Fifty Plus (50+) - What's with these knee warmers?

Bought a pair of Pearl Izumi Therma Fleece Knee Warmers at REI yesterday. The guy there suggested buying one size smaller than what I would think was right, because they start working their way down your leg as you ride, and the "right" size wouldn't stay up.

So I tried on XL and L, and brought home the L. Well, guess what. It starts riding down my leg! So now I have to go back and exchange for a M I guess. Who woulda thunk?

I hate the idea of going back to REI the very next day. It's not likely that I can simply exchange the knee warmers. I'll be bringing home socks and God knows what else. It's like going to the store for milk, and running up a $75 bill. Sigh!

Just go to the whine shop and buy a couple of bottles.

Today is the day DG has become a fashion slave...who'da thunk it?

I have no idea how knee warmers would stay in place--suffered with leg warmer creep until I got smart enough to put them under the legs of my bibs. There's nothing to stick knee warmers under! So, I'd say either buy leg warmers or, given the way things are going today with the Deegster, some Assos bib knickers.

I've never liked either knee or leg warmers. For me they just don't stay in place. I have tried everything - and I mean everything! If it's that cold I wear tights (although knickers would be a good investment - anyone want to buy me some for Christmas?). But it has to be really cold (like less than 40) for me to ride tights.

Now arm warmers another thing. Greatest invention ever!

Not sure you're gonna like this suggestion, but it works!

If you shave your legs, the knee warmers (and leg warmers) stay in place just fine. Don't ask me how it works, but I've done some research (yeah, my own), and it works!

Rick / OCRR

RIck I shave my legs... how come that doesn't work for me? :(

Hi Pam,

I don't know . . . maybe you're legs are just too pretty! I have really ugly legs, so it works for me.

Rick / OCRR

Hi Pam,

I don't know . . . maybe you're legs are just too pretty! I have really ugly legs, so it works for me.

Rick / OCRR
Nice save, Rick. :D

Garters of course!:)

double sided sticky tape. I hear it works wonders for costume malfunctions. Cher says so..:)

Pull 'em up high. And they go UNDER the lycra shorts.

Pull 'em up high. And they go UNDER the lycra shorts.

I had 'em under the shorts. Didn't work.

Pull 'em up high. And they go UNDER the lycra shorts.

+1.


FWIW, leg warmers are some of my least used cycling kit. If it's cold enough for them, it's generally better to just wear tights. Plus, tights keep your "private bits" warm...something leg/knee warmers don't.

The only time I've found leg warmers useful is when on tour in the big mountains. Mountain mornings can be quite cool, and your jersey pockets tend to stay pretty full, due to the need to carry a light jacket and liner gloves in case of afternoon showers. In those limited cases, leg warmers can be helpful to wear for the first hour or two until the sun warms things up (and then you can separate them and stuff them into two pockets of your jersey).

But, if someone was just getting into the sport, I'd advise against getting leg warmers because there's plenty of other gear that gets used a lot more.

EDIT: Rats, a couple of people slipped in after ccorlew before I finished my post....doesn't anybody WORK anymore?

^^^^

1+....UNDER the shorts, up high. They stay up pretty good.

I probably should have gotten a size smaller, as they turned out to be 'leg warmers'...only about a 4-5" gap between the top of the socks and the bottom of the 'warmers'.

Pull 'em up high. And they go UNDER the lycra shorts.

I have pulled those leg warmers up under my shorts literately where they can't go any higher. Do you know how attractive that is? And they still slide down.

And Rick - you are a sweetie. You know what I mean, The last thing my legs are is pretty! ;)

My PI fleece lined leg warmers stay up with no problems. I wear them often.

I bet you look like Rick... there is probably something to be said about being slim, with no lumps and bumps. No matter what size you buy, those things are really just tubes made to go over skinny pipes!

Under the lycra shorts works fine for my knee warmers. I overlap them several inches. If your shorts fit loosly, it probably wouldn't work. Knee warmers work very well for me when it is too cool for just shorts but not cold enough for tights.

double sided sticky tape. I hear it works wonders for costume malfunctions. Cher says so..:)

She evidently didn't share this with Janet:rolleyes:

I bet you look like Rick... there is probably something to be said about being slim, with no lumps and bumps. No matter what size you buy, those things are really just tubes made to go over skinny pipes!

Well for his sake, I honestly hope he doesn't look like Rick@OCRR :D. Plus, ladies with lumps and bumps (as you say) are far better than skinny ones without them! Just my opinion, of course, YMMV :).

Rick / OCRR

I bet you look like Rick... there is probably something to be said about being slim, with no lumps and bumps. No matter what size you buy, those things are really just tubes made to go over skinny pipes!

Thank you for what I think was a compliment, but no, I don't have skinny pipes. I walk around on an old set of linebacker's legs...if you know what I mean.

I actually took up about an inch or so in the opening of the top of my knee warmers and stitched them together to reduce their size. They just don't make stuff for long skinny legs. Reducing the size helped some but for long rides I haven't found anything that works perfectly. That's why I recently bought another pair of knickers.

My darn tights seemed to have stretched and are sagging.......guess I'm either going to have to get another pair or bring out the suspenders.

I don't wear tights often. I got them out for a ride. They are now so weird and baggy, the chamois won't stay put. Not certain what to do with them. It's not like they are worn out but can't have that chamois deciding to migrate elsewhere!

Tights without a chamois over shorts.

I just use sweat pants and I put bands around my calf so I don't get grease on them. It may be fred but it's warm.

+1 on pulling them up high. But the trick is that you also have to pull the bottom of the warmers up higher than would seem natural. If I do that, mine will stay up all day. If I don't, they slip out from under the short within 5 minutes. I hate when that happens.

BCIpam:
Pantyhose work just fine!

Some shorts work better to hold up knee/leg warmers. The legs have almost "sticky" openings. I've switched to leg warmers and like them a lot.

There was a similar thread last week in the tandem forum on PI warmers falling down - mine do not. What is interesting is that the OP immediately followed up with a leg shaving poll. I think hairy legs and droopy warmers are directly proportional - more hair = droopy warmers.

Here's your knee warmers:

http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/9c853a70.jpg

Shorts, tights, or sweatpants. Anything but knee warmers.

Shorts, tights, or sweatpants. Anything but knee warmers.[/QUOTE]

I gotta agree. By the time we parade around with a mirror on our helmet/glasses, wearing black socks with shorts, sporting gloves with no fingers - even on the hottest days and clacking on the sidewalks and walking funny because of our shoes, we don't need to add to our dorque factor with what look like knickers! UNLESS you can smoke all other comers once on the bike. :D

How to keep your knee warmers in place ...

Tights without a chamois over shorts.

+1!:)

Contrarian here. :eek: I wear PI knee warmers frequently here in Wyoming. I wear them over the legs of the bibshorts. Never come down. Bibshort legs are naturally trying to ride up on the leg which holds the knee warmers in place as they are naturally trying to ride down on the leg. Sorry, but it sure works for me.

OK I was waiting for the duct tape recommendation - Tom you win for posting first.

I have worn regular tights under my bike shorts. Not really a fashion statement but it helped keep my feet and legs warm.

Boy do I remember those leg warmers. I was a gym rat in the 80's and must have had 100 pairs, all different colors and I worn them around (yes I admit how geeky) with regular clothes. I truly thought I was something! I was something all right... just what I hate to consider. :p

I have worn regular tights under my bike shorts. Not really a fashion statement but it helped keep my feet and legs warm.

Uh, I think the shorts might work better under the tights rather than over them. :o