Bolero vs arm warmers - packing for a tour

I am beginning to collect some more clothes for my tour in June. I am self supporting solo, first for an overnight, then some 2-5 day later on in the summer. I like sleeveless jerseys but the mornings can be cool. Do you like Boleros or arm warmers? I have arm warmers but don't love them and have the luxury of affording a bolero. How do you like them?

For a week long tour with opportunites to wash overnight I am planning on 2 sets of riding clothes, rain gear, two set of town/camp clothes and camping gear. I have back packed, so I am used to going light. I just wonder if I am under packing in the riding clothes area. I figure one set on, one set clean (or drying off the back of my panniers!).

Boleros only work under certain conditions, i.e. for me,< 55 or so in the AM, and only with sleeveless jerseys. I find my bolero (a Terry, well made and it fits me) just doesn't do well with short sleeved jerseys, only sleeveless. The ss jerseys kind of bunch up around the shoulders and just look funny with it. So, the only time I really have worn my bolero consistently is when we were in Spain and it was 50 or so in the AM and 80-95 in the afternoon. Mine is the original version, with a thermal inside, but they do have a lighter weight one.
I would vote for the arm warmers. More versatile. If you pair them with a vest and/or sleeveless base layer, they will work for a wider range of temperatures, and they can be peeled off when it gets warm. If you can find ones that are women specific and come in sizes, they work fine. Otherwise, they do fall down.

I prefer a bolero for its versitility. Simply, I find arm warmers never stay up if you take them off and then have to put them back on for some reason. The bolero, you can take on and off a bunch of times, and they never ride down your arms and bunch up at your wrists. For touring I'd definitely go with a bolero.

I have some Pearl Izumi boleros with a zip front. Love 'em.

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Originally Posted by 7rider

I prefer a bolero for its versitility. Simply, I find arm warmers never stay up if you take them off and then have to put them back on for some reason. The bolero, you can take on and off a bunch of times, and they never ride down your arms and bunch up at your wrists. For touring I'd definitely go with a bolero.

I have some Pearl Izumi boleros with a zip front. Love 'em.

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Out of curiosity, what brand(s) of arm warmer have you tried? I wear Sugoi warmers and have never had a problem with them not staying put. They're pretty snug.

Funny you should ask, because I happen to be wearing a bolero right now, and I didn't ride today. I love them even off the bike. I have on a '50s style skirt, and the bolero reminds me of a shrug, so it's kind of modern vintage. Only problem with this outfit is the chain lube on the sleeve. :o Oh well.

I wear the Terry light weight one the most. The thermal one is a bit too warm, and the problem Crankin described is probably due to the fuzzy inside. The light one I have is silky.

I have Shebeest arm warmers in an x-small (I have short, skinny arms). They stay up fine. So do the Sheila Moon ones I have.
The PI unisex ones sucked.

PI arm warmers fit me fine and don't slide down, not the wool ones nor the fleece ones. And I can pull them back up after I've pushed them down, no problem.

Just like anything - get them the same shape your arms are and they'll fit you better.

I can't imagine a bolero snug enough not to flap, that would fit over a short sleeved jersey, and I don't wear sleeveless.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Out of curiosity, what brand(s) of arm warmer have you tried? I wear Sugoi warmers and have never had a problem with them not staying put. They're pretty snug.

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Biemme. They are fine when I wear them, say on the morning commute. They just don't stay up on the afternoon ride. That's why I prefer the bolero - especially if I knew I wasn't going to be able to wash things every day or would wear the same piece several times.

Neither the arm warmers or the bolero take up much space......... I know, when touring, the idea is to travel as light as possible, but it might be worth it to take both. Wear the bolero with sleeveless tops and the arm warmers with ss tops. You might want to have at least one ss top with you. Gives you one more option, if needed. Will you have both front and rear panniers? Carrying sleeping gear? Cooking gear? It all makes a difference in how much room you have for "extras."

Personally, I like to take clothing that can be worn while cycling and while off-bike. Wicking fabric, but not necessarily bike jerseys on top. (I do always wear bike shorts, for the comfort, but usually with a skirt over.)

SR

I have state of the art thermal arm warmers from Assos, and I can't stand them. They stay up and keep me warm and are very versatile and lightweight and all that, but the silicon bands on the inside grip onto sensitive skin all the way up near my armpit. I don't think they're too tight for me, I just don't like the feeling and only wear them when space is very short. I'd love a nice bolero, and I think I'd find it easier to peel off when riding than the arm warmers.

Neither pair of my PI arm warmers has silicone grippers. The fleece pair has very light elastic inside the top seam, and the wool ones are a stretchy knit all by themselves. They stay up fine.

(My DeSoto arm coolers have silicone grippers, which actually don't irritate my arms the way silicone grippers on shorts irritate my thighs, but the DeSotos are such a weird shape that they don't stay up. Fit, fit, fit.)

And with arm warmers, you don't have to peel them all the way off. You can just push them down around your wrists and either have them available to pull back up if it cools off again, you start a descent, etc., or take them off safely whenever you break for another reason.

I have wool arm warmers, but they are a little itchy. I am not a wool wimp either! I think for the sake of savings, I have decided to wait on the bolero, though I still want one. I am going to use my clothing budget towards saving from my new bike. I still have to sell the old one first though :rolleyes:

On our tour this spring (two months, Italy-France-Spain) I was pretty happy with a button up shirt, which could cover my arms for warmth, be worn unbuttoned if it was too warm, and taken off without dealing with the helmet when it was really not needed. And when it was clean, I could wear it as "civilian" clothing.

I did have occasional thoughts that a bolero might be nice, but having multi-use items was more important to me.

A bolero soaked in water can cool you down in hot temperatures.

I have a Pearl Izumi convertible vest/jacket, and I've often wondered if I could just take the vest part off and wear the sleeves part, instead of the other way around, since usually my core gets hot but my arms are still cool if it's chilly out. Isn't this essentially what the bolero would do?

It's not snug-fitting so perhaps it would flap around, but I wear a camelbak while riding so I suppose that might help keep it in place? I looked at boleros online and it looks like many of them don't have any zippers or anything to keep them closed/snug in front - how does that work for people concerned with aerodynamics/speed?

OP, if this would work, perhaps this type of jacket could serve dual-purposes for you?

I have a white bolero that is intended to help stay cool. I like it for doing what the atmosphere would do if I lived at sea level.

It is a bit too small, and the back feels icky over a jersey, so I wear it under.

This looks so simple! You could tailor your yarn to the temperature range.
http://dmwknits.com/2011/12/27/arm-warmers-pattern/