Have you considered donning fresh tights for after your workout? If you want to recover faster, you might want to swap out the clammy chamois après-ride for a pair of Skins Sport Long Tights. It isn't so you'll look like a superhero standing still though that can help (some). These tights could very well help make your legs feel better sooner, for faster riding later.

At first, the idea that these tights are different than other tights seems surprising. How can they do anything different than the cycling shorts or tights we already own? The answer is mostly due to graduated compression. That is, the tights are the tightest at the bottom of the legs. At the bottom, the blood is furthest from the heart and hardest to pump out. So these tights help do some of the work for your tired body. They squeeze the muscles and push blood upward toward the heart.

Both the spandex material and the panel design help with the compression. It's called BioAcceleration by Skins. The material is a wicking microfiber woven in a warp knit. Not only does it stretch in a consistent fashion, but it is also extremely durable. The panel design was devised to help cradle muscles and hold them in place, which is good for not only recovery, but for doing sports that create lots of muscle oscillation (shaking).

If you want to read up on the science behind using compression tights for recovery, Skins uses their website to publish a fair amount of research that backs up their claims. While not the most exciting reading, you can get into the nitty-gritty and decide for yourself. A short version is published on their site as well. Even shorter is to state that Skins compression gear post-exercise can reduce post-exercise muscle soreness, speed the removal of lactic acid, improve body thermoregulation. Wearing for travel can also ease the swelling associated with airplane flight. For people engaged in sports where the muscles shake a lot (think of your arms mountain biking), Skins can increase muscle endurance.

Skins compression gear has made inroads into pro cycling. Skins sponsors Columbia-Highroad, Bissell, Rabobank, USA Cycling, Cycling Australia, and Kenda Pro Cycling, among others. They're pulling on the stuff after stages to speed recovery. Might even be sleeping in the stuff. The Skins people tell us they use the tights for travel and standing around in addition to post-exercise recovery.

Skins Sport Long Compression Tights are designed to be the layer next to your skin. There is a waistband at the top and no zippers at the bottom. Skins recommends washing in cold water either by hand or in a machine on gentle and air drying. If you're between sizes or on the edge of sizes size down.