Leg Warmer Issues

Ok, so I'm a wimp when it comes to temperature and typically I'm a fair weather rider, I don't like to ride when it's below 60 degrees outside. But living in New England, that rules out riding during about 8 months out of the year. So I bought some cool weather riding gear last fall (didn't get a chance to wear it...don't ask).

So I just went out for my first ride of the season, it's 52 degrees outside so I wore my leg warmers. And my leg warmers kept falling down!! I wore them tucked underneath my biking shorts and still I kept having to pull them up and tuck them back in every few minutes.

I'm hoping I won't be needing them much any longer, but being New England, you never know. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Emily

It sounds like they're probably too big for you! Bummer about that, but here's to hoping that the weather starts to warm up for you soon!

Try wearing them upside down. I assume they taper down your leg??

See that's the thing...I bought the smalls and I have rather large thighs. So I was really shocked when they kept slipping. Gotta love American sizing.

I gather that they are not women's, just a general small??

How long are your bike shorts? Mine stay tucked in reasonably well with my long bike shorts and knickers, but they fall down if I wear them with shorter bike shorts.

Ditto, Kedwards...

I have huge legs, but mine still work their way down my legs when I wear them with my shorter shorts. With my long shorts, they are just fine.

I can't wear leg warmers either. after about a mile, I looked like puss'n'boots,
( you know the big folded over kind of boots he wears?)

anyway, i don't wear leg warmers, instead for temps under 60 (which is normal all year round in Seattle) I wear tights and knickers.

They all fall down on me too, no matter what size I wear. I've about decided to try little snaps in them and one pair of my shorts. I haven't yet because SRING IS FINALLY HERE!:D

Mimi, arm and leg warmers are important for rides in which the temperature changes a lot over the course of the ride. Where I live, we can start a ride in the 50s, and end it in the 70s, so you need them to start and peel them off at the rest stop. LIkewise, when I toured in chiapis we'd need them early and late in the day but not in the middle. I agree, if know the temperature won't go above 60 I'll just wear tights, cuz I think they are more flattering, but the key to keeping leg warmers up is tucking them under long shorts.

Cycle chick, I had the same issue as you. Wear long bike shorts and buy leg warmers that are woman specific. Terry has them. I am also small, short, with larger thighs and these fit fine. I also bought a pair of x small knee warmers from Sheila Moon and these fit perfectly. She makes leg warmers, too.

You can tuck them under long shorts, short shorts and they still won't stay up. I've tried. I taught ballet in the 70s and THOSE leg warmers wouldn't stay up on me either. I was the only one in the studio with this problem. It's the shape of your leg. I completely forgot about my leg warmer issues until I started riding with them, and then I realized what an idiot I was to try it again. I'm either going with snaps, or knickers.

Yeah, I wear Craft small leg warmers (my thighs aren't too big), and they stay up but only if I wear a reasonable length short. Have you thought about tights? I wouldn't try the warmers upside down b/c there are parts that should cover your knee properly...feels like it would bunch up and whatnot.

Maybe you need to try a different brand. Knee/Leg/Arm warmers tend to vary from company to company. Also, when dressing, put your leg warmers on first. Pull them as high as they can go, then put your shorts on over them. As long as they fit properly, then they shouldn't slip. If you can't find a proper fitting leg warmer, just buy some full length pants. You can buy them with or without a chamois depending on if you want to put them over your bike shorts or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl

Mimi, arm and leg warmers are important for rides in which the temperature changes a lot over the course of the ride. Where I live, we can start a ride in the 50s, and end it in the 70s, so you need them to start and peel them off at the rest stop.

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Trisk
believe me i do rides with 40 degree temperature changes, but that still doesn't make leg warmers fit me. I just take extra stuff and plan to carry it when I get too warm.
It's not as convenient to have to stop and change, but I do that too.
I bought some cool arm warmers (I hope they work) i can't wait for it to get warm enough to try those too!

Well, I'm glad I'm not alone. I bought a pair of leg warmers from REI. I think I assumed they were a woman's small, but on second thought they might be a generic small.

My bike shorts come down to mid-thigh. I'm not sure if that's considered short or long, but I know I've seen longer ones and shorter ones...

I guess I just won't be weawring leg warmers...maybe I'll invest in a pair of tights at the end of the summer.

I safety pin mine to my shorts. It doesn't look all that stylin' but they stay up. I'm considering sewing red garters to my shorts.

im a seamstress so i just take em it!anyone can send me kit for alteration........sheila moon does wacky arm warmers,but there arent any groovy knee warmers,or even legs......where can i get some that are a bit different,even with a big logo on would be good,just sumut to make em look faster!

I'm with Mimi -- I don't do warmers anymore, it's either tights or knickers, depending on whether it's going to warm up & how much. And I ride in very changeable weather. The day might start out in the 30's, & it will warm to 60'ish. If it starts out really chilly, I will go with tights. I will choose lighter-weight tights if it's going to warm up quite a bit. If it's in the upper-40's or above, I will go with knickers. I will wear fleeced knickers on cooler days, and lycra knickers on warmer days. Even if it warms up quite a bit, having a bit of coverage on the knees is not a bad thing. I know some people who wear knickers all summer long just to protect sensitive knees.

Anyway, I have a drawer full of warmers and don't use them anymore. They are too much of a pain to deal with. I think they work best for commuters. And once it gets cold, they don't provide any coverage up higher anyway. So I might have a warm jacket & warm legs, but be cold all around where I sit -- no thank you.

"Also, when dressing, put your leg warmers on first. Pull them as high as they can go, then put your shorts on over them."

Ditto what madisongrrl said. This should help a lot.

I find that it depends on the shorts I'm wearing. My pearl izumi (nongendered) tights are great with my longer Hincapie bibs, but horrible with my shorter, no-tight-grippy-leg-opening Descente shorts. They fit reasonably well, but the popping out from under my hem on a cold day phenomenon isn't one I want to repeat. Just use longer shorts/bibs with small leg openings with your leggies -- cheaper in the short term than ponying up for dedicated tights, though later that's exactly what you and I are likely to do. (Besides, the chamois needs a wash every time, but your leggies don't!)

Mine stay put best under a pair of tight, long men's shorts. For my women's shorts (which hike up a little higher than I'd like), I have to pull the warmers up REALLY high, so when they slip some they still wind up caught by the shorts.

Also, think about how tight you're stretching them. If there isn't a little extra fabric over your knees, then after a while of bending they can work themselves down (usually too tight in the calf to work themselves up plus that whole gravity thing). Don't pull them tight like stockings because they aren't THAT stretchy usually. I hope that made sense. Seems to work well for me.