With its chest print the Vaude Aquator has less of an underwear look about it than some other base layers, which meant we doubled up its duties with jeans as well as bike kit. The cut is slim and long with a side seam-free construction, which is one of the things you don’t think matters until you realise it just feels better.
The textured fabric is antibacterial and manufactured, Vaude say, for non-allergenic comfort, which means anyone who suffers with sensitive skin should look this one up. For us it meant things didn’t get too unpleasant when keeping it on post-bike-ride.
The cut isn’t a specialist bike one. Setting it against those that are engineered for a riding position means you do notice a difference in terms of the stretch you get across the shoulders, but it’s slight. If you want a good looking style that's versatile across a range of activities, including being stylish enough to be worn solo for warm weather riding or just for holiday mooching, then this is the one to pack.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine.
