Autumn’s one of those tricky times for cyclists, when the change in the season and a nip in the air requires extra kit to keep the oncoming cold at bay, but isn’t enough to have you reaching for your full winter wardrobe.

Arm and knee warmers are ideal for bridging that gap and next on the list are oversocks. Oversocks offer an ideal intermediate solution for when it’s still too warm for overshoes and so are regularly called called upon in spring and autumn.

Six of the best… arm and knee warmers

In basic terms, an oversock is essentially a sock with a hole in the bottom for your cleat. An oversock slips on over your shoe to offer lightweight and breathable protection against the cool autumn or spring wind (cycling shoes by their nature are well vented, which is all very well in summer, but when the temperature drops…) and light rain (if you want anything remotely resembling proper waterproofing then you’re venturing into overshoe territory, but an oversock will stock rain immediately entering the shoe, and many are made from a breathable, quick-drying fabric). They’ll also keep any muck off your pristine cycling shoes, which is important…

Still, while oversocks may be a basic bit of kit, there’s plenty of choice out there, so here are six of our favourite pairs.