Bolero vs arm warmers - packing for a tour

[OakLeaf]

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.

[Slowspoke]

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

[beatrix]

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.

[cosc]

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

[sookiesue]

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?

[malkin]

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.

[sashadieken]

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