Base Layers - Worth investing?

greg66_tri_v2.0

TailWindHome wrote:

biondino wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

I have been using cheap cotton tee shirts as a base layer and have been advised by my better half that they smell to high heaven after a ride (they're also soaked with sweat).

I know women are supposed to have a better sense of smell than men, but seriously, guys, can you really not smell yourselves? You shouldn't need others to tell you you reek, but so many people seem completely oblivious.

I have no sense of smell.

It is both a blessing and a curse.

Does that not mean you have no sense of taste though?

tailwindhome

Greg66 wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

biondino wrote:

I know women are supposed to have a better sense of smell than men, but seriously, guys, can you really not smell yourselves? You shouldn't need others to tell you you reek, but so many people seem completely oblivious.

I have no sense of smell.

It is both a blessing and a curse.

Does that not mean you have no sense of taste though?

I do have a sense of taste but I presume that it's seriously compromised.

It's inaccurate to say that I have 'no' sense of smell. I would smell something really strong like smelling salts but things like; perfums and aftershaves, garlic, flowers, burning toast, sour milk, babies' nappies etc etc mean nothing to me.

weapons

DonDaddyD wrote:

These I swear by them:

http://shop.uniqlo.com/uk/store/clothing/heattech/men/

I don't wear them yet and probably won't until December/Jan/Feb.

Wear them under my £9.99 CC-UK (www.cycle-clothing.co.uk) jersey's and they do just fine. They're wierd, they do everything, absorb sweat, keep dry, keep you warm and let you skin breath.

I swear by them.

I agree - Uniqlo do the best base layers - I commute, train and race in mine under club jersey.

They do a brilliant wicking underwear t-shirt that comes in packs of 2. Best of all they are always on offer so I got a stackload when they went down to 2 for £2.99, usual price is £6.99 for 2 I think.

dilemna

Just buy a couple of long sleeve base layers so when one is in the wash and drying you have others to wear. The only reason they start to honk is because the wearer cannot be bothered to wash his or her kit regularly or is too much of a skin flint to buy a second or third set. Neither does he or she shower or bath regularly. Wilfred Bramble comes to mind. Infact I can't imagine a girl would wear kit that honked, only a bloke would and a MAMIL at that. Yuk!

I have a North Face long sleeve navy blue base layer. It is brilliant. Also a red Lowe Alpine Dry flow long sleeve top which is also brilliant welll was until it met with a frickin' huge thorny bush one night the council couldn't be bothered to cut down that was majorly obstructing a cyclepath despite me reporting it several times. The fabric on the arms and a bit of the shoulder is now snagged. I also have several black Altura long sleeve base layers which are OK and a short sleeve HH Lifa Dry base layer which is excellent plus several Ronhill short sleeve base layers which are outstanding especially when running.

As has been said in the summer base layers aren't necessary as normal cycling jerseys suffice, but when it starts to get cold they are brilliant.

dennisn

So if base layers are so great why don't we wear extra layers under our summer casual
clothing? When did wearing more clothes in the summer become a good idea? More clothes in the winter I can understand. While I was out riding during the hot summer months I failed to see anyone wearing more than the usual kit, and some wearing less than that. I don't see any people in other sports wearing all this stuff(i.e. runners, tennis players) during the hot months. Brings up the question of "Is this base layer thing only bike specific?" "Only works while cycling?" :? :?

daviesee

dennisn wrote:

So if base layers are so great why don't we wear extra layers under our summer casual
clothing? When did wearing more clothes in the summer become a good idea? More clothes in the winter I can understand. While I was out riding during the hot summer months I failed to see anyone wearing more than the usual kit, and some wearing less than that. I don't see any people in other sports wearing all this stuff(i.e. runners, tennis players) during the hot months. Brings up the question of "Is this base layer thing only bike specific?" "Only works while cycling?" :? :?

I can't comment on American sports but you obviously haven't seen any British "soccer" recently. Most wear base layers, even in the summer.

jonginge

daviesee wrote:

dennisn wrote:

So if base layers are so great why don't we wear extra layers under our summer casual
clothing? When did wearing more clothes in the summer become a good idea? More clothes in the winter I can understand. While I was out riding during the hot summer months I failed to see anyone wearing more than the usual kit, and some wearing less than that. I don't see any people in other sports wearing all this stuff(i.e. runners, tennis players) during the hot months. Brings up the question of "Is this base layer thing only bike specific?" "Only works while cycling?" :? :?

I can't comment on American sports but you obviously haven't seen any British "soccer" recently. Most wear base layers, even in the summer.

Plenty of riders on the marmotte were wearing baselayers, including me. On the day it was 35degree heat in the valleys...

ketsbaia

Blimey, you wore a base layer on the Marmotte? :shock:

I had a gilet and arm warmers for the cold bits, but I'm so glad I only had a light SS full-zip top for the ascent of AdH. I think I might well have boiled alive otherwise.

Base layers are brilliant in winter. Highly recommended. Never really had that much need for them in summer.

jonginge

ketsbaia wrote:

Blimey, you wore a base layer on the Marmotte? :shock:

I had a gilet and arm warmers for the cold bits, but I'm so glad I only had a light SS full-zip top for the ascent of AdH. I think I might well have boiled alive otherwise.

Base layers are brilliant in winter. Highly recommended. Never really had that much need for them in summer.

Yep, a lightweight one. Didn't feel too hot TBH. The theory goes that the layer wicks sweat away from the skin from where it forms thereby giving a much broader cooling effect from the resultant evaporation. Rivers of sweat rolling down your torso don't cool you down much.

EKE_38BPM

dennisn wrote:

So if base layers are so great why don't we wear extra layers under our summer casual
clothing? When did wearing more clothes in the summer become a good idea? More clothes in the winter I can understand. While I was out riding during the hot summer months I failed to see anyone wearing more than the usual kit, and some wearing less than that. I don't see any people in other sports wearing all this stuff(i.e. runners, tennis players) during the hot months. Brings up the question of "Is this base layer thing only bike specific?" "Only works while cycling?" :? :?

Do you ever watch NFL? Ever heard of Under Armour (I'm surprised you Septics spell it correctly, with a 'u')? Ever noticed loads of players wearing their stuff?

snailracer

dennisn wrote:

So if base layers are so great why don't we wear extra layers under our summer casual
clothing? When did wearing more clothes in the summer become a good idea? More clothes in the winter I can understand. While I was out riding during the hot summer months I failed to see anyone wearing more than the usual kit, and some wearing less than that. I don't see any people in other sports wearing all this stuff(i.e. runners, tennis players) during the hot months. Brings up the question of "Is this base layer thing only bike specific?" "Only works while cycling?" :? :?

I wore wicking tees ("base layers" as some call them) while on holiday in sunny Spain, they were definitely less clammy and cooler than cotton tees.
Wearing them under breathable sports tops works because the base layer converts the sweat to vapour, which can pass through the breathable top while liquid sweat (or rain from the outside) is blocked.
That said, I never wear two layers in winter, it's off with the top as soon as I start getting warm as no breathable top breathes enough for me to stay dry on my 9 mile commute.
I can appreciate some folks don't get particularly sweaty, so can wear 2 layers which means they stay dry AND warm for the whole of their journey.

nwallace

Use HH base layers, and if it's warm enough for an actual base layer to be too warm (+15 according to the box) the Hot Range which are basically cycling jerseys without pockets are fine (unless you need pockets)

Couldn't go back to cycling in cotton polo shirts now.