Winter Cycling - Base Layers

Pacific Northwest winters get very wet, but not too cold, rarely freezing.
I'm just a wuss when it comes to cold.

I have a few options for a layering system. All would have a waterproof shell as an outer layer.

1) wear my coolmax type jerseys as a base, add a polarfleece style jersey on top.

2) Buy a synthetic base like underarmor long sleeve then add my coolmax style jersey as a mid layer

3) buy a morino wool long sleeve base layer and wear a coolmax style jersey as mid.


I will be commuting an hour each way, with a few hills so i do get hot.
Some priorities would be :

-warm
-dry
-no odor. Since me and my clothes will be trapped in my office all day waiting for my commute home.

I need to wear it on way home also so everything needs to dry fast. And not stink :)

Any one of the above prefered over the others? or another method I havnt thought of ?

I use a ski-type layering for winter riding: a base of long underwear ("mid-weight" stuff
from MEC works for me) and then goretex jacket and pants overtop. If it's really cold (-15 C or lower)
I will sometimes put another top on (a really thin fleece or another pair of underwear). If you
backcountry or cross-country ski, the same stuff should work (although you'll need something
that's actually windproof if you're into the whole soft-shell thing).

Depending upon wind/snow/temperature, I wear a headband (ear-warmer) or a full balaclava
(sometimes rolled up more as a toque). Sometimes ski goggles are necessary or my eyelashes
keep freezing together, but this is extremely rare (i.e. -20 C or lower).

I have built-in guantlet things for my bike which are fleece lined, so most of the time I don't need
gloves. If it's below about -10, then I wear thin gloves under the gauntlets. Fleece-lined goretex gloves
would probably suffice otherwise. Wool socks + booties for the feet.

My alzheimers set in and i forgot i made this thread weeks ago. Cause i went and made a similar thread asking the same thing yesterday :)

I did lots of research on base layers and posted my findings on that thread.

Oh and mikewarren, saying mec midweight stuff doesnt really tell me what kind of base layer it is :P

Gauntlets sound neat. Doesnt get below freezing here so balaclava prolly overkill

My alzheimers set in and i forgot i made this thread weeks ago. Cause i went and made a similar thread asking the same thing yesterday :)

I did lots of research on base layers and posted my findings on that thread.

Oh and mikewarren, saying mec midweight stuff doesnt really tell me what kind of base layer it is :P

Gauntlets sound neat. Doesnt get below freezing here so balaclava prolly overkill

it's synthetic underwear (nylon? polyester?) from http://www.mec.ca (the grey stuff). kinda like
capeliene from patagonia

Wool.

It wicks, it keeps you warm, even when wet, and it doesn't smell. I use a long-sleeved wool shirt as a base layer with other layers on top of that -- just a jersey if it's not too cold, or two jerseys, or fleece, or the full base layer/fleece mid layer/windblock outer layer shebang.

The wool is nice. Its about the nicest feeling next to the skin of all the bease layer types. Never gets that cold clamy feeling.

Only problem with the wool is it does absorb some moisture, and doesnt evaporate it as fast as some other materials. Its the best at keeping you warm when wet, but also is most often the wettest.

Ive finally settled on Polartech Powerdry or Marmot DriClime base layers, in their thinnest version and a tight fit. Under Armour Metal is tied at top for me performance wise, but factoring in price it drops behind the Powerdry or DriClime.

I picked up a bunch of these nike pro fit long sleeve shirts, they're pretty good, the sleeves are a little short but they stretch well, fit well, and they're great for commuting cause the left sleeve is available in really bright colors. They wick and dry really quickly plus the bi-colored sleeves are kinda fun, I can tell people they're designed for commuting cause my signaling arm is extra bright.
http://a712.g.akamai.net/7/712/225/1h/www.espnshop.com/images/products/zoom/26057323_z.jpg
http://a712.g.akamai.net/7/712/225/1h/www.espnshop.com/images/products/zoom/26057324_z.jpg
http://a712.g.akamai.net/7/712/225/1h/www.espnshop.com/images/products/zoom/26057419_z.jpg

HAHA !
Thats awesome, I havnt spotted those around here.
The Nike ProFit I've seen is just single color. Pretty much same product as Under-Armour that i could see. Except the Nike is a few bucks cheaper.

Do the Nike tops give everyone that pumped up chest/ripped abs look? Yes! I'll take three.

I can't find the yellow one online. Where did you get it?

http://www.espnshop.com/catalog/productdetail.cfm?TID=9436-02150521323502211079212-0&module=productDetail&action=view&sku=26057419&model_nbr=63833&supercat=sports&id=54775&mvp=54714&sport=all

All here, $29.95 each.

Yes, they come with a preformed plastic plate to give u that ripped look. ;)

http://www.espnshop.com/catalog/productdetail.cfm?TID=9436-02150521323502211079212-0&module=productDetail&action=view&sku=26057419&model_nbr=63833&supercat=sports&id=54775&mvp=54714&sport=all

All here, $29.95 each.

Yes, they come with a preformed plastic plate to give u that ripped look. ;)


Excellent thank you sir do they run real tight like under armour does. I wear a large normally but when I try on under armour clothes I can't breathe.

Howies merino wool longsleeve base layer. Four days of winter-layers commuting including one total soak and one day of 18h wear, and still it doesn't stink.

Smartwool also makes layers, they're kind of expensive but you can wear it for multiple days before it stinks.

The nike pro fit stuff runs about a size small. So if you're a large, get XL.

Merino Wool longsleeve is my backup when i forget to do laundry (only have 4 sets of baselayers/shorts).
I wore the Merino wool layer in to work today, pouring rain. Was definatly warm enough, and never felt cold or clammy, but it was quite wet when i got to work. And no it doesnt stink, wool is great that way.

I now have a set of underarmour turf gear, and a underarmour metal ls shirt. The metal one has the unique functionality of making me feel like it warms me as soon as i put it on. Very odd but seems to work well. Both the underarmour base layers I have work quit well, but are slightly wetter when i arrive at work than the Polartech Powerdry layer.

When its not raining, ventilation isnt a problem. Pretty much any style base layer recieves enough ventilation to keep the sweat evaported quickly. In pouring rain, the breathability of rain layers diminishes to zilch. Most breathable layers work on the principle of a different humidity level on both sides of the layer. If your sweating on the inside, and its raining on the outside, both sides are at 95-100%, so there is no 'breathing' or transfer of moisture from one side to the other. At this point the only way to clear the sweat your base layer soaks up is with direct venting.

Direct venting works well when its not raining, i leave my neck unzipped, my cuffs open, my pit zips full open. When its pouring rain and windy, i tend to zip the neck up full, and tighten the cuffs. And rely only on pit zips to allow in enough ventalation. Under these circumstances its very easy to tell which base layer dries in the limited ventalation abvaialable.

My commute is 60 min, 25k, with 2 climbs about 400 ft each. Both quite steep. I definatly go anerobic since i need to stand and hammer for a couple min to get up the steepest of the hills. Heres my results for dryness with limited ventilation in pouring rain :

-Polartech Powerdry. Almost completly dry. No clammy feeling at all. And doesnt smell.
-UnderArmour Metal - slightly wetter than powerdry, but dries quickly afterwards. Not as fresh smelling as powerdry or wool.
-Merino Wool - Warm and comfy. I arrive at work wettest in this. Doesnt smell.
-Polypropylene - fairly dry, but stinky. i dont use anymore.

As far as smell goes...I only wear a pair of shorts/base layer one day. I have 4 sets and dont wear any base layer for 3 days in a row, ich.

But i still have to hang up a slightly wet and sweaty base layer in my office to dry for my ride home. I dont want them to smell like wet dog. The powerdry clothes can now bought with x-static in them. This is a silver coating on some of the threads. It kills bacteria within an hour of contact. Bacteria is what stinks, not sweat. But mix sweat with bacteria and whew, stinky poo.
The x-static wear seems to work well, and since its in the material, and not just a process added to the fabric, it doesnt wear off.

Great post Jarery


I'll check out the polartec and see how it goes.