Van Rysel Cool Weather Cycling Leg Warmers

The Van Rysel Road Cycling Cool Weather Leg Warmers are very well priced considering their quality and the use of good materials – and you get a DWR coating too. The seam at the rear sits behind the knee which can be a little annoying at times, but the extra panel does at least give them a bent shape, which reduces material bunching.

First off, let's clear up some confusion. On Decathlon's website (the company behind Van Rysel) these are called Cool Weather Leg Warmers, but they aren't; they're knee warmers, and as such, they're very good. Van Rysel does Cold Weather Leg Warmers, which are in fact long enough to be leg warmers.

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Created, like most warmers, from a fleece-backed Super Roubaix style material, they are soft against the skin, and while not particularly windproof they do trap plenty of warmth.

In fact, the material is of a decent weight, and I've been comfortable in them down to around 5°C and could go lower if it wasn't for the exposed skin at the bottom of my legs.

They also come with a water repellent treatment which works very well indeed, even around the seams. It will keep light rain and/or road spray out for a good hour – less if the rain is heavy. Decathlon does say that it needs to be reactivated every five washes, which can be done by ironing the knee warmers (less than 140°C), tumble drying them, or using a waterproofing spray. I did the tumble dry thing after 10 washes and the water repellency did seem to be improved by the process.

Rather than just being a single section of fabric sewn into a tube, with a single seam, the Van Rysels are made from three panels, one for the front and two at the rear.

Splitting the rear panel into two, one above the other, gives the knee warmer a naturally bent shape which makes for more comfort as it reduces the bunching of material when pedalling. The only downside is that you get a seam sitting right behind your knee.

That said, it didn't irritate that much; I only started to notice it on rides of three hours or more.

To keep the warmers in position, Van Rysel has used a 30mm-wide silicone gripper at the thigh and a 50mm gripper at the calf.

I had no issues either end with anything moving, and as they're quite wide you don't get any pressure points either.

To help with fit, Decathlon has a size guide on its website based on thigh circumference which I found to be correct. Options are XS/S, M/L and XL/XXL

Value

Priced at £14.99, the Van Rysels are a bit of a bargain considering the quality, and how impressive the water resistance is. You get a two-year warranty too.

Emma was impressed with the warmth and cut of the Specialized Therminal knee warmers, but they don't offer any water resistance and are basically double the price of the Van Rysels.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best arm and leg warmers

I'm a fan of Lusso's Repel range, and so was Mike, rating the leg warmers very highly. The knee warmers use the same material, but again they cost nearly twice as much as the Van Rysels, at £27.99.

Conclusion

The mid-knee seam is the only little niggle for me, but as I said, it never really became a big issue as it has with some warmers. Other than that, though, considering the quality and performance here, I almost can't believe the price.

Verdict

Great performance and fit, and one hell of a bargain