Castelli NanoFlex Arm and Leg Warmers

Castelli NanoFlex Arm and Leg Warmers

For almost every discipline of cycling arm and leg warmers are essential. They are the most versatile piece of cold weather gear, so why haven’t they evolved like the rest of our kits and gear? Most of the time they are just some sort of fabric lined with some fleece, but now someone finally updated them. Castelli finally took the initiative and took arm and leg warmers to a whole new level with their nanoflex fabric.
Nanoflex fabric is breathable and can stretch the same as regular warmers, but the difference is that they are water resistant. I had seen videos and heard what teammates had to say about them, so I had to try them myself. I postponed buying them for a while because of the price, 60 dollars for just arm warmers and another 60 for the leg warmers. No doubt very expensive for just some fabric that you slide over your arms and legs. But because of all the recommendations I had to see if they were worth the money.
The first thing I did when I got them was slip them on and pour some water over them. To my amazement the water beaded up and slid right off like it was plastic. When I took them off I felt the inside of them to see if how much water got through. I was dumbfounded find my arm and the warmers perfectly dry. That alone made them better than any other arm warmers I have ever used. Not only are they very water resistant, but they are also comfy and warm. Like claimed they breathe well, and stretch like regular warmers. A fleece lining makes them warm and soft, but because it is breathable there is a huge range of temperature that these can be used in. I have used them in everything from 20 to 65 degrees, and haven’t been uncomfortably hot or cold.
My first ride with these was in six inches of snow and 20 degree weather on christmas morning. I took my cyclocross bike out for some snow practice at seven a.m, and stayed out for about an hour. I didn’t have to wear much to stay warm with these on. Even with a few washouts into the snow, I stayed perfectly dry and warm. Another great thing I found with these was their ability to stay in place. I never have to keep pulling them up or pin them to my bibs. Part of this is because I made sure they fit tight, but mostly because the sticky rubber on both sides of the upper cuff. I have however seen weather that defeats these arm and leg warmers. At the 2013 cyclocross nationals in Wisconsin I saw their limits. In the 15-16 junior age group race the mud was like soup and left everyone covered head to toe in a uniform brown. After the race my teammates who did have these arm and leg warmers still got quite a bit of mud and water on their legs (unfortunately I was unable to put them to the test myself due to a stomach bug). But even though they were permeated by water and mud, they still kept the water out much longer than regular warmers.
Overall I believe that these are the best arm and leg warmers on the market. I can only find one fault, price. However their amazing functionality far outweighs the cost. I would highly recommend these and will be using them until someone makes fully waterproof pair, breathable, and comfortable pair of arm and leg warmers.