It may be past warmer season for some parts of the globe, but depending on the weather and location a good set of arm/knee/leg warmers can prove invaluable year round. Hinting towards a vastly improved product line (of which we have a few other reviews in the works), Bontrager’s line of warmers are up there with the best we’ve tried. With an asymmetrical left/right specific fit all three proved to fit extremely well.
More from Bontrager, WD-40, Vaude, Banjo Brothers, and Road ID after the break!
Each warmer features dual silicone bands where it is placed under the jersey sleeve or short leg, which for me prevented any sagging or drooping at all. The Nylon face paired with a brushed thermal backing proved to be plenty warm even down to temps below 40° with the right layering up top of course. I’ve had a lot of different knee warmers especially that wouldn’t stay up, or were too tight, and the mediums were just right. The arm warmers were slightly on the long side for my short arms, but rolling the top once solved the issue. Arm, Knee, and Leg warmers retail for $29.99, $39.99, and $54.99.
If you haven’t seen it yet, WD-40 actually has a line of bike product out now, not just the old muti-purpose spray. Part of that line up is their foaming bike wash, which promises solid cleaning in a biodegradable package. Compared to something like Finish Line Bike Wash, WD-40 Foaming bike wash really shines when used on heavy mud. Less muddy bikes seem to be left with less residue when cleaned with the Finish Line pink stuff, but for real mud WD-40 works great. Better stock up for cross season.
Even though they don’t distribute Vaude in the US anymore, Magura set us up with a Vaude Aquarius 8+3 hydration pack in Sedona. While the internal storage leaves something to be desired, the harness system is quite good. With an adjustable shoulder strap system and a suspended mesh back panel similar to Boreas or Deuter, the Aquarius was very comfy on long rides.
Looking for something to carry your phone, and anything else on a ride? Banjo Brothers offers their phone case, which is water resistant and allows touchscreen phones to be used through the case. The Fit is pretty tight if you have a larger case on your phone such as the Speck case on my iPhone 4s, but with the exception of something like an Otter Box extreme you should be good. The back side features separate pockets for credit cards, IDs, money, etc. The case is a bit long compared to others, but it still fits in a jersey pocket just fine.
While clearly known for their ID bracelets, Road ID has a few other products like this Supernova rear light. With simple twist on and off, the little light clips onto any bag or jersey pocket and offers impressively bright light. Road ID claims it is the brightest, lightest, most durable light in its class. For $12.99 it’s hard to beat.
