Arm Warmers
February 6th, 2008 by Arleigh JenkinsRecently I have been wearing arm warmers more and more. I warm up quickly on the mountain bike so the fact that arm warmers pull off quickly helps with layering. Also investing in expensive long sleeve jerseys for a 2 month season isn’t worth it to me. A warm vest and arm warmers are just as good for me! (I do own long sleeve jerseys but hate using them on dirt rides.)
My favorite arm warmers for the past couple months have been the Defeet Armskins with the Dirt Rag logo on them. Dirt Rag’s site says they are made out of nylon but I swear mine feel like wool. Easy to wash and never stink.
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And another benefit of arm warmers over a L/S jersey is that arm warmers are actually warmer. Since they are form fitting to the arm, they can trap and warm the air next to your skin.
I’ve got toothpick arms and the Defeet are the best, they never fall down. Even without that sticky, grippy band that only disintegrates over time.
I’ve been diggin’ my Pearl Izumi warmers. I can’t justify long sleeve jerseys either.
I’m kind of a wool whore, so mine are Ibex, and yes, my arms are like pencils.
I live and ride in Costa Rica, so the deal with arm warmers is not getting you arms warm. However, I routinely use my warmers (they’re not technically warmers per se, they’re form-fitting sleeves made from regular lycra or spandex material) even under the blazing sun, as do many other riders down here. The reasons are threefold: 1) It may be chilly when you first go out, before the sun does its thing; 2) Once the sun IS out, and it comes out with a vengeance sometimes, it protects your arms from sunburn and prevents that very cool trucker’s tan; and 3) In case of a wipeout, the sleeves do a great job at protecting the skin from cuts and bruises. And as a bonus, when it gets stinking hot, you can just pull them off.
I lost my arm warmers over the summer and never thought about them till the fall, and it was too late. Dealing with the right combo of short or long sleeve undershirts and jerseys (and not getting it right) made me realize just how much I loved my arm warmers!
This is the first winter I have delt with arm warmers and I will say they are very handy!
I have had 2 pair this winter, 1 lycra and 1 knit, I don’t know if it is so much the brand as the material, I had som LG lycra that wore out in no time, even with the top elastic band. I bought some generic knits ones and had no problem with them for 3 months.
Here in UK, I use armwarmers, pretty much all year round. I have difficulty getting armwarmers which are thin enough. I have both lycra and defeet (like wool) depending on circumstances
Tejvan
cyclinginfo.co.uk