Arm warmers

Feltup
Feltup Posts: 1,340
edited March 2009 in Commuting chat
When did they become a fashion item?

I was sat in LAX (Los Angeles Airport) when one of the guys at the table next to me pulls out a set of arm warmers and puts them on under his t-shirt. I guess to get the look of wearing a long t-shirt under a short t-shirt.

Is this just an American thing?
Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.

Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali
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Comments

  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    I just don't get arm warmers and leg warmers. What's wrong with a long-sleeved top or a set of tights/similar?
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I just don't get arm warmers and leg warmers. What's wrong with a long-sleeved top or a set of tights/similar?

    Well if you are going on a long ride (ins spring/early summer) and setting of early then they're fab. When things warm up you can simply remove the warmers and stick them in your pocket. Can't do that with tights - well you could, but you'd get some funny looks and things wouldn't be comfy...
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    jashburnham wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I just don't get arm warmers and leg warmers. What's wrong with a long-sleeved top or a set of tights/similar?

    Well if you are going on a long ride (ins spring/early summer) and setting of early then they're fab. When things warm up you can simply remove the warmers and stick them in your pocket. Can't do that with tights - well you could, but you'd get some funny looks and things wouldn't be comfy...

    How big is this walk in wardrobe of yours?
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    itboffin wrote:
    How big is this walk in wardrobe of yours?

    I prefer to call it "Dressing Room A - Cycling"
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Arm and leg warmers are great for those days when you set out early and its cool and then the sun breaks through later.

    Not so sure about for commuting in, unless you have a long commute ?
  • Feltup
    Feltup Posts: 1,340
    I wear knee warmers with my baggies in winter and they work well but not for going down the beach when it cools down a touch!

    My spare bedroom is full of bike kit, snowboarding kit, skiing kit, kitesurfing kit and climbing kit. Dressing room a la outdoors.
    Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.

    Felt F55 - 2007
    Specialized Singlecross - 2008
    Marin Rift Zone - 1998
    Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    I wear arm warmers if it's going to be a nice day but it's brassic in the morning.. spring & late autumn essentially... knee warmers to a lesser extent

    I have both rapha colours and I'm thinking about mixing them up... oh dear
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    I've been in arm and leg warmers for the last couple of days. Just right, been too warm for tights and an LS jersey.

    In spring/autumn I often wear the warmers in the morning but it's warm enough to go without for the ride home. Useful things.
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Weathers gone to crap in the north. Break out the winter kit again !
  • Feltup
    Feltup Posts: 1,340
    So none of you wear your arm warmers out in the evening with a t-shirt?

    Must be a yank thing!
    Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.

    Felt F55 - 2007
    Specialized Singlecross - 2008
    Marin Rift Zone - 1998
    Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Feltup wrote:
    So none of you wear your arm warmers out in the evening with a t-shirt?

    Must be a yank thing!
    No! Not even if they were Rapha ;)
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Fair point, well made, the lot of you.

    Still ain't getting any though. If you're only a little bit too cold in your shorts MTFU and cycle faster. If you're a lot too cold wear tights.

    I've concluded that arm and leg warmers are therefore for big sissy girls. :wink:
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Fair point, well made, the lot of you.

    Still ain't getting any though. If you're only a little bit too cold in your shorts MTFU and cycle faster. If you're a lot too cold wear tights.

    I've concluded that arm and leg warmers are therefore for big sissy girls. :wink:
    Possibly. But they also protect the knees and other such ligaments. Hmmm, hmmm
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,090
    As with alot of cycling kit, I think arm and leg warmers are the kind of thing that seems stupid til you own a pair. I bought a pair of arm warmers for £3 from the nike discount shop and I use them or have them in my back pocket on most rides in any conditions where I definately don't want my warm long sleeve jersey on. Or When you might get that chill on if the wind picks up or you've sat too long outside the cafe. In the mountains they're even better. Have them in the pocket on the way up when the sun is baking then slip them on for the chilly descent. Plus you can always roll them down for an eighties wrist warmer look. No need to stand in your walk in wardrobe considering long or short sleeve jersey. Just take the short sleeve and stick the arm warmers in the pocket. Hence I don't buy long sleeve jerseys now.

    A guy at work was scoffing at me when I mentioned he ought to get some cycling shorts with his new bike. It made me realise how many stages of kit buying I've gone through to get to where I am now. Cycling shorts, jerseys, mitts, gilets all seem extravagant til you get them then you never look back. Same with clipless pedals, computer, sexy carbon bars etc.

    A cautionary tale though. My mate put his on whilst going along. He got one out of his pocket, it unfurled and got caught in the wheel. All I heard behind me was a zzzzzzzzzzzzip noise and a crash. Lucky no cars were behind him.

    Anyway, to add, arm warmers worn off the bike!? No. That is, how you say, ghey!
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    My Rapha arm warmers are so narrow and tight that even my unmuscular arms are a struggle to get in. As a result I don't really wear them.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    biondino wrote:
    My Rapha arm warmers are so narrow and tight that even my unmuscular arms are a struggle to get in. As a result I don't really wear them.

    Erm, why not return them and buy the next size up?
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    NIce thing about arm warmers is that you just pull them down when you are nice and hot - great for MTB'ing or hilly journeys in UK changeable weather.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    Arm warmers are like Buffs (bear with me), once you've bought them you realise that you've been missing out. In late Spring and Autumn you often get nice days that start very cold, even near freezing due to clear skies overnight, but by lunchtime it's easily into the 20s. Arm warmers are just the job for days like this (I can get by with cool lower legs), any by about 10am it's OK to either roll them down to your wrist and use a sweat band, or stick 'em in your pocket.
    Slag 'em off once you've tried them 8)

    Dave.
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    biondino wrote:
    My Rapha arm warmers are so narrow and tight that even my unmuscular arms are a struggle to get in. As a result I don't really wear them.

    Quite right! At £40 - F-O-R-T-Y of Her Majesty's folding pounds - a pair, I'd want something that fits.

    Those Rapha boys who set their prices must have good eyesight. They can see 'em coming from well over the horizon....
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    dodgy wrote:
    Arm warmers are like Buffs...

    See now I bought a Buff. I wore it once and it just annoyed me. I admit, I was off the bike from mid-December to early Feb, but it's just not cold enough for a silly scarfy-hat-thing.

    Hence I am sticking with my previous assessment.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I am sticking with my previous assessment.

    Well, like using SPD's etc you'll see the error of your ways eventually. You put up some mean resistance though. Chapeau for that.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,090
    £40 for a length of material with holes at each end!? :shock: Yep, thats a genuine rip off.

    I find a buff useful too. I found mine on the beach in Fuerteventura. Useful to cover the neck and slip up over the mouth when its cold. Not really sure how it would annoy anybody!? They don't really get in the way.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    dodgy wrote:
    Arm warmers are like Buffs...

    See now I bought a Buff. I wore it once and it just annoyed me. I admit, I was off the bike from mid-December to early Feb, but it's just not cold enough for a silly scarfy-hat-thing.

    Hence I am sticking with my previous assessment.

    You wore a buff as a hat?! Are you Sienna Miller?
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    Greg66 wrote:
    biondino wrote:
    My Rapha arm warmers are so narrow and tight that even my unmuscular arms are a struggle to get in. As a result I don't really wear them.

    Quite right! At £40 - F-O-R-T-Y of Her Majesty's folding pounds - a pair, I'd want something that fits.

    Those Rapha boys who set their prices must have good eyesight. They can see 'em coming from well over the horizon....

    mine fit me fine... bought a pair for £25 and got another pair with the classic jersey from the missus...yey

    Blondie get the next size up...
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Clever Pun wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    biondino wrote:
    My Rapha arm warmers are so narrow and tight that even my unmuscular arms are a struggle to get in. As a result I don't really wear them.

    Quite right! At £40 - F-O-R-T-Y of Her Majesty's folding pounds - a pair, I'd want something that fits.

    Those Rapha boys who set their prices must have good eyesight. They can see 'em coming from well over the horizon....

    mine fit me fine... bought a pair for £25 and got another pair with the classic jersey from the missus...yey

    Blondie get the next size up...

    Um, they were part of my prize when I won the Rahpa jersey on this very website! So not sure I can send them back. Though it never actually occurred to me they came in different sizes... :oops:
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    biondino wrote:
    Clever Pun wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    biondino wrote:
    My Rapha arm warmers are so narrow and tight that even my unmuscular arms are a struggle to get in. As a result I don't really wear them.

    Quite right! At £40 - F-O-R-T-Y of Her Majesty's folding pounds - a pair, I'd want something that fits.

    Those Rapha boys who set their prices must have good eyesight. They can see 'em coming from well over the horizon....

    mine fit me fine... bought a pair for £25 and got another pair with the classic jersey from the missus...yey

    Blondie get the next size up...

    Um, they were part of my prize when I won the Rahpa jersey on this very website! So not sure I can send them back. Though it never actually occurred to me they came in different sizes... :oops:

    *cough*buyapairandreturntheoldones*cough*

    I've just checked the site and they've ramped a lot of the prices up... blimey
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    Buffs aren't just for keeping your head warm, a common misconception amongst non believers :)
  • Feltup
    Feltup Posts: 1,340
    Heavymental wrote:
    £40 for a length of material with holes at each end!? :shock: Yep, thats a genuine rip off.

    I find a buff useful too. I found mine on the beach in Fuerteventura. Useful to cover the neck and slip up over the mouth when its cold. Not really sure how it would annoy anybody!? They don't really get in the way.

    Please tell me this wasn't in summer. I presume they were using it to protect from the driving sand? Most people on Flag Beach don't wear anything which can really put you off your tricks when you are kitesurfing towards the beach and there is a big fat german bloke doing stretches :oops: :(
    Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.

    Felt F55 - 2007
    Specialized Singlecross - 2008
    Marin Rift Zone - 1998
    Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali
  • Petromyzon
    Petromyzon Posts: 221
    +1 for warmers, particularly the cheapo DHB/wiggle ones. One of those things that are ludicrously useful but seem stupid until you try. Probably the most important reason I wear leg ones is because I like Assos but can't afford a wardrobe full of it, therefore shorts+warmers does fine in cold weather.

    For anything that isn't the dead of winter, I reckon baselayer+jersey+gilet+armwarmers is the way forward. Plus if you get too hot you can rock them round your wrists and look uber-pro (or so I think in my sad little head)
    http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... c&start=45
  • Jon8a
    Jon8a Posts: 235
    Leg warmers are great, I use mine quite a lot in winter. I don't see the point in arm warmers though. If my arms are cold enough that I want something on them then generaly by torso is cold as well. I this case I put on an extra jersey or light weight jacket.

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