There was a conventional wisdom at one time that if the temperature is under 60 degrees Fahrenheit, then a cyclist should not ride with bare knees exposed to the wind. It's not clear if any branch of science proved this biking gem to be true, but no matter - when the temperatures outside dip down, you'll want to don arm and leg warmers to help take the chill off during your ride. Leg warmers come in two lengths - one is a knee warmer, covering your leg to just below the knee, and the other is a full length leg warmer, which will extent down to your ankle or even loop under your foot in your biking shoes. You can wear bike leg warmers with regular cycling shorts or some leg warmers are made to fully cover your lower body wear. You will wear most leg warmers by pulling them up high on your thighs (quads and hamstring muscles) and tucking them under bike shorts. Many leg warmers have articulated knee designs, which means, the leg warmers should be worn in such an orientation as to bend with your natural knee motion while you're riding. Now when it comes to arm warmers, there is one important variable: do they stay on your arms! If you have medium to small sized arms, there's a good chance your arm warmers will want to slip down and off your ams while you're riding, and frequently enough that it becomes an annoyance. However, if you buy too-tight arm warmers, then that certainly won't be comfortable, possibly cutting off your circulation and making your arms feel restricted. So when it comes to arm warmers, you need to find just the right pair that will stay on your arms comfortably without slipping off while you're cycling. Another thing to consider when it comes to arm warmers is if you are wearing a watch of some sort, such as a heart rate monitor, during your biking. If so, you might want to find arm warmers that can be raised about your forearm a bit to make space for your wristwatch. And of course, in the end, let's not forget about style! You'll want to find the right shade of black to complement your shorts and bike jersey, and also be aware that many arm and leg warmers are made with pro cycling team logos and with other designs.
