Trade the rotters in; men in tights are cool bandy legs or not:cool:

Thanks Stef F

Whilst wearing my go-faster tights, I was asked to "cover up" by a copper in Porlock back in August this year after we'd run nigh on 30 miles across Exmoor Forest for charity...must have been the smiles and admiring glances from the WPC sat in the car next to him...

Running Bear 3/4 tights. A snip at £15.

I like 3/4 MANpri's too :cool:

Serious question: can you still get Powerstretch tights? Very cosy and I fancy some for Winter ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak

I prefer to stick to shorts but whenit's really cold I wear a pair of Saucony mid tights. I love em, not too thin but not too thick ankle zip so you can take them off wearing trainers, dry mesh behind knee allows extra airflow to stop over heating.

Accelerate sell them

Posh end Of Sheff that'd be Dore then?

---

Maybe ;)

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can find the inclination to nip over to Accelerate some time in the next couple of weeks to take a look at these tights you recommend, since they don't appear to be on the Saucony or Accelerate website.

Oh, and thanks to the others for suggesting 3/4 length tights, but I'm afraid that I find that they only look good on ladies (in my humble opinion) :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaspingforair

Oh, and thanks to the others for suggesting 3/4 length tights, but I'm afraid that I find that they only look good on ladies (in my humble opinion) :D

---

Rubbish. You're obviously repressed. Get yourself a pair and feel liberated ;).

Shadbolt,

You work for RBS perchance?

Excellent 3/4 tights from RBear but they are £18 not £15 unless you are a tax exile (VAT) who can collect (P&P):o

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaspingforair

Maybe ;)

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can find the inclination to nip over to Accelerate some time in the next couple of weeks to take a look at these tights you recommend, since they don't appear to be on the Saucony or Accelerate website.

Oh, and thanks to the others for suggesting 3/4 length tights, but I'm afraid that I find that they only look good on ladies (in my humble opinion) :D

---

these are them (I think)
http://www.saucony-running.com/acata..._LX_Tight.html

Recently purchased these 3/4's http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/running/...t/CORERMGAXC07 - so far so good:)

Go for the montane featherlite pants. Pertex so keeps you warm and fairly dry. They don't look stupid and they pack up very small. Absolute winner!

http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/pro...-pant-aw09.htm

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lola

Excellent 3/4 tights from RBear but they are £18 not £15 unless you are a tax exile (VAT) who can collect (P&P):o

---

£15 plus £2.50 p&p = £17.50.

Running Bear own brand gloves are also pretty good if, like me, you tend to suffer from cold hands in the winter and, of course, Gladiators are probably the best fell running shoes around ;).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AndyG

Go for the montane featherlite pants. Pertex so keeps you warm and fairly dry. They don't look stupid and they pack up very small. Absolute winner!

http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/pro...-pant-aw09.htm

---

Thanks Andy, they look very interesting, but I would prefer something that doesn't rustle so that I can sneak up on the grouse.

Not exactly:

Tights £13.04
p&p £ 2.50
vat £ 2.33

Total £ 17.88

But you are 100% right about Gladiators though, and the woolly socks are good too.:)

I have the Ron Hill Advance 3/4 Pant, they're great as aren't next to the skin, have articulated knees and are good for colder weather. And at the risk of setting off an avalanche of abuse, they also have an i-Pod pocket :)

http://www.craigdonmountainsports.com/032000004001

Nike are the best ones I have tried:o

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaspingforair

Oh, and thanks to the others for suggesting 3/4 length tights, but I'm afraid that I find that they only look good on ladies (in my humble opinion) :D

---

The thing about tights that are 3/4 length on normal people is that they are 7/8 length on the vertically challenged so the ladies tend to run away anyway:eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stagger

Nike are the best ones I have tried:o

---

Nike 3/4 MANpri :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FarFromTheFells

they're great as aren't next to the skin,

---

You're really missing the point about tights aren't you? They're supposed to hug your manly physique.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FarFromTheFells

I have the Ron Hill Advance 3/4 Pant, they're great as aren't next to the skin, have articulated knees and are good for colder weather. And at the risk of setting off an avalanche of abuse, they also have an i-Pod pocket :)

http://www.craigdonmountainsports.com/032000004001

---

Now they look like 75% of the kind of thing I had in mind!
Loose fitting without being baggy enough to be annoying when running, water resistant and don't make me look like a chicken.

I see RH makes a mans-length version too :p so I might try to track some down to try on unless anyone thinks these wouldn't be that good for running in.

Oh, and IanR - thanks for the Saucony tights pointer, but just seeing the picture of them makes me shudder at what my wife and darling daughter would say :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shadbolt

You're really missing the point about tights aren't you? They're supposed to hug your manly physique.

---

And if you don't have a manly physique, you can always stuff a pair of socks down there. You were waiting for that weren't you?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaspingforair

And if you don't have a manly physique, you can always stuff a pair of socks down there.

---

So that's what's making the ladies run away! Silly me thinking it was an inch of bare ankle :D

I've got some full and 3/4 tights which i haven't dared to wear yet due to my bandy legs, i find tracksters fine.

I just stick a pair of minimal shorts over my tights for a) pockets, b) warmth, and c) modesty.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZootHornRollo

I just stick a pair of minimal shorts over my tights for a) pockets, b) warmth, and c) modesty.

---

Shorts over tights is a major fashion faux pas. Only footballers do stupid things like that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaspingforair

Now they look like 75% of the kind of thing I had in mind!
Loose fitting without being baggy enough to be annoying when running, water resistant and don't make me look like a chicken.

---

If you like the look of them and live in Sheffield, have you checked out Decathlon? http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/
They appear very similar to some of their Kalenji gear.

I'd not knock going in to Accelerate tho.
Been in there today. Very friendly, offered a cuppa as I walked in :) When they recognised me as a returning customer and noticed the crocked ankle they even had their physio come over and have a quick exam.

That little bit extra that'll get me back there in a couple of weeks to sort out some new shoes :) (along with some other bits :D)

I took a quick look at the RH Advance tights in Up And Running in Sheffield on Saturday and they seem to be what I'm looking for. Couldn't be bothered to try a pair on as my wife was patently bored with being a running shop, but I'll go in again after Xmas and give it a try.

Thanks for the Decathlon suggestion NoVice. I've had a lot of stuff from them, and didn't think about getting tights from them too. If I can find the time, I'll take a look.

A pair of the OMM 0.75 capris arrived for me from Pete Bland's today, very good fit for the skinnier chap. They also seem to have quite a lot of compression for a garment not sold as a compression garment. I've started wearing capris for walking in under my jeans, sick of chafeing problems, they're difficult to 'get out of' when you need to spend a penny quickly though!

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman

Quote:

---

they're difficult to 'get out of' when you need to spend a penny quickly though!

---

I find this a question of motivation. I was out for a few hours Monday and had a bit of an upset stomach. Nature called and she called with force. Got out of 'em pretty quick and no mistaking.

Finally found a pair of tights that fit me - inside leg 29", 30" waist - and have no zips: OMM Flash 1.0. I find zips either come undone when you do not want them to, or seize because of all the dirt. Medium 2XUs are zipless and also fit me but do not provide warmth.

Throw out ALL your saviles. All you need are the current vogue for longish shorts and compression socks. This just leaves your knees in the breeze.

Just a quick heads up on a recent discovery. New Balance's Impact Tights are very well fitting for those of us with skinny legs, for whom most tights just look like tracksters. To the best of my knowledge these are the best fitting ones on the market, but not cheap at 50 quid.

Link

RAB Polartec tights are good for those colder runs - no bagginess, no zips, lovely and warm. If it is really cold they go brilliantly under waterproof trousers. Trying them on in the shop it was a challenge to take them off they felt so good.

And now Savilles are being rehabilitated. According to my youngest daughter, they look cool, especially if they have the ankle stirrups!! AAArrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!

A quick translation of the new skins range:

System 1- cheap
System 3- A400
System 5- unnecessarily expensive

They now have a long option which are about 2" longer than normal. Unless you have thin legs you may find the system 5 quite difficult to get into aswell.

Wow, that brings back some memories. My OMM Flash tights came apart at a seam in the groin that was too complex to repair. The RAB Polartecs are still going strong - on very cold days I wear them over my 2XU tights and under my OMM Kamleika pants.