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Many thanks in advance.
I've liked my Decathlon thermal ones. Zipped high collar and a thermal fabric.
Look out for Patagonia Capeline 4 in a sale. Mrs_oab had one that cost £10 in Aviemore.
Recommend me a seriously warm inexpensive base layer
I find most base layers the same because majority are made of either polyester or wool.
If you get the polyester material make sure you go for those with "double layers" polyester. As for wool they all (mostly) give you itchiness but warmer IMO.
Brand wise I don't know ... plenty about in sales at the moment.
IMO a base layer shouldn't keep you warm, that's the job of other layers. Your base layer should act as a windstopper and, most important of all, keep you as dry as possible.
My Gore Bike Wear base layer is absolutely indispensable during cold winter months.
EDIT : Sorry I assumed that you meant base layer for cycling but perhaps you didn't?
this came up a bit ago... wasn't the consensus that some Helly Hansen or other was the winner?
doris5000 - Member
this came up a bit ago... wasn't the consensus that some Helly Hansen or other was the winner?
Yes, that's it Helly Hansen ...
Not sure what seriously warm means here but my cheapy Trespass is great- wicks away sweat and keeps me warm even when it's damp. Too hot for riding, generally. But I don't think it'd pass for arctic kit.
It doesn't do any windstopping, put the windstopper on the outside.
[i]Your base layer should act as a windstopper and, most important of all, keep you as dry as possible.[/i]
Surely the windstopping element should be on the outer layer of your clothes. I would also second the Decathlon base layer for cheap and functional.
In winter you want polypropylene for base layer. Warm, and will not retain moisture, (you can wear it under wetsuits as insulation).
Cheapest I could find (although I think decathlon do a triboard one)
IMO a base layer shouldn't keep you warm, that's the job of other layers. Your base layer should act as a windstopper and, most important of all, keep you as dry as possible.
Definitely the wrong way around, if you're relying on your baselayer as a windstopper, how are the outer layers going to offer any insulation with gale blowing through them?
Outer layer for wind/water resistance.
Mid layers for insulation
Base layers for insulation or cooling*
*Lycra in summer base layers does the opposite of polypropylene in winter layers and 'wicks' moisture, thus keeping it on your skin and cooling, polypropylene works by just letting your skin breathe in the first place.
i use these. toasty and cheap.
https://www.johnnorris.co.uk/snowbee-base-layer-thermal-underwear-set-grey-marl.html
HH for the win IMO. Cant kill them with a stick 🙂 and the new ones dont smell.
Probably lots of stuff that is as warm but for wicking and speed of drying I have never found anything to touch HH.
Sports Direct have a few, Campri or Nevica branded, about £10.
i bought a troy lee one because it was cheap, wasnt expecting much, but its really good. use it on its own or if cold with an old on one merino long sleeve under my gabba and have been fine so far. i really feel the cold.
interestingly popped on a 2xu shirt as well the other day and was soaking when i came off the bike, and the 2xu was way more expensive.
Definitely the wrong way around, if you're relying on your baselayer as a windstopper, how are the outer layers going to offer any insulation with gale blowing through them?
It will. My Polaris thermal top has no problem keeping me warm in freezing conditions. If I start sweating the limited air movement allows it to dry quickly. Because the base layer is like a second skin it wicks quickly despite acting as windstopper.
That's why Gore Bike Wear make windstopper base layers :
Windstopper base layer? Sweaty like a pig in a butcher's... Just because you can...
I use a 350 Smartwool base layer for walking, its pretty bloomin warm, not sure I could cope with that level of warmth on a bike though, although being in the chat forum maybe its for general use?
HH Warm is the badger's nadgers.
Windproof base layer lol
[url= http://www.brynje-shop.com/en/sportswear~c12/brynje-super-thermo-shirt-10200300-p9610 ]Very much not a windproof base layer[/url] although there is a windstopper version.
[img] 
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I roasted in one of these under a Rab VR jacket in the 'Puffer one cold year.
If a base layer is windproof, it's not going to wick, because it'll have some sort of membrane to stop the wind.
I reckon that Gore stuff is just using 'Windstopper' as a trade name.
Fleece isn't in any way windproof, not without a membrane, which is why something like a Buffalo Wind Shirt over a fleece/wicking baselayer works.
CaptainFlashheart - Member
HH Warm is the badger's nadgers.
I have it on good authority that Flashy has first hand experience of this.
😉
Layers is the key. All of mine are ski tops. Start with one, maybe t-shirt over for riding. Colder it goes to two. Stupidly cold, three.
Not sure what my stuff is other than various ski top/base layers that I've got from numerous ski shops around the world.
Also got HH stuff, but much the same as the generic stuff. As I say, the key is layering.
Also got HH stuff, but much the same as the generic stuff.
Beg to differ on the HH [b]Warm[/b] tops. Hybrid merino/man-made. The fit is ace. The fabric very good. Best for cold, damp days.
Different better is Patagonia Capeline in 1&2 flavour - wicks like nothing else.
Buy way better than all my other base layers.
IMO a base layer shouldn't keep you warm, that's the job of other layers. Your base layer should act as a windstopper and, most important of all, keep you as dry as possible.
They're right, you're not. Well you are and aren't.
Base layer for wicking, mid layers until you are warm enough for insulation, and the outer shell keeps the wind and rain out, or just wind.
Gore make windstopper base layers because people will buy them when they aren't needed. Same reason they make windstopper mid layers.
Insulation is based on the idea of trapped air. So if you don't use an outer windproof shell, the trapped warm air is blown out of the fabric by cold incoming air. Now, you may want this to happen on a bike where you are warm and need the sweat drying off, but if it's really cold you won't.
A single windproof outer layer with a base layer is much warmer than a stack of fleeces without a windproof layer.
Anyway to the OP - base layers come in a few weights, but if you are really cold you want to stick more fleece on - it's cheap enough. Best wicking base layer I've ever used is a Mountain Warehouse one, it was £6.
Sports Pursuit had the Helly Hansen merino/polypropylene tops cheap a while ago (I bought three, and they're my go-to base layer this time of year). Worth a look.
If a base layer is windproof, it's not going to wick, because it'll have some sort of membrane to stop the wind.
Windstopper doesn't mean waterproof. My Gore Bike Wear windstopper base layer, which I've been using in freezing weather conditions for about the last 10 years, keeps me remarkable dry due to its wicking properties - no matter what the pace of the ride. I've tried other base layers and ended up with a damp base layer for the duration of the bike ride.
Wear whatever works for you.
Has to be said the windstopper boxers in Ernie's link must make it difficult to fart in anyone's general direction except your own
If you really want seriously warm, just cut the crap and get a buffalo
Supposed to be worn next to the skin, so no base layer needed
You could always get the Helly Hansen 'workwear' baselayer:
Which has a striking resemblance (in terms of material) to some of their other performance baselayers:
https://shop.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/shop/pages/base-layer/hh-dry-stripe-2-crew-48052
In winter you want polypropylene for base layer
Not necessarily as I think it depends on the activity and the individual (and their moisture 'output')
I've tried loads over the years and my personal choice for winter activities (with the exception of running) is a close fitting merino base layer. If it's super cold then I wear 2 x merino.
This approach has worked well for me for everything from wintry bike rides to arctic expeditions.
I find that if polypropylene gets even slightly damp through sweat then when I stop the activity I will cool down really quickly and shiver - as others have said the advantage of merino is that you stay warm even when damp.
These days you can pick up merino base layers quite reasonably, however I think its often worth paying for quality as they last longer and don't itch.
Two options here
- Brynje mesh, excellent, really
- Powerdry, something close fitting made of this. Excellent wicking very warm, doesn't feel wet. I have a Marmot Thermo 1\2 zip
These sort of items come from an outdoorsy background rather than a cycling background. Former is not something you would want to wear in public though, latter is fine.
I had to wear a thin softshell over my Brynje mesh when I went for dinner in Chamonix after a walking trip, baselayer on its own was not a good look - i was absolutely boiling!
Sub sports COLD - can pick them up from £11 from amazon/sports pursuit
Nearly kills me putting it on as it's a bit tight, but lovely and warm once on.
Your base layer should act as a windstopper and, most important of all, keep you as dry as possible.
Yes and no. I have a windproof base which is great on the roadbike under a thermal layer, on nippy dry days. Wouldn't bother with in offroad.
Probably the best 'base' layer I have is a Castelli tea bag top which I wear under wool as it moves sweat incredibly fast away from the body. It's actually really good in the summer too for keeping you cool - you can often see TdF riders wearing them under team kit.
Otherwise it really depends what you're doing. In my experience (and in colder conditions) wool is great for slower activities as it retains heat well, but it doesn't wick as brilliantly as marketing claims. Cheaper wool can also be itchy. Synthetics can wick incredibly efficiently while moving and sweating, but can chill in cold conditions if you're stop/start, so best saved for either shorter, intense activities or prolonged spells, such as adventure racing. Glad to be contradicted on this too. 🙂
Personally I like Helly Hanson base layers, which I often wear as a mid layer. I also like Planet X merino/Coolmax tees which work well as a compromise between wool and synthetic - they fit well and look good enough to wear on their own in the summer.
I suffer badly with the cold (especially a recent ride in -8 temps). I read an article recently on Cyclingtips by a Pro roadie who mentioned that the best way to stay warm in winter is a string vest base layer with another normal style one over the top. Tried it, works a treat. I have a castelli string vest type affair (much amusement for the other half) then use either a Nike skinfit thing over the top or a HH long sleeve base layer . Super warm, not sweaty at all and not massively bulky either.
Having tried other brands, Endura are utter bobbins. Not warm, holds moisture so you get even colder and not cheap.
I reckon that Gore stuff is just using 'Windstopper' as a trade name.
No it's not. It' really is a next to skin, windproof baselayer using the Windstopper membrane. My experience of using WS N2S years ago is that it's brilliant in a very narrow window of conditions. The rest of the time it's unpleasantly sweaty. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.
Haglofs used to do a brilliant 'warm' baselayer that was a hybrid mix of merino wool and Polyester. The merino was on the inside for comfort, the polyester on the outside to wick stuff away. However it worked, it was really good.
A secondhand Merino or other soft wool jumper from a charity shop can cost bugger-all. I wear old shrunk ones under tees, and IMHO your windstopper should be the top layer to trap warm air next to your body within the fabric.
When you say 'tee', you don't mean cotton, do you? Cost that will not help you keep warm.
I find that if polypropylene gets even slightly damp through sweat then when I stop the activity I will cool down really quickly and shiver - as others have said the advantage of merino is that you stay warm even when damp.
Merino is OK, but it's not the miracle people say it is, if it get's wet it stays wet and stops being insulating.
Polyprop repels water which is why it doesn't 'wick' like lycra (or cotton, or wool), if you dunk a fleece in water, it won't draw water up, but if you put it over a bowl of hot water the steam passes straight through, do the same with lycra or merino and you end up with damp lycra/merino.
I have merino baselayers, and they're my go-to most days, but for properly cold days polyprop base layers are almost unbearably hot when the temperature goes back above zero.
Polyprop repels water which is why it doesn't 'wick' like lycra (or cotton, or wool)
Hmm.
Cotton soaks up water, which is why it 'wicks' when you stick a piece of it in water. But we don't want this in our outdoor gear, as we end up with lots of water not going anywhere. You don't want the base layer to soak up water, you want it to transport it.
Fine enough fleece will wick via capilliary action not absorbtion. Wear a fine fleece as a mid layer, do lots of hard work then take the outer shell off - you'll see a mist on the outside of the fleece. The temperature and humidity gradient transport the water - which is why the glass of water experiment isn't a good model for outdoor wear.
In other words - just because a fibre doesn't absorb water, doesn't mean it's bad at wicking - it means it's good.
My best ever wicking Mountain Warehouse base layers are made from polyester as are my fleeces IIRC.
In winter you want polypropylene for base layer
but for properly cold days polyprop base layers are almost unbearably hot when the temperature goes back above zero.
Polyprop repels water which is why it doesn't 'wick'
I'm not sure I entirely follow your reasoning but I may have understood ...
Firstly, a base layer [i]should [/i] wick - that's one of it's prime purposes isn't it?
Secondly, Winter days often start off really cold and then air temps end up much milder with the effects of solar radiation etc, before dropping dramatically again when the sun sets. I would have therefore thought that material that becomes 'unbearably hot' should be avoided.
Rule of thumb in winter activities is take a layer off before you get hot and put a layer on before you get cold. Having an 'unbearably hot' layer sounds like something best avoided in my experience - rather like when you see people out UK hill walking in a down 'belay jacket' and then they wonder why it's wet through on the inside and they are uncomfortable for the rest of the day.
Windstopper base layer is for when you sit directly under an AC unit at work but are still expected to have a professional shirt+tie appearance. Can't think of any other use for one.
Different things work for different people so there isn't a single answer.
If you're sweaty then there aren't fabrics that will wick everything to an outer layer that is breathable to let it through. In that instance you need multiple layers to keep you warm but that don't lose their insulation when damp. That's me and I find merino base layers ideal for that and much nicer next to the skin when damp than synthetics.
If you're not sweaty then the classic wicking base later followed by breathable layers to a windproof outer is what you need.