On the surface it might seem kind of silly. Me, sitting here, writing a review about a pair of arm warmers in the middle of the summer. But if there is one thing I have become an expert about in my 15 years in Northern California, it is the art of the layer.
I have me some knowledge about arm warmers, leg warmers, and knee warmers. I am even well-versed in the world of arm and leg coolers, or what Rapha calls arm screens.
You see, leaving the house in sunny weather and finding yourself battling Karl the Fog a short while later tends to make you embrace the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.
Which brings me to the Specialized Therminal 1.5 Arm Warmers.
I received these arm warmers in grab bag at a Specialized press soiree. There were much better goodies in that sack of swag: a jersey, water bottles, some Equator coffee and packets of energy mix, so at first I looked right past them.
But sometime later, knowing I would need something on a blustery summer ride through San Francisco, I dug them out from the bottom of my kit heap and pulled them on. I never thought I would be so excited about a pair of $35 arm warmers.
The Therminal 1.5 are the not most expensive arm warmers out there, nor are they made from the most technically advanced fabrics. But they offer articulated arms, amazing gripper gripping and plenty of warmth without overdoing it. I now root around in my warmer collection looking specifically for this piece of kit and I look forward to whatever variable weather the city wants to throw my way.
