As indispensable and overlooked as the gilet, the undervest is the only piece of cycling kit that comes with me on every single ride, year round, in hot, in cold, in wet, or in dry. While one could be forgiven for assuming an undervest lives out its life as an insulation layer, the undervest serves a critical, more fundamental purpose: as a wicking layer.
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of carrying a gallon jug of water, you will have noticed that water is not particularly light, nor particularly dry. If you’ve suffered the further indignation of having said gallon jug of water poured over your head after making a pithy remark, you will have noticed that the introduction of water to your clothing makes them both heavier and less warm. As cyclists, these characteristics don’t do much for us in the way of making our sport easier from the perspective that sweat is made up largely of water and thus has a tendency to make the clothing we’re wearing both wet and heavy. Enter the base layer, whose specialty is not so much in keeping us warm, but keeping us dry.
If I’ve understood physics correctly, these magical fabrics are designed to maximize the capillary action of fluids by sucking the water in our sweat away from the skin and towards the outside of the fabric where it can either evaporate or at least stop touching us. Even though the fabrics in our jerseys and bibs are heralded as being able to perform this task on their own, they are busy doing other things as well, and I find that using a layer dedicated to this purpose improves the effect greatly.
To be fair, though, the thought of wearing an undervest – or any additional thread of clothing for that matter – is far from inviting when kitting up in the middle of Summer. This is where DeFeet really shines with their multiple weights of undershirts, each targeted at a different temperature range. From the cooler months of September, through Winter and on into Spring, the Un-D-Shurt tank base layer is my go-to garment, keeping me dry but also adding a bit of warmth to stave off the cool air around Puget Sound. Once the mercury starts rising, however, I switch to the Un-D-Lite, which is much more lightweight and purpose-driven towards wicking rather than also insulating.
With both of these pieces, they are so stretchy, soft, comfortable, and good at keeping your skin dry, I never even notice I’m wearing them. I’d like to meet whomever figured out how to make this stuff; their brains must be so big, I bet you can spot it when you look in their ear.
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@mouse
u clearly weren't using it with a latex undershirt
De Feet generally freakin' awesome. Best arm warmers and knee warmers in the universe ever. The UNDshirt is also geat. And their merino gloves are the bomb. Did I mention that their arm warmers (arm skins) are amazing and their knee warmers (kneekers) are similarly the best thing since sliced bread.
@Marcus
It has everything to do with it; wicking bring the moisture to the surface where it can evaporate which then causes the heat transfer. Its actually the reason we sweat (or one of them) in the first place. But we break the system when we put clothes on, which is more important for some people than for others.
@chiasticon
I wind up unzipping the jersey on climbs when its hot, but I still always prefer the base layer - mostly because lycra (which the bibs are made of) has zero wicking ability and just gets soggy; there is no feeling that gives me the heebie jeebies like wet lycra slapping on my torso. Its like taking your helmet off and putting it back on during a hot ride. Yuck.
COOL! And aside from the cooling aspects, I like the comfort they provide by keeping your bib straps off your body. If I don't wear a base layer on a ride I notice I'm not as comfortable because of the straps digging into my shoulders a bit.
I have a few from Craft, didn't realize DeFeet made them as well. I'll put them on my "want" list. I have other stuff from DeFeet and like it all, so I'll have to give these a shot.
The white one is like a Craft one that I have that I have never been able to find again - a fine, gauzy, mesh-y style as opposed to the little "cells" of some undervests.
@mcsqueak
You don't even know the Un D Lite is there when you're wearing it. You not hotter, you're just dryer. I haven't tried it - but the UnD Ice is supposed to actually cool you.
Yes! And added benefit is that when you fully unzip on really hot climbing days your pasty bird chest is covered up by the base layer. Big-time bonus!
Yup, Frank. Putting on a wet helmet is very unpleasant. I actually leave mine on even during extended pit stops just because it's not as bad as putting it back on with the soggy padding. Eck! I'll just undo the straps and loosen the wheel but leave it on.
Can't wait to pair up my base layer with my new V-jersey! Going to be so sweet when that package arrives at my door one of these days...
DeFeet UnD Ice is the cooling shirt I was talking about. Sounds interesting in that they don't want you to wear if the temps are BELOW 80F.
@frank as Velominati Official Thermal Regulation (OTR) partners, will we be seeing some nice V-Cogged base layers, woollen Kneekers, Armskins and the like?
@niksch
These things are indispensable on rides where you'll be descending, with your torso dry you won't get chilled nearly as much. While some still do it, you notice that the Pros aren't grabbing as many newspapers as they used to on the way down (as compared to, say, the late 80's and early 90's); its because most of them wear a base layer even when its hot out.