Keep 'em Warm

Ouch! I saw again this morning. It's 37 degrees out, I'm riding to work and I see bright red knees on a guy riding toward me. Kind of a red, mottled look. It's gotta hurt, and if it doesn't now, it will later. You see, there isn't a whole lot of meat around your knees. So while the rest of your body and muscles are working and creating some heat to warm up the joints around them, your poor skinny knees have nothing to protect them. So protect your knees, it doesn't take much, just a little Lycra between your knees and the outside air will do the trick. Just keep the chill and wind off as much as possible.

I know, I know, you ride warm. You sweat if you wear too many clothes, I do too. But if you've ever felt that dull ache in your knees after a ride, there's a good chance your doing some damage to your knees. Knees work well if they are nice and lubricated. When they get cold they lose some of that lubrication and the joint starts to grate a bit. Keep grating during a long ride and you'll feel it once they thaw out. Keep doing this and it could lead to some long term problems.

So here's the rule of thumb (or knee); if it's under 60 degrees wear something to cover your knees. Knee or leg warmers are great if it's cold in the morning but warmer in the afternoon. Keep your knees warm and they'll keep you moving!

Powered by ScribeFire.