Cover those legs

Despite what the calendar says, "summer" in the Bay Area really means September and October, and those days are fading fast -- as is the temperature. And because most of our rides begin early in the day, temperatures can be especially cool, if not downright cold. A key part of safe cycling is keeping your body's temperature properly regulated.

When it's cool or cold, keep your legs covered with tights or leg warmers. How cool is cool? Opinions differ, but a common answer is, believe it or not, 70 degrees:

Riding under 70 degrees with bare legs predisposes you to a variety of problems including patellar tendonitis, Achilles tendonitis, problems with other connective tissues (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL) and increased muscle soreness. You must keep your knees warm.

Some other folks say 60 degrees is an acceptable threshold, but I tend to err on the side of caution, especially since I had big knee trouble the first year I heavily got back into cycling. Removable knee warmers are an essential part of your cycling wardrobe.

Bottom line: Sunday's forecast high is only 70 degrees, so temperatures at ride out will probably be in the 50s. Cover those legs!