Velocio's Thermal Leg Warmers are a decent choice if you don't like tights for winter miles, or you want the versatility of being able to remove them if the day warms up. The lack of aggressive grippers here is a big plus, and the fleecy fabric offers excellent protection in cold weather. However, the water repellency doesn't retain its full effectiveness for long, and be advised that the size guide isn't that accurate – you might need to size down. They're also a bit bulky for stuffing in a pocket.
Our guide to the best arm and leg warmers for cycling has more options.
> Buy now: Velocio Thermal Leg Warmers for £69 from Velocio
I tested Velocio's 'standard' leg warmers recently – they fitted brilliantly, felt comfy and offered decent protection in a lightweight package. In short, they set a high bar for the thermal version to compete with. With temperatures hovering between 6 and 12°C and plenty of wet roads and drizzle to test the warmers in, I've had five weeks to put them through their paces.
Fit
Velocio recommends you buy the same size leg warmers as your shorts (using its size chart). I reviewed a size medium, the same size as the regular leg warmers that I had no issues with – they stayed in place, even on longer rides. But while the Thermal Leg Warmers felt okay when I first pulled them on – the left-right tailoring is good – I needed to pull them higher up my leg than I have done any other warmer I've used, which felt odd, and they tended to slide down a little on longer rides, wrinkling behind the knees. This gathering was noticeable as the fleecy fabric has more thickness to it than many leg warmers.
They also don't offer the level of compression that the standard warmers had.
I'd definitely advise sizing down, particularly if you are bordering on a smaller size. Indeed, lining the regular warmer up alongside the thermal one demonstrates the significant size difference.
It's possible that the fit is not helped by the fabric composition either: the regular leg warmers are 74% polyamide, 26% elastane, while the thermal ones are 54% polyamide, 32% polyester, 14% elastane.
The material certainly feels cosy against the skin – like a warming hug for your legs as you head out into the cold – but in short, the sizing is not brilliantly executed.
Performance
We've certainly had no shortage of damp weather to test the DWR.
My very first ride with the leg warmers was memorable – a long two hours in continual drizzle, with temperatures hovering between 6 and 8°C. The leg warmers impressed, fending off drizzle admirably. In addition to this, I was cosy and warm throughout – an undeniable 10 out of 10 performance-wise on the first outing.
Sadly, with repeated washing, the fabric's ability to repel water has deteriorated. This is not surprising – Velcoio confirmed that the warmers have a DWR treatment that "does not contain any PFAs. This item uses C0 DWR treatment". In my experience, and as other reviewers at road.cc are discovering, the eco-friendly, PFA-free treatments just don't seem as effective as the harmful PFA ones.
Without doubt, the C0 DWR is still doing something. This is easily noticeable if you wear a non-treated leg warmer on one leg and Velocio's on the other, as I did, in order to compare water-handling ability. Quite simply, they are not performing as they did on day one; they can handle short, light showers and road spray, but are not up to two hours of continual rain.
There's always the option of using an in-wash treatment to revive the water repellency but, given the initial £70 outlay, I don't think it's ideal to have to fork out for treatments quite so quickly after purchasing.
The thermal properties are impressive. The leg warmers match some of my deep winter tights in terms of protection against cold air and biting winds. As someone who, in single digit temperatures, rarely wears anything other than tights, I rather struggled with post-ride pink hips. You'll need substantial thermal shorts to match the protection levels of the leg warmers in very cold temperatures.
Value
As thermal warmers with an ability to repel light road spray and intermittent drizzle, Velocio's warmers are comparable to 7mesh's Colorado Leg Warmers. Those are now £80, but I'd say £69 is still a steep price to pay given you are gambling on sizing and buying something whose performance in damp conditions will deteriorate over time.
Rapha's Thermal Leg Warmers make both 7mesh's and Velocio's look somewhat overpriced, at £55, though there is no water repellency here.
Altura's DWR Leg Warmer is a much more wallet-friendly option – £40 – though with only two sizes available, there might be fit issues here too.
Conclusion
Overall, Velocio's Thermal Leg Warmers offer excellent protection from the cold, and will fend off light road spray and even drizzle, but they will need regular re-treating to achieve 'like-new' performance. They don't come cheap, either, and you might also need to size down for an optimal fit.
Verdict
Very warm, but watch the sizing, and don't expect the water repellency to last
Make and model: Velocio Thermal Leg Warmers
Tell us what the product is for
Velocio says its Thermal Leg Warmers are "recommended for rides when temperatures will approach freezing, while still warming up mid-day".
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Velocio:
These thermal-weight winter accessories add fleece-backed DWR protection for the colder months. The compressive soft-touch fabric requires no gripper to stay in place, and flatlock seams add comfort. Reflective details finish them off with added low light visibility.
Fabric Content:
54% Polyamide / 32% Polyester / 14% Elastane
Made in: Italy
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
Thermal properties are very good, but the DWR deteriorates with washing.
Rate the product for durability:
6/10
Garment itself fine, but the DWR isn't really durable.
Rate the product for fit:
7/10
Get the size right, the fit could be good.
Rate the product for sizing:
5/10
Too big, despite being listed as the same size as the standard leg warmers that I recently tested (which fitted brilliantly). I'd recommend sizing down.
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
7/10
Generally fine, but noticeable gathering behind the knee.
Rate the product for value:
4/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
They came out clean and fresh after every wash, but after six weeks of washing and wearing, the water repellency was compromised.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Great in cold weather, but really need to be teamed with a thick pair of shorts to have consistent coverage for the pelvic area.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Lack of aggressive grippers, excellent protection in cold weather.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Poor size guide which leads to bunching behind knee, and the compromised water repellency.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Some of the most expensive available. They're £11 less than 7mesh's Colorado Leg Warmers, but you can definitely find cheaper.
Did you enjoy using the product? On short, cold rides when the roads were wet, the warmers were appreciated.
Would you consider buying the product? Unlikely
Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they prefer warmers to tights, yes, with advice to size down.
Use this box to explain your overall score
This is a hard one to score overall. The protection they provide in cold weather is brilliant, but the DWR is compromised after not much use, though this might be addressed with a wash-in treatment.
The sizing issue is a difficult one too – since they are so different to the regular warmers, I'd say Velocio needs to address this, though it's remedied by reading around and being informed before you buy, or swapping if they don't fit.
And though they're not as expensive as some, they have a few too many niggles for £69.
So... for keeping you warm they're excellent, but they're not without issues, and they're expensive. I think that balances out as a 6 overall – quite good.
Age: 42 Height: 173cm Weight: 64kg
I usually ride: Road My best bike is: Carbon road.
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Getting to grips with off roading too!
However it was only a cyclist that was killed. Any road user with any sense will be driving a 2 tonne box on the roads which would protect them...
Sometimes it's 'only a momentary loss of concentration' (© Lancashire Constabulary Dodging Department)
Hey, just stop knocking it you guys. It's got a bell sound, a darn gosh rooting tooting bell sound and a pretty good one at that. When we found out...
Of all the teams to join, Cofidis........Oh dear. What a mistake........strikes of desparation to be seen in the WT.
"A shprakh iz a dyalekt mit an armey un flot"...
KOM Boomers: they're the ones who learned to pass wide of a parked postal truck.
The other thing I would say is that be judicious about adding starter packs (bulk follow packs). The lovely Hackney Bike Fit has one but it has...
我的媽和她的瘋狂的外甥都 ・ Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung
After a winter of occasional riding, I had a problem with my rear hub pawls getting a bit rusty and then they stuck in the disengaged position...
The downtube is the tube which has a bottle on it in the photos you're looking at. I'm assuming you're talking about the seattube, which the bike...