Buyer's Guide to Winter Layers
Get your layers right for winter (Seb Rogers©.)
The perfect winter clothing combo
Get the right clothing combo and you'll never be too hot or cold this winter.There are hundreds of different types of layering garments available, but how can you tell what will work for you? And what is 'layering' anyway?
Death by T-shirt
If you only learn one thing it's that riding in a T-shirt really could be lethal. The problem is that cotton feels nice, but it sucks up sweat and then just holds onto it. This leaves your skin and the T-shirt wet, so body heat passes straight through, leaving you frozen and vulnerable to hypothermia. It doesn't matter what super technical jacket you wear over the top - if it's over a T-shirt it can't work properly.
The base layer
Instead, you need a base layer next to your skin. Base layers perform two important tasks. They sit close to the skin to transport moisture away from the body to prevent chilling and they are also designed to trap air to help keep you warm. An ideal base layer should sit unnoticed under your winter mid-layer and work in conjunction with the rest of your layering system. A lightweight base layer is an extremely versatile garment and should be standard wear in any cyclist's wardrobe. If you're an active, sweaty rider go for a base layer with good moisture management. If you like to ride at a more sedate pace, then warmth and the thicker insulating base layers are more suitable. Of course the best solution is to find a compromise between the two.
How base layers work
The fabric is designed to suck sweat off your skin and then transports it to the outer edge of the cloth (this is what 'wicking' is). Some fabrics do it by capillary action (the inside end of the fibre is thinner than the outside end) and some do it with a water-repelling hydrophobic fibre or coating that the water just steams straight through. Meanwhile, wool soaks up sweat like cotton, but - thanks to cunning sheep science - it doesn't lose any thermal properties, so although you're damp, you'll still be warm. Our performance score is based on how well a top wicks plus how warm it keeps you, bearing in mind that a base layer isn't supposed to be as warm as a soft shell. Check out our Guide To Base Layers for further details
Smell
Wool fibres are smooth and naturally repel odours as there's nowhere for bacteria to hide and fester. Unfortunately, the rougher fibres of synthetic base layers are great for breeding bacteria. Some tops use a microbacterial treatment that fights them off for a bit, but within a few rides all synthetic tops will have a certain nasal ambience.Other synthetic tops use activated carbon treated fabric to hold in the odours and release them during the wash and dry cycle.
Warmth
How warm you want your base layers to be obviously depends on how warm you naturally are, and how warm you want to stay. Some folk can ride in sub zero conditions with just a thin base layer and a shell, while others need three inches of fleece just to go out in autumn.
Layering
Use several thinner tops in layers, rather than just one thick layer. You adjust the insulation by unzipping or removing one skin at a time.
Construction
The more panels in a garment or the more the fabric stretches, the better you can make it fit - although that's not guaranteed. Boxier simple cuts give better casual style though.
Neck
High necks add an amazing amount of warmth to any garment, by stopping cold air flow over big exposed blood vessels. Make sure it's not so tight it'll strangle you though, and go zipped for easy venting.
Sleeves
Leaning forward on your bike pulls normal sleeves upwards, which leaves your wrists exposed, so look for riding-friendly long sleeves. Short sleeves are more versatile and you can add arm warmers if extra warmth is need. If you get cold easily then go for long sleeves for more warmth. Long sleeves should go all the way to the wrist and should be a tight fit to prevent them rolling, bunching, or billowing
Heat Control
Surface body temperature varies massively in different areas and riding conditions. Smart clobber puts thinner fabric over hotter areas and uses vents and zips for added air cooling where needed.
Fabric
Generally, the more windproof and thicker the garment, the warmer (but wetter) it'll be. It's worth noting that Merino wool is making a comeback against pure synthetics.
Jargon Buster
- BODY MAPPING The latest clothing buzzword. It basically means working out which bits of the body are hot or which need more movement, and adjusting the cut and thermal properties of the garment to suit.
- BREATHABILITY Normally used in reference to shells and not base/mid layers. Describes the ability of the fabric to let sweat vapour breathe from inside to outside, keeping you and your layers dry and warm.
- COOLMAX Lots of base layers use this breathable fibre to add a bit more comfort. Just check they haven't added cotton threads too.
- FLEECE Fluffy synthetic fabric (made from recycled plastic bottles) that feels lovely against the skin and mops up sweat nicely. Thick fleece is very warm though, and can easily overheat you.
- MERAKLON The first polyelfin fibre ever developed, winning its creator a Nobel prize! Now it's a brand name fibre that's common in base layers.
- MERINO Particularly fine wool from Merino sheep. Expensive but sumptuously comfy if you don't mind its occasionally itchy feel.
- STORM FLAP Strip or flap of fabric usually behind or in front of a zip designed to stop rain and wind penetrating.
- SYNTHETIC Man-made fibre such as polyester, as opposed to natural fabric like wool or cotton.
- WICKING When a cloth's fibres suck the sweat off your skin and move it to the outer face of the fabric and then evaporate it into the air or next layer out.
- WINDSTOPPER Proprietary Gore fabric, similar to Gore-Tex but with increased breathability/wicking properties and a softer outer shell. This material comes with or without a fleecy inner face.
Post this story to: