New Balance Half in Victoria this weekend looks like the day will start cold and I’m thinking about arm warmers. Anyone have advice about wearing them under the wetsuit vs putting 'em on in transition like bracelets and rolling them up later?
I wore my arm warmers under the wetsuit in lake Placid a couple of years ago for an Olympic distance race. It was 50 degrees and pouring rain. The arm warmers were going to get wet anyway, and they are a bitch to put on after a swim when your fingers are numb and wet skin is sticky.
Are soaking wet arm warmers really going to keep your arms warm?
-Colin
well a good nylon/lycra arm warmer isn’t really going to retain water much, and whether wet or not, they do add a layer of protection against the elements.
I would think that they would help retain some of the warmth. Of greater concern(to me) would be, how much heavier will they make your arms when they are wet. Although I am not a big advocate of using a wetsuit in a pool, you may want to test it out. I, for one, would love to hear your report.
I think, like your shorts, they’ll dry on the ride. I was more wondering whether they would mess up the fit of the wetsuit. I guess I’ve got two days to try it.
Deke
Instead of wearing the armwarmers under the wetsuit, before the race put them on & have someone else roll them (starting near the shoulder) very tightly so that when you take them off they look like donuts. Then they are very easy to put on in T1 or on the bike, even with wet skin & cold fingers. Just make sure you slip your hand through from the correct side & unroll them up your arm.
I find myself in the same situation for a race tomorrow (54 F water / 50ish air temp). Did you end up using the arm warmers, and if so, how did it work for you?
Duh
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If the OAT is cold, and the water is cold, I’d recommend not wearing your arm warmers under the wetsuit.
Yes, it would take away the difficulty of putting them on when you are wet, but there is a method above that includes rolling the arm warmers that is new to me, but sounds legit.
My reasoning for not wearing them is that you will have wet arm warmers. No matter how little water they retain, they will be wet. I can’t speak to their drying properties, but I can assure you that when you are on the bike and moving, it won’t be fast enough.
I would suggest to give the rolling of the warmers a shot.
Jake
Do it. If it’s anything warm enough to physically have a swim, you’ll live and it will be better than not having anything. The rest of your clothes will be wet anyway, so the fact that your arms are covered in a wet material is not that big of a deal
I’ve done it with knee warmers and it worked fine (though hard to get the wetsuit on without the warmers trying to roll up).
Duh
What’s wrong with asking how it went (regardless of the original date)? The person used the search function and found a relevant thread. Seems OK to me.
Duh
What’s wrong with asking how it went (regardless of the original date)? The person used the search function and found a relevant thread. Seems OK to me.
Easy brother. My duh was to me, as I answered the OP then looked at the date, so my advice was not relevant. Not directed at you or anyone else. Stand down
Thanks for the reply. You’re probably right. I did this race last year under similar conditions and had a real tough time in T2 because my hands would just not function and it really made getting the helmet off and shoes on a struggle. I did try dry fitting arm warmers under my wet suit and they seemed just fine. Biggest concern is what happens when they get saturated during the swim. I think they would dry out quick enough on the bke but definitely best to try it some time in practice first though. When I do, I’ll try to post something.
use the arm warmers, no problems under the wet suit. i did this at new orleans 5150 and it worked perfectly.
roll them tightly, perch them on the bullhorns, roll them up as you roll out of T1.
I’ve tried that. Miserable fail for me, at least. You are clearly more nimble about these things than I am.
If I need armwarmers for a race, I just wear a underarmor/nike pro full sleeve shirt underneath my tri suit. Or over, if I know I’ll want to peel it off for the run. Never had a wardrobe malfunction.
Scofflaw - Is that a compression top? Didn’t you have chaffing around the pits / shoulders?
I have put rolled up arm warmers on in T1 like bracelets as you describe. It works well. I would try the under your wetsuit method first to see if they just peel off with the wetsuit.