the great debate: what is your best SS base layer?

maddog 2

Need a new one and there are loads of them.

Mavic, Endura, Gore, merino....

What do you reckon?

I'm thinking Icebreaker Atlas 150, as a I have a LS and like it.

What's your best?

Spudboy

Check out Prendas.co.uk. You will never need to look anywhere else for decent base layers at good prices IMHO. Customer service is the best of any web shop I've ever used too (and no i don't work for them!) Ordered some overshoes one day last week at 3pm and received them next morning!! 8)

Gazzaputt

Yep prendas or Craft.

flasher

Craft, but have not tried the Prendas ones.............next time!

ride_whenever

I've got the most amazing baselayer... it's a silverskin which I picked up at a rowing regatta last year and cannot find on the internet anywhere...

Tiny woolen garment that is ludicrously stretchy and sliver impregnated. They apparently do a lightweight summer version that would be amazing, although I cannot find them anywhere If anyone happens to know of them or where I could get another one I'd be hugely happy.

bother

I've been using Under Armour Cold Gear this winter and Heat Gear when it's a bit warmer. Both are compression tops so nice and snug.

Reasonably priced too from Barringtons in Knutsford (also online)

Anonymous

A cheap Nike Pro compression one from sports soccer, I have a long sleeve one too, less than a tenner and fantastic!

Paul E

I have used prendas, great customer service, only had a couple of caps and a pair of de feet gloves from them which are brilliant.

I have some craft kit too and it's very good, if their base layers are anything like the other kit I would buy one for sure.

solsurf

icebreaker t'shirt for me - brilliant but so is the price

cougie

I've shedloads of base layers - cant say that I can tell the difference between them !

gwillis

NapoleonD wrote:

A cheap Nike Pro compression one from sports soccer, I have a long sleeve one too, less than a tenner and fantastic!

I Used a few of these last year cant beat em for for the price , my other ones are prendas

maddog 2

Cheers all. I've got a Craft sleeveless which is good but not exceptional. I like the sound of silver impregnation though 8)

Any Mavic or campag users? Their stuff looks nice.

rozzer32

NapoleonD wrote:

A cheap Nike Pro compression one from sports soccer, I have a long sleeve one too, less than a tenner and fantastic!

+1

Fantastic bit of kit for the price.

redvee

I've got a LS UnderArmour base layer and all the rest are SS from the likes of Ron Hill and just spurged on some technolayers from Primark for £5 each in different colours for each day of the week and sleeveless too.

rocksteadyeddie

Rapha baselayers are head and shoulders above anything else I've used. Warm when it's cold, and cool when it's warm. Worth every penny.

nickbarnard

I've found the North Face ones I've got pretty good, nothing to compare them to though, they're all I know! Ordered a craft one today for comparison purposes.

hugo15

Icebreaker Atlas 150. Very good piece of kit.

Canny Jock

Endura merino, I've got one short sleeve and one long and that's all I need, after countless washes they are still in excellent condition, keep you warm even when wet and don't stink.

Anonymous

Rocksteadyeddie wrote:

Rapha baselayers are head and shoulders above anything else I've used. Warm when it's cold, and cool when it's warm. Worth every penny.

So are my 8 quid Nike Pro ones... :?

Philby

Got a SS Icebreaker merino baselayer - don't know model. Had it for years, so definitely great VFM.
Also have both a Kathmandu merino top (thinner than the Icebreaker) and a synthetic polyester one.

juankerr

Craft, Nike Pro, various merino.. all good but merino is nicest..

neeb

Any Mavic or campag users? Their stuff looks nice.

I've just bought a selection of various campag base layers. One is like a tightly meshed string vest made out of some sort of special artificial fiber with an inset campagnolo logo panel. It looks and feels brilliant, but it is already starting to shed dangly fibers all over the place. Another is a really diaphanous, close fitting summer thing that also somehow just looks and feels nice, while another is a light, long-sleeved thermal.

Beware, there's something inexplicably addictive about buying campag base layers.

eh

Embers if you want merino and they do designs that can be worn as normal t-shirts,which could be good for touring etc. I find merino great for UK climate, but awful in really hot weather as they hold too much sweat.

I can never fault Helly hansen for general solid performance and sensible prices.

Avoid Canterbury stuff its not good for cycling, as it doesn't move sweat through fast enough so you get cold on descents. Fine for its intended purpose of rugby / running mind.

skinarelli

NapoleonD wrote:

A cheap Nike Pro compression one from sports soccer, I have a long sleeve one too, less than a tenner and fantastic!

+1

I've got a few of these and a few Adidas sleeveless baselayers. All came from mandmdirect for a tenner each.

Don't be fooled into paying £30-£50 for a baselayer folks. The manufacturers of "cycling specific" garments are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank. :roll:

bompington

I'm confused, do you mean single speed baselayer or stainless steel?

neeb

Don't be fooled into paying £30-£50 for a baselayer folks. The manufacturers of "cycling specific" garments are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank.

The problem I've had with non-cycling specific base layers is the fit - usually they are far too long and stick out below the jersey unless you fold them up at the bottom. Also they are often baggy even in the smaller sizes. I like my jerseys fairly tight (currently wearing campagnolo size S) and finding something that fits under that without being too long is a nightmare. Campag's own size S fits perfectly however (strangely enough...)

sampras38

Gazzaputt wrote:

Yep prendas or Craft.

+1

fungus_the_muffin_man

I use the ones from Aldi. Absolutely great bit of kit. Strangley enough they keep me warm when its cold and cool when its hot. Perhaps they are really made by Rapha

lostboysaint

The best, by a long, long way are two thermal rashvests from O'Neill and Gul. 13oz of fleece lined lycra loveliness, not too long, tight, warm as toast. Match with Fox Evolution 3/4s.

keyser__soze

eh wrote:

Avoid Canterbury stuff its not good for cycling, as it doesn't move sweat through fast enough so you get cold on descents. Fine for its intended purpose of rugby / running mind.

Odd, I find the opposite. I have base layers from HH, Nike, Under Armour, Icebreaker, Smartwool and Canterbury and my Canterbury Cold LS is my go-to base for coldish weather (10C or below). It moves sweat much better than the other winter-weight ones and dries out quickly if it gets wet. While warm my merino stuff just doesn't wick anything like as well and gets clammy with high-intensity exercise. For summer wear it's a toss-up between my UA heat gear and my Nike Pro Combat short sleeve.

on-yer-bike

NapoleonD wrote:

Rocksteadyeddie wrote:

Rapha baselayers are head and shoulders above anything else I've used. Warm when it's cold, and cool when it's warm. Worth every penny.

So are my 8 quid Nike Pro ones... :?

Got both. Prefer the Rapha.