Are arm warmers a thing?

As above, last year I had to swap from a t shirt to long sleeves whilst commuting quite early on due to cold mornings. Are arm warmers any good (appreciate this is a roadie thing) as a solution or are they a faff?

No, they’re excellent and very handy. Castelli Nanoflex are mine, I’d recommend them.

“Roadies ” have the most practical cycle clothing so don’t diss arm warmers.

Yes, brilliant. I’d get heavy ones, but I get very cold arms.

take up no space and make a massive difference. perfect for cold mornings and late evenings. I have a nice set of endura merino ones that work well.

Ah, I might get some then. Tempted by planet x ones for under a tenner…..

They work really well. I have Planet X merino for when it’s cold and use Morvelo for less cold.

Yeah, brilliant for autumn where you it’s a bit chilly to start or finish a ride, but not quite long sleeve jersey weather.

Merino good for road but not so much off due to cagging on thorns etc…….Mine are cheapy ebay/PX things I think, fleecey lined, but not heavy, go in a jersey pocket easily.

Arm warmers are the best thing since garlic bread.

Yes, very useful they are too, for keeping your arms warm.

Arm warmers are the best thing since garlic bread

You really need to get out more… 🙂

As above, very useful – mean that one jersey can do both cold and warm rides or longer rides that start cold and get warmer as you can easily put them in a jersey pocket. I actually have several sets but mainly light and heavier ones for different weather. Castelli Nanoflex ones are particularly good with a gabba style jersey

All the above and more.  And once you’ve ventured into the arm warmers it’s easier to embrace the knee warmer too.

Yep, very useful bit of kit for spring/autumn riding, they’re a constant fixture in my commuter attire from about now until it gets properly cold. I’ve got a pair PX merino wool which are very good but prefer an old, cheap ASSOS pair for when it’s wet. Knee warmer are also a useful bit of kit for similar reasons.

And don’t forget to add more time when getting dressed for a commute as if your good lady/man walks in on you wearing the striking combo of nothing but knee warmers, arm warmers, HRM and socks they may not be able to contain themselves…

Yes. Best piece of kit I own*

* well sort of. I mean, I couldn’t get by with just arm warmers whereas i could in theory get by without them but versatility of my biking wardrobe is so much higher for a tenner’s worth of Planet-X merino ones.

(I do also have a pair of Castelli ones, freebie as part of my Ride London Safety Captain’s kit. Very nice but I would comment that your average Italian road cyclist doesn’t appear to do much upper body gym work if these are L. And I’m no Arnie in the biceps area)

I won’t be wearing knee warmers – I just go to leggings when it gets cold enough for my knees to consider going purple!

I’m guessing though that once you go to arm warmers it’s tempting to get a cycling gilet…..

yeah, they’re great. allow your pits to continue to vent but keep the chill off, keep a wind/waterproof off bare skin and roubaix ones don’t hold water, in addition to the benefits mentioned above.

Only ever used them for commuting, but perfect for that – cold morning ride with a warm afternoon one means only one top needed.

I was going to say that arm warmers, knee warmers and a gilet all go together to provide a great combination for covering the bases.

Handy for multi-day/bikepacking trips too as they turn one jersey into two.

Also useful for midge protection …

I won’t be wearing knee warmers

This is foolish talk.

I’m guessing though that once you go to arm warmers it’s tempting to get a cycling gilet…..

This is correct.

🙂

Yes, brilliant. I’d get heavy ones, but I get very cold arms.

+1

If anyone wants some pink/blue/white camo large Morvelo arm warmers for £15 posted let me know.  They are good but too long for me.

I’m guessing though that once you go to arm warmers it’s tempting to get a cycling gilet

It’s a slippery slope but for all their faults, roadies know about practical kit. Stuff that seems odd is very useful indeed, gilet’s are another great spring/autumn item as are toe covers, knee warners and caps.

Kryton – you just mentioned pink and camo in the same sentence for cycling kit. You are aware there’s  nothing right about that?!

I was going to say that arm warmers, knee warmers and a gilet all go together to provide a great combination for covering the bases.

for sure.  So many spring/autumn/mountain days when you start cold and it gets warm.  All that stuff can easily come off and get stuffed in pocket or backpack.  Arm warmers regularly get rolled down part way through a commute as it warms up.

I don’t really feel the cold on my arms, sort of an East coast upbringing thing. But I do feel wind chill at the start of a ride so use thin arm warmers in winter or on cold nights. SS jersey with light gillet and arm warmers is so much nicer and more versatile than a L/S top.

I have some old Burgtec “Disco Camo” Penthouse Flats, they’d match perfectly!

As for gilets, best bit of kit (even better than arm warmers) I’ve got 2x Endura Laser gilets, one in fluro yellow for commuting and a black one for MTB.

Great for rainy summer days when it’s too warm for a waterproof but you want to avoid the feeling of being constantly sprayed with a hosepipe and keeps the wind off your torso so the wetness doesn’t become windchill.

I was going to say that arm warmers, knee warmers and a gilet all go together to provide a great combination for covering the bases.

I’d have to agree.  I couldn’t imagine a cyclist’s wardrobe without them.

I won’t be wearing knee warmers

I’m always wearing knee warmers. Even if it is blazing hot, have thin lycra knee warmers. If not for temperature control they are doubling up as a sun burn protection.

Arm warmers are very good, but a bit difficult to find right size for my gibon long but very thin arms…

Cheers!

I.

Arm warmers are very good, but a bit difficult to find right size for my gibon long but very thin arms…

As someone with a similar affliction, PX standard merino are fine in width but a little short, the more expensive version are too short and far too wide. Assos fit well but you pay for the pleasure and I also have a couple of pairs from Pro Vision that I picked up at the Cycle Show in Brum last year that work, albeit I had to buy a size s/m.

(appreciate this is a roadie thing)

I’d say they’re more of an arm owner ‘thing’ similarly as the owner of a pair of legs, when winter rolls round the leg/knee warmers come out, a gillet or a base layer is a the sort of thing you might choose to adopt as the owner of a torso… *I appreciate not everyone has the same number of limbs…

Of course 18 year old me would have been perfectly content wearing flappy, cotton based sweat retainers and wouldn’t hold with the wearing of lycra… but we all have to grow up sooner or later.

Arm warmers are very good, but a bit difficult to find right size for my gibon long but very thin arms…

My Arm and Knee warmers of choice are DeFeet Armskins and Kneekers.  You look at them and think they’re odd and wouldn’t be a patch on trad roadie roubaix type but they’re comfortable, warm enough, and stay in place.  They’re also longer than most others (i’m 6 5″ with long arms) and have a lot of stretch.

Merino ones are warmer (and more expensive)

Kryton – you just mentioned pink and camo in the same sentence for cycling kit. You are aware there’s  nothing right about that?!

They matched the rest of the club kit at the time.   Back with the old club now 🙂

url=https://flic.kr/p/JXbNJV][/url]Untitled

They’re great but you need to make sure you get some that stay in place well. The sensation of an arm warmer gradually working it’s way down as you ride along is deeply annoying.

With that in mind, DeFeet Armskins and some Giro ones are the best I’ve tried.

Yup,arm or leg warmers that move are indeed deeply annoying

I like the Castelli ones,they don’t slip

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/castelli-nanoflex-arm-warmers/

Prendas knitted ones are the dog thingy.

Having started my cycling on mountain bikes, I’d always assumed that arm warmers, knee warmers, gilets and – God help me – cycling caps were just a roadie affectation.

Turns out that being 100 years further along the cycle clothing evolutionary path than mountain bikers, those pesky roadies have actually got it pretty well figured out!

I thought arm warmers were for weedy running/roadie types with no arm muscles as they get cold easy?

I do buy long sleeve jerseys to added arm protection against brambles but generally push them up to my elbow as I don’t like the feeling of a single sleeve from m shoulder down to my wrist as I find it constraining. I have just ordered XL elbow pads in the sale to try as I have gave up on my large RF ones as it felt like my arms would drop off.

echo the above about sliding down being a distraction as it also applies to when wearing elbow and knee pads

I thought arm warmers were for weedy running/roadie types with no arm muscles as they get cold easy?

I certainly fit that description bit until you’ve tried them I wouldn’t be so quick to pour scorn on them.

I’ve got fairly short upper arms but I do some weights so they aren’t (too) weedy. Might give the PX ones a go for a fiver then.

Know what people are saying about sliding pads – my knees pads can gradually slide which is a little annoying. Elbow pads are just for uplift days and those are much tighter.