Keeping leg muscles and joints warm is of paramount importance during winter cycling; everybody knows that. What is perhaps less well-known is that wearing tights over shorts, or tights with a chamois, is not the only way to do it.
Better in many circumstances might be leg warmers, a type of leg wear all too easily overlooked in the quest for warmth and comfort but one that admirably fulfils the brief in all but the coldest of circumstances.
Advantages over full-on tights are several: they can be worn more days in succession without needing a wash, dry more quickly after being worn in the rain, do not impose that unpleasant sensation of having two lots of shoulder straps, ease access during comfort stops, are quick to pull on and off and, not least, are much more affordable.
With a suitable fabric they are amazingly effective in conditions only a little above freezing and compared to tights do not compromise much in this area. There is, after all, the same double layer of fabric over much of the upper thigh. Althogh the hips, buttocks and groin only get protection from the shorts, the reduced insulation is only really felt around the hips, where air flows freely. Around the glutes and groin, where airflow is static, little insulation is needed.
Leg warmers are best worn under shorts, which help keep them in place, but should not be pulled too high to avoid risk of chafing. Leaving a gap of at least 10mm between the top of the warmers and the tip of the saddle is advisable.
Worn by the Horizon/Prendas/Dolan team, these leg warmers by Santini are made in Super Roubaix fabric and feature the manufacturer’s new branded gripper along the upper edge and a zipper above the ankle for ease or removal or fitting. They are a cinch to don or doff, fit snugly without bagginess around the knees and ankles and have a pleasing appearance thanks to the sheen of the fabric, which is impressively warm. They should prove suitable leg wear right through to mid-spring.
Santini Super Roubaix Leg Warmers (With Gripper/External Zips) £29.95, black only, sizes XS – XL
