Baselayer for hot weather

MTBMaven · Mar 23, 2009

I am in search of a baselayer to serve as a wicking layer for warm weather. Do any products out there perform this role without adding unnecessary warmth?

I got to go in the "green room" after one of the Amgen stage finishes and every rider had on a base layer under their bibs and jerseys. I just got a Voler baselayer and used it yesterday. Got to say it just added another layer of clothing and made me warmer. Luckily it was a cool day. There is an event I'm doing in May where last year's temp was above 110 degrees mid-day. It seems that if a product could wick well enough it might keep you cooler through an evaporative cooling process.

Creakyknees · Mar 23, 2009

Some riders swear by them. I live in Texas and I've tried base layers a few times but always go back to just a jersey - the lightest, breathing-est jersey I can get.

Touch0Gray · Mar 23, 2009

sorry warm weather was so long ago I forget

crispy010 · Mar 23, 2009

Why would you possibly want another layer of clothing in warm weather?? Anything above 60 degrees will find me in bibs and a short sleeve jersey and nothing else.

siclmn · Mar 23, 2009

Some people do it here on hot days but I don't get it. When I tried it I just ended up wearing a base layer that never dried out, and that could be a good thing for keeping cool on a very hot day but it was uncomfortable. My good jerseys seem to have two layers of material in them already so they come with a built in base layer.

MTBMaven · Mar 23, 2009

crispy010 said:
Why would you possibly want another layer of clothing in warm weather?? Anything above 60 degrees will find me in bibs and a short sleeve jersey and nothing else.

The idea is that it pulls the moisture off your body and keeps you cooler.

Base layer - a garment worn directly against the skin that has wicking/moisture transfer capabilities. It transfers perspiration from the skin to the outside of the garment so it can evaporate. Moist clothing is an immediate conductor of heat or cold. I have a long sleeve winter weight base layer from Craft that works very well. I wear a sleeveless summer weight base layer under my jersey, even on the hottest day as it transfers sweat away from the body and keeps you cooler on a hot day.
http://www.ucdtri.com/articles/wintercycling.php

I'm wondering if anyone has tried a product that actually does this or one that does it more than others.

mimason · Mar 23, 2009

A good reason for a base layer in summer is sun protection. I wear sunscreen but it wears off too.

FWIW I bought the voler too but am still searching. IIRC there is an Assos summer arm protectors. This may be a good alternative along with the lightest jersey you can find.

fretking · Mar 23, 2009

Under Armour makes a very lightweight long-sleeve Heat Gear compression T that I wore for sun protection last summer after a crash. My right arm was eaten up with road rash and covered with Tegaderm. My doctor suggested an alternative to sunscreen and this solution worked great. I also noted that it was not uncomfortable at all on 95 degree days, and kept my gloves from getting soaked with sweat.

cohiba7777 · Mar 23, 2009

Under Armor - I will swear by it - use it for golf and cycling in 90+ degree heat - it is the best IMHO for the price. I haven't tried the cycling companies base layers and would like to do so if anyone has a good one to refer -

tyro · Mar 23, 2009

I have a lightweight Craft sleeveless baselayer. I like it in the summer for all but the hottest of days. I have a lightweight jersey for that, but it only gets broken out when it's really hot. Luckily, that doesn't happen much where I live.

jorgy · Mar 23, 2009

DeSoto makes something called a SkinCooler base layer. Never tried it myself, though.

http://desotosports.com/products/product.asp?Category=mtops&ProdID=BL9

Mootsie · Mar 23, 2009

Descente makes a D Vente layer that pulls the moisture away and lets it evaporate out of your jersey. I have also used a Vermarc mesh tank that does the same.
IMO Voler stuff in general is the Walmart brand of cycling wear. Its ususally cheap, but poorly designed using marginally performing materials.

MShaw · Mar 23, 2009

D-Feet makes a very good, very thin base that I wear till it gets up over 90-ish. Ditto with some of the Nike stuff. Very good that is.

IME I'm cooler with the base on 'cause it moves the sweat away where it can evaporate. Obviously YMMV.

Oh, and if you ride in groups, a base and jersey will slide across the pavement better than your skin and a jersey. DAMHIK

M

ZoSoSwiM · Mar 23, 2009

I have some cheap starter brand skin tight base layer T-shirts. They work well and they wick all the moisture off my skin. I have used a long sleeve one for years with great success.

allison · Mar 23, 2009

I wanted a lighter colored baselayer that was tighter than my wool s/s base layers and recently picked up the UA Heat Compression base layer. It's been great in cold weather - I wear it as the base layer underneath my wool and it's definitely kept the core warmer.

I also wore it a few weekends ago in the desert in 85+ and was not any more warm than I would've been without.

I got a new "summer" jersey (lighter material than normal) and was worried I might get sunburnt a bit easier through the finer material. The UA base also has some SPF.

So far so good. I might not wear it on the warmest of days this summer, but I like it for now.

Terrapin · Mar 23, 2009

any sleeveless running shirt works great. They're super lightweight, it's like wearing nothing at all, and they're not that expensive.

fast_twitch · Mar 23, 2009

they make no sense!

Thermodynamically, an extra layer of clothing makes absolutely no sense! How can it keep you cooler? Adding a layer of clothing, regardless of its composition, adds another layer in which heat is trapped. There's no way around it. Evaporating water off the surface of your skin is the best way to remove heat from your body.

I use base layers, but only when it's cold. Wearing one on hot days just doesn't jive. It seems like marketing to me.

Slim Again Soon · Mar 23, 2009

I'm agnostic on this warm baselayer idea. But to work, as I understand it, the baselayer needs to be all but skin tight.

Otherwise, it's just like wearing two shirts -- hot ... :mad5: ... and hotter.

slamy · Mar 23, 2009

I tend to find that a base layer is not really needed if you are using a good jersey. Most nice jerseys like Castelli or say Assos, are made to pull the sweat off you anyhow. I ride in the deep south where temps can reach 100* with 100% humidity. I tried riding with a sleeveless castelli baselayer under a nice jersey and I felt it was always hotter and that when I wore say an Assos jersey by itself, it did a better job keeping me cool. But this is just my experience. I like to wear the base layer when the temps are cooler and I won't be sweating like an animal.

Keeping up with Junior · Mar 23, 2009

Asphalt Surfing

MShaw said:
D-Feet makes a very good, very thin base that I wear till it gets up over 90-ish. Ditto with some of the Nike stuff. Very good that is.

IME I'm cooler with the base on 'cause it moves the sweat away where it can evaporate. Obviously YMMV.

Same experience too. I also found on the hottest days without a base layer I would get an ice cold belly as I sweated a lot and it all collected at my belly where the wind collected and chilled me to the point of discomfort.

Of those I have used, in order of preference:
DeFeet - very thin and effective on the hottest days. Seems so thin it would be fragile but I am on my fourth season with the same two shirts.
Pearl Izumu - wicks well and I like this one for racing because my version has short sleeves (see surfing below).
Voler - great bang for the buck but a bit thicker than the DeFeet and can get a bit warm over 90 degrees - not bad but enough to notice in comparson to the DeFeet.
Descente - feels a little plastic like to me, does an OK job but not at the top of my list.

MShaw said:
Oh, and if you ride in groups, a base and jersey will slide across the pavement better than your skin and a jersey.

The potential for asphalt surfing is probably the same reason the OP saw all the pros wearing them. As you surf the base and jersey slide against each other thus less friction on your skin that is covered. Therefor my preference for short sleeves when racing, or those really dangerous rides - Touring Group Clusters.

Baselayer for hot weather

MTBMaven

Creakyknees

Touch0Gray

crispy010

siclmn

MTBMaven

mimason

fretking

cohiba7777

tyro

jorgy

Mootsie

MShaw

ZoSoSwiM

allison

Terrapin

fast_twitch

Slim Again Soon

slamy

Keeping up with Junior

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