Last Wednesday started out pleasantly warm for a day in early April—about 65 degrees Fahrenheit by my cyclometer’s reckoning. It certainly wasn’t a scorcher, but I couldn’t see a cloud in the sky, and the sun felt warm on my bare skin. It looked like a good day to ride.

It also looked like a good day to put my newly purchased DeFeet Armskins to the test. But I didn’t start out with my arms sheathed in Armskins. It may have been warm, but it was still April—and I’ve learned not to trust first impressions. Many days that feel delightfully clement in my sheltered, south-facing doorway turn bitterly cold when I round the corner and meet a raw nor’east breeze head-on. So I didn’t take any chances. I began my ride wearing a light, long-sleeved fleece top over a short-sleeved jersey. And true to form, the wind lived up to expectations: a chill northerly that was more than a match for the spring sun. Still, the effort of pushing against the wind soon had me sweating freely. A wardrobe adjustment was now called for. Armskins to the rescue! I groped around in my ‘bar bag for the tidy, tennis-ball sized roll of white knit fabric. (Unlike black arm warmers, white Armskins are easy to spot among the litter of tools and spare parts that quickly accumulates in most hard-used ‘bar bags.) First I shed my fleece top. Then I teased the tightly rolled ’skins apart and pulled them over my sweaty arms, congratulating myself on having bought the larger of the two available sizes (Large/Extra Large)—my weight training was paying off. Small/Medium would have been too small.

The next 12 miles threw one hill after another at me, and the wind was determined to stay in my face, while the sun climbed ever higher in the sky. My cyclometer’s display soon read 75 degrees. But the Armskins did the job I wanted them to do. My arms stayed warm in the chilly pools of deep shade under the overhanging pines, but were still cool in the full sun. I didn’t overheat, and I didn’t burn. (My nose did, though. Anyone for Noseskins?) Better yet, the bright white ’skins drew drivers’ attention to my outstretched arm whenever I signaled a turn. Comfort and safety rolled into one. That’s a hard combination to beat.

My brief test run put one other nagging doubt to rest, too. I’ve had more than my share of Nora Batty moments, when knee warmers or arm warmers have slipped down, only to come to rest in a wrinkled tangle around ankles or wrists. And I’d wondered if Armskins would exhibit the same failing. The good news? They didn’t. They stayed right where I put them. Moreover, they dried in minutes after I took them off. By the time I’d lifted my bike onto its storage rack and hung up my helmet, my ’skins were as dry as they’d been when I put them on.

The bottom line? It’s early days. The jury’s still out, and I’ll have to wait for some really hot and humid weather to complete my deliberations. But things are looking good so far. Nothing’s defeated my DeFeet Armskins yet. Unless winter returns for an encore performance, I’ll have the verdict in a couple of weeks at most. Stay tuned.

 
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