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review
Arm & leg warmers
Gore Bike Wear Ozon II arm warmersGore Ozon Arm warmers

Gore Bike Wear Ozon II arm warmers

8
by VecchioJo
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Nov 20, 2010

0
£24.99

VERDICT:

8
10
An arm-warmer that doesn't spend it's time wanting to be a wrist-warmer
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.gorebikewear.com
How we test

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There's not much to say about arm-warmers, you put them on and they keep your arms warm, or you take them off when they've warmed up. They're handy for changeable temperature conditions when they can be slipped on and off as heat and chill dictate. They can come in different colours to match your socks.

End of test.

Thankfully there's a bit more than that with these Gore Ozone arm-warmers. The first and most wondrous thing to mention about them is that this medium sized pair actually fitted our arms, hooray to see what thicker armed types think of them check out our earlier Gore Ozon review. Unlike most other arm-warmers these weren't a bit loose at the top and didn't gently ruckle down over the miles needing constant pulling up promoting idle ponderings about arm-warmer suspender-belts, or safety-pins thanks to a thick yet comfortable gripper at the top of the arm studded with silicone dots keeping things well in place and the rest of the arm-warmer is cut to fit a traditional roadie arm, that's to say, thin. The Ozons are also plenty long enough so you don't suffer that faux-pas of gap between jersey and arm-warmer that has the peloton giggling behind you, or that chilly wrist gap twixt warmer and glove. Excellent news.

The seams are all flat-locked for comfort and although the Gores aren't tailored to suit a bent elbow the panels are sewn to fit spirally down the arm making sure there are no embarrassing wrinkles or bagginess. They’re even marked “L” and “R” so you get them on the specific arm to aid fit and so that the reflective logos by the wrist are the right way up. Points there for style and correctness.

They're not the thickest and warmest of arm-warmers as they don't have fluffy "Roubaix" insides, nor are they windproof or resistant to damp, but they are available in white, red or black to compensate.

Verdict

A good basic arm-warmer that's elevated to god-like status for the fact that it actually fits our skinny roadie arms and doesn't fall down, a bit spendy for a non Roubaix, non windproof and non water shy arm-warmer though.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Gore Bike Wear Ozon arm warmers

Size tested: M

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

“Foldable, lightweight, highly functional: Perfect companion in both cold and hot conditions. The arm warmers help you stay warm and/or protect you from UV rays.” say Gore, we're great fans of the arm-warmer so can only agree with the functionality of something that folds into your back pocket for the chilly start or cold ends of rides, we never thought about using them to protect us from the sun, but then this is the UK.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

The Ozons are a basic wicking material with not much in the way of fluffy warmth, waterproofing or windproof panels.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
10/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They kept our arms warm when we needed them to and they folded unobtrusively away when we didn't, but most importantly they didn't fall down.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The fit and the reflective logo.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing much, they could be a thicker material, but only maybe.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, especially those with skinny arms

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 73kg

I usually ride: It varies as to the season.  My best bike is: The one I\'m on at the time

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, cyclo cross, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Fun

Gore Bike Wear
arm warmers
VecchioJo

Jo Burt has spent the majority of his life riding bikes, drawing bikes and writing about bikes. When he's not scribbling pictures for the whole gamut of cycling media he writes words about them for road.cc and when he's not doing either of those he's pedaling. Then in whatever spare minutes there are in between he's agonizing over getting his socks, cycling cap and bar-tape to coordinate just so. And is quietly disappointed that yours don't He rides and races road bikes a bit, cyclo-cross bikes a lot and mountainbikes a fair bit too. Would rather be up a mountain.

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