Cycling UK Forum

Help. I used to know what I wanted to buy - now I am confused.

In the good old days when I wanted a thermal top, that's what I used to buy. Normally, this would mean Lifa style top. Now we have base layers. Some base layers are for wicking, not warmth. Some are temperature regulatory, which I think mean designed to stop you overheating. Others are just base layers with no guidance at all. I would like a new top, probably merino wool sort of thing, that will pack down small but keep me warm at camp in the evening but is light enough to ride in under a waterproof or cycling top.

My old Douglas Gill top is over 20 years old now and though it has served me well, it has quite a few holes now.

I also have a similar problem when looking at fleece tops.

Just so you know, I am not after comments about "That's not what you need! A woolly pullover and a mac was fine in my day." I just want some help in trolling through the techno-jargon and any specific recommendations on the base layer front. It's nearly Christmas and Santa needs some help for me. I have been very good though.

Cheers

D'you know what?! I've just had a brain-wave! I was reading the OP's post when my eye fell upon the phrase 'merino wool sort of thing'... I'm thinking I know where the pesky clothes moths are living! I'd emptied nearly all my clothes drawers, stuck everything through the washing machine, carefully placed selected items in the freezer (look it up!) and still I see the occasional tiny clothes moth in my modest-sized apartment. But now the penny has dropped - ker-chink!

Surely a lot of the technical spec for all those products is no more than marketing hype.

Lifa used to say they were antibacterial and wouldn't pong. Was this ever proven. I'm sure my 30 year old Lifa tops haven't got any antibacterial properties.

I find there is a lot of difference between thermal vests, but most of this is down to type of fabric, then style, cut, etc.

I'd not worry too much about the advertising blurb and go for style and material.

Stick to a natural product like merino,even though it is Spanish.

For winter, I would recommend a thick (e.g. 260 g/m2), long sleeved, half zip, merino base layer. The zip is useful for venting when you are working hard going up hills and also helps to prevent tears on the collar when you are pulling them on and off. In autumn and spring I sometimes use thin merino T shirts as base layers.

The prices of merino baselayers seems to have shot up; I used to be able to find them for less than £40 but now they are a lot more now. I am still using Icebreaker base layers that are 20 years old so they do last well if you look after them.

I have just bought two of these, the quality seems OK, they come from Maryport inCumbria but are made in China, only time will tell how long they last.

https://www.edzlayering.com/collections/mens-base-layers/products/edz-mens-merino-wool-base-layer-zip-neck-top-indigo-blue-260g

A synthetic vest is the same as it always was. Your old Lifa was a wicking device to move the sweat to the fiber pile that was HH's next layer. Thats actually better next to the skin by the way. If you wear two or a thicker vest it is warmer. Nothing more to it than that.
Buuuut, some are better at wicking than other dues to the fabric . The rest is sales pitch. Same as it always was.
Wool, be it a fancy name or just wool feels different. Not better different. To me, a very sweaty type, wool is nice when working hard but it stays soggy longer so hard riding followed by sitting still in a cafe is colder when wearing wool. To me. Don't try to get a definitive answer.

Holey merino wool base layer now consigned to the re-cycle bin - bbbaaaaaaaa... I, at least, am no longer confused!

I am sure most do the same thing just the way it is worded; ie help wick sweat away from the skin and therefore help regulate temperature control.

Not a fan of wool and now in an effort to reduce my microfibre impact on the world have discovered bamboo baselayers.... brilliant and lovely and soft against the skin.

mumbojumbo wrote:Stick to a natural product like merino,even though it is Spanish.

What's the problem with 'spanish'?

rotavator wrote:
The prices of merino baselayers seems to have shot up; I used to be able to find them for less than £40 but now they are a lot more now.

Aldi do them for a fair bit under £20 about twice a year in their cycling promos.
I have a few, short and long sleeve - I find them fine.
You've just missed one of their cycling promos - I seem to recall they were £17.

Sweep wrote:

rotavator wrote:
The prices of merino baselayers seems to have shot up; I used to be able to find them for less than £40 but now they are a lot more now.

Aldi do them for a fair bit under £20 about twice a year in their cycling promos.
I have a few, short and long sleeve - I find them fine.
You've just missed one of their cycling promos - I seem to recall they were £17.

I find that thin ones (I assume this is what Aldi were selling this year but didn't check) are too easily ripped when putting them on/off. I was previously quite keen on Aldi's cycling gear but have gone off it. I bought a soft shell jacket off them for £30 a few years ago because it looked good in the shop but it turned out to be too uncomfortable to wear so it had to go. Also I discovered that if I ran their LED lights until the batteries ran out they were only fit for land fill. So I only buy GT85, oil and cleaning stuff frm them now.

What's the problem with 'spanish'?

It has to be imported,involving fossil fuels eroding its green value.What do you think is wrong with Spanish?

mumbojumbo wrote:Stick to a natural product like merino,even though it is Spanish.

Most merino wool comes from New Zealand and Australia, though the fabric can be woven anywhere.
Good luck if you're hoping to clothe yourself in UK fabrics.

eileithyia wrote:have discovered bamboo baselayers.... brilliant and lovely and soft against the skin.

I have a bamboo shirt that I really like, but was disappointed to discover that it's a bit of a con. It's made by extracting the cellulose in the bamboo to make a viscose rayon, the source of the cellulose is largely irrelevant, neither is it very environmentally friendly
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2013/ ... bamboozled

I've come to the conclusion, that buying less and buying stuff that'll last, has more of an environmental impact than the source.

Thehairs1970 wrote:I would like a new top, probably merino wool sort of thing, that will pack down small but keep me warm at camp in the evening but is light enough to ride in under a waterproof or cycling top.

My favourite winter top, is this merino and bamboo mix shirt, last winter I was either wearing it or it was in the wash
https://showerspass.co.uk/collections/m ... nley-shirt

They'll be in a sale sooner or later, I think I paid about £50 this time last year. When's black Friday, or whatever it's called...