Is A Base Layer Whats Needed?

jedi_master
jedi_master Posts: 888
edited August 2009 in MTB buying advice
When riding where my backpack sits my t-shirt gets rather wet from sweat and when I remove my backpack when the wind blows a cold breeze I can feel a slight chill on my back and some when the pack jumps up a bit when going over bumps, also putting it back on at first can feel a tad uncomfortably. What I would like to know is would a base layer keep the sweet off the skin? Was looking at something like this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=40721 to where under my t-shirt.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    To be honest, (provided it's not really bloody cold outside) you'd be better off with a T shirt made from wicking material. Base layers are really meant for layering up for cold weather.

    I used to ride in T-shirts for years and years, until about a year ago, I bought an animal baggy riding top, and the difference is remarkable.
    Of course, you don;t have to spend money to get brands like animal, endura etc. Any wicking top will be better than a cotton T-shirt, and you can pick them up from most outdoor shops for about 15 quid.
  • jedi_master
    jedi_master Posts: 888
    Come to think of it I don't remember my back feeling as damp and wet with my England away shirt on, that has silver bits in it to help wick away sweat, I'll have to stick it on next time to test. I know Adidas do some shirts that have moisture management like this http://www.sportsdirect.com/Products/SD ... 23002.aspx .
  • europeandy
    europeandy Posts: 118
    try merino, i dont wear anything else these days
  • Joe_Pineapples
    Joe_Pineapples Posts: 1,718
    Cotton t shirts just soak up sweat and hold it, making you feel cold.

    A good example of how technical clothing works is when you do your washing.
    A cotton t shirt will remain damp for hours, but a wicking t shirt is almost ready to wear when it comes out of the machine and will be dry in no time.
    It works exactly the same way when you wear it.
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  • Tank-slapper
    Tank-slapper Posts: 968
    As above replies, an artificial fabric shirt would work better than cotton.
  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    europeandy wrote:
    try merino, I don't wear anything else these days
    ^ This ^

    Merino wicks sweat away, it doesn't chill down (like your T-shirt does), it does not smell (even after a weeks worth of hard riding & camping) unlike man made fabrics (even those that are treated)
    2385861000_d125abe796_m.jpg
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Jedi Master wrote:
    Come to think of it I don't remember my back feeling as damp and wet with my England away shirt on, that has silver bits in it to help wick away sweat, I'll have to stick it on next time to test. I know Adidas do some shirts that have moisture management like this http://www.sportsdirect.com/Products/SD ... 23002.aspx .
    Your england shirt is the kind of thing we're on about, although the merino wool tops people are mentioning are meant to be even better. I haven't tried one myself yet though, I only heard about the wonders of merino about a week ago.

    The silver bits in yout footy shirt are there to kill odour, by the way, not to with sweat away. My animal riding top have them too.

    Your england top will be fine for riding in, BUT, I'd suggest not using it if you come to Wales or go to Scotland to ride :lol:
  • tjwood
    tjwood Posts: 328
    Sports Direct stock a range of Adidas wicking shirts (coolmax equivalent) for about £15-17. They seem to work pretty well, still get sweaty under a backpack but dries pretty quick when you take the backpack off. (Look among the running stuff in the proper sports section which in my local store is upstairs at the back after you've fought your way past all the chav gear).
  • waddlie
    waddlie Posts: 542
    You could also try using a backpack with mesh or a frame to let air circulate between your back and the pack itself. If you can live with a non-bike-specific pack, Deuter's "aircomfort advanced" is great for keeping your back nice and dry...
    Rules are for fools.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Waddlie, I've tried a few of them, and to be honest, they still don't work if you've only got a cotton T-shirt on. They still press the wet shirt onto your back, if anything making you even colder than a normal style camelback.
  • pastryboy
    pastryboy Posts: 1,385
    I use 'running' wicking t-shirts as they tend to be a lot cheaper than cycling ones:

    http://www.sportsshoes.com/products/clo ... /t-shirts/

    Lidl also do coolmax t-shirts for about £6 which are pretty good.
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    I use Craft base layers in summer (just for super fast wicking) and merino ones in autumn/winter. The Craft stuff isn't exactly cheap but it's not silly money like some brands and is well made and I don't get the horrible static feeling from them

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