4 Base Layers For Winter Cycling
Being comfortable in the cold starts by choosing the right base layers.
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Being comfortable in the cold starts by choosing the right base layers.
Wearing the proper layers is crucial to cold-weather training, and selecting the right base layer is nearly as important as your jacket or jersey. Base layers serve the dual purpose of wicking sweat away from your skin while providing insulation to regulate your core temperature. Here’s a look at a few base layers and the conditions they’re best suited for.
Castelli Flanders Short Sleeve
$60, Castelli-cycling.com
This versatile base layer is made of a stretchy, medium-weight material that’s channeled to hold the fabric off your skin. Mesh under the arms helps your body dissipate heat and the flat-lock seams lie smooth against your skin. Go with the Flanders Short Sleeve for rides that start out cold but heat up as you pedal. It’s also available in a sleeveless and long-sleeve version.
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Craft Warm Crewneck Long Sleeve Base Layer
$90, Craftsports.us
The intelligently designed Warm collection from Craft uses body mapped zones with varying thicknesses of material depending on where you need insulation compared to where you sweat the most. What’s really impressive about this base layer is that it’s seamless and cut from one piece of fabric despite the different thicknesses in each zone.
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Assos LS.skinfoil_Winter
$170, Assos.com
This base layer is pricey, but as any Assos loyalist will explain, you get what you pay for. The comfy and comforming winter base layer has a seamless construction and is made from a polypropylene and polyester mix that’s antibacterial to minimize odor.
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Gore Windstopper Thermo Shirt Long Sleeve
$90, Goreapparel.com
The most extreme rides require the most specialized gear. Protect against the piercing chill of winter with a layer of Gore’s trusty Windstopper material plastered across your torso and arms. This base layer still helps regulate body temperature thanks to a soft and cozy polyester fabric against your skin that wicks well. If you anticipate a hard ride where you may need some airflow, go with the turtleneck version that has a short zipper to regulate temperature.