13 Best Base Layers for Summer Cycling

It seemed odd to us, too, when we learned about wearing extra layers in the summer. However, we were surprised when we tried cycling base layers, as they were quite comfortable. But, for us, comfort was about more than just minimizing our temperature. When we researched, the best options for a base layer for summer cycling provided a comfortable foundation while cycling. What’s more, they also regulated temperature, thus ensuring optimal performance.

Since performance and power could be impacted while riding, base layers helped wick moisture away from the skin. Thus, they kept us comfortable across a wide range of temperatures. The ones we looked at were close to the skin and were a tight fit. So, why not look at our useful guide and a list of the best products we’ve drawn up for your summer cycling shenanigans?

While you read this article, you might also want to check out the best water bottles for cycling.

Endura Translite Short-Sleeve Baselayer

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Best short-sleeved baselayer. While looking for short-sleeved baselayers, we loved the Endura Translite Short-Sleeve Baselayer. This extremely thin, short-sleeved base layer is made from extra fine-gauge polyester. What’s more, it has a complex pattern of panels around the side body and the back that helped give us a good, close fit. At the same time, there was no bunching under the arms and excellent ease of movement. We also found that it didn’t have a tight, stretchy feel. That, coupled with the flat seams, the lightness, and the silkiness, meant that we barely noticed that we were wearing it. All in all, the good quality feel, and the midrange price point makes it an easy base layer to recommend for warmer weather.

Castelli Core Mesh Base Layer

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The Castelli Core Mesh Base Layer is an excellent base layer for summer cycling. This one employs a fishnet weave that maximized the sweat movement and vapor away from our skin. What’s more, the open weave did a brilliant job of allowing us to dump excess heat, especially when we were wearing zipped jerseys on top. Or even when we wanted just to let the breeze reach our skin while wearing airy summer jerseys. Since it’s also made with 10% elastane, it gave us a rather welcoming degree of stretch, and we found the shoulder fit particularly nice. Overall, the fabric might be a tad hard, but we were quite happy with the ‘functional’ feel and the super-dry performance.

Yahoo Sports has belted out a detailed review of this base layer.

Gorewear Base Layer Sleeveless Shirt

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Most of the base layers on this list are made from polyester. But the Gorewear Base Layer Sleeveless Shirt is one of the few layers that’s made from polypropylene. So, along with its other features, it has a bit of elastane for a good amount of stretch, which we loved. That’s all the better when it comes to harder-wearing and quicker-drying properties. What’s more, the fabric is relatively soft and thin, with rows of tiny holes woven in. These helped maximize the surface area for wicking moisture, reducing weight, and even helping with breathability. Moreover, the seams are flat-locked, which only added to our overall sense of comfort. We found the stretch gentle and the length good, and it stayed snug to our body without a vice-like grip. All in all, this baselayer is quietly capable.

Castelli Pro Issue Base Layer

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There’s yet another Castelli product on this list; this time, it’s the Castelli Pro Issue Base Layer. For us, this almost-mesh shirt was perfect as we don’t like mesh shirts – but this one undersells it. Firstly, the thin fabric behaves like a mesh, thanks to its superlight pattern of almost-transparent squares, which also gives it breathable airiness. What’s more, the mesh also felt very light and soft against our skin; at 54g, it’s one of the lightest mesh shirts in this guide. Besides looking pretty normal for a mesh shirt, we felt that this really stopped our jersey from feeling clammy, which is great. Wrapping up the features is the nicely long and snug fit, with no bunched material and easy articulation around the shoulders.

Wielrenner tests both Castelli layers and pits them against each other in this rather useful YouTube video review.

Odlo Men’s Performance Light Base Layer T-Shirt

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The Odlo Men’s Performance Light Base Layer T-Shirt is one of the best layers we found to wear for our summer riding shenanigans. There are a lot of things we liked about the Odlo baselayer, starting with the body-mapped fabric and high breathability. So, it helped wick moisture while being well-fitting at the same time. What’s more, it’s not cycling-specific, as we wore it for many other higher-intensity sports as well during the summer. We appreciated the design of the body, which is practically free of seams, as well as the length. In fact, it has just a couple of seams over the shoulders of the comfortable-fitting raglan sleeves. Thanks to the extra fabric density over the belly, it helped keep our core warmer whenever there was a cool breeze. The best bit? There’s enough length to keep our lower back covered as we rode.

Craft Men’s Cool Mesh Superlight Summer Baselayer

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The Craft Men’s Cool Mesh Superlight Summer Baselayer is an excellent base layer for summer cycling. This base layer is a perennial classic and has an ideal weight for those hot summer rides that we took across the region. What’s more, the polyester and spandex build works really well, and along with the big-hole mesh construction, ensures super cooling and ventilation. Furthermore, it’s said to be really durable and should last us for years, and we’ve seen that it resists staining and washes up well. Thanks to the six-channel fabric, the baselayer stays comfortably dry by wicking sweat away well, no matter how hot the weather got. Finally, it’s so lightweight that it didn’t impede airflow at all.

Pearl Izumi W Transfer Wool Long Sleeve Cycling Baselayer

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Warmest base layer. Not all summer base layers have to be moisture-wicking; some need to be protected against the sudden cold, too, right? Also, if people run cold as some of us do, then they’re going to need the Pearl Izumi W Transfer Wool Long Sleeve Cycling Baselayer. First and foremost, this Pearl Izumi woolen base layer provided us with an excellent fit as it’s cut and designed specifically for riding a bike. These include features such as rotated arms. Even though the build isn’t entirely 100% Merino wool, it did a fantastic job of keeping us warm. What’s more, it’s also jam-packed with test-winning technical features, great wicking capabilities, and excellent anti-odor features. We especially liked the thumb loops on this one, as they greatly helped keep the sleeves in place. So, there were no cold gaps between this layer and our winter biking gloves.

Bambool Thermics Baselayer Top

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Most eco-friendly base layer. The Bambool Thermics Baselayer Top was perfect for the eco-friendly and sustainable peeps among us. It’s made from a mixture of sustainable bamboo, Merino wool, and rayon, which is not just eco-friendly but even more absorbent than cotton. What’s more, bamboo is not just high bulk but even odor-resistant at the same time. At the same time, the elastane content in the base layer gives it top stretch, allowing us to move with ease. While it’s not cycling-specific, it made for an excellent option for those of us who feel cold during riding. Wrapping up the features is the zipper closure, which ensured that no cold air found its way in while we were riding.

Santic Summer Cycling Base Layer

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Best for beginners. The Santic Summer Cycling Base Layer is the ideal entry-level base layer to wear for the summer, and that too has an affordable price point of just 26 USD. There are a lot of other things we liked about the base layer, though. For one, the fabric looks good and is breathable too. What’s more, due to its mix of polyester and elastane build, it’s also stretchy, which created a really comfortable feel for us as we rode through the heat. While it isn’t as good as the other alternatives when it came to wicking moisture away from the body, it was great for the price we were paying. All in all, it’s perfect for most cyclists like us who’re not looking to overspend on a base layer.

Przewalski Summer Cycling Base Layer

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We used the Przewalski Summer Cycling Base Layer for cycling – and everything beyond too! Firstly, this undershirt is designed with big hole mesh, which makes it highly venting and moisture-wicking. What’s more, it helped us stay dry and comfortable during cycling sessions too. Secondly, we loved the sleeveless ergonomic fit along with the 3D modeling made for a streamlined silhouette, which fit the curves of our body very well. Thanks to the polyester and spandex build, the high-stretch base layer gave us exceptional comfort and no itchy feeling. Finally, the lightweight and soft nature of the vest ensured freedom of movement.

Giordana Dri-Release Summer Cycling Base Layer

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The Giordana Dri-Release Summer Cycling Base Layer is one of the most lightweight synthetic base layers we came across. Made from 100% synthetic fabric, the cycling base layer boasts an easy pull-on closure. What’s more, the fabric is lightweight, which helped wick moisture away from our bodies as we rode across the summery region. We even used it as a layering piece under summer jerseys, especially when we stayed out in the sun for a while. This is thanks to the Dri-Release fabric, which dries four times faster than regular cotton.

“We were looking for a non-cotton base layer that could be used under other clothes and dried quickly – and we’ve never been happier than with this Giordana Dri-release layer.”

WOW Travel.

Sportful BodyFit Pro Women’s LS Base Layer

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Most base layers come in neutral black and white shades. That’s why the riotous pink-colored Sportful BodyFit Pro Women’s LS Base Layer caught our eye. The bubblegum-colored base layer is made from a blend of elastane and polyester, complete with a micro-perforated design. Thus, it offers superior amounts of comfort and breathability, including being soft to the touch. Thanks to the thin mesh outer and the fleecy inner face, it stayed close to our body for a good fit while also providing breathability and insulation. The best bit? There’s a lot of length to move about, and the high crew neckline is a blessing for women with a heavy chest.

Santini Grido High-Performance Short Sleeve Wool Base Layer

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We end the list with the Santini Grido High-Performance Short Sleeve Wool Base Layer. This rather different, sage-colored base layer did have us questioning the logic of a short-sleeved thermal base layer. But all our myths were dispelled when we wore the layer on a cool summer day under our thin jerseys. Thanks to the combination of Merino on the inside and Polartec Power Wool stretchy synthetic on the outside, the brand has combined the advantages of a natural feel and insulation with synthetic wicking. So, not only are the feel and fit great, but it also felt very comfortable. Overall, it’s an excellent thermal base layer that looks stylish and functional as well.

Our Verdict!

While all base layers for cycling are good, the ones below are even better for their specific features:

• Best for beginners: Santic Summer Cycling Base Layer
• Most eco-friendly base layer: Bambool Thermics Baselayer Top
• Warmest base layer: Pearl Izumi W Transfer Wool Long Sleeve Cycling Baselayer
• Best short-sleeved baselayer: Endura Translite Short-Sleeve Baselayer 

How To Choose The Best Base Layers For Summer Cycling?

Material

Base layers come in many kinds of materials and have two main categories, natural and man-made. The commonest natural fabric layer is merino wool, as it copes with many temperature points. Moreover, it felt very soft next to the skin and doesn’t pong when we got sweaty. Again, there are many kinds of merino base layers, which are easier to care for than base layers that are 100% merino wool. On the other hand, manmade synthetic base layers like polyester and polypropylene are usually lighter and better at wicking sweat. For some of us, we felt we couldn’t wear them for multiple rides.

Thickness

Aside from material, base layers also come in a wide range of thicknesses. These range from chunky Arctic-ready base layers to lightweight summer tops. For this, we took many factors into account, including the layers we planned to wear over the base ones. What’s more, we also considered the intensity and duration of our cycling and the average temperature we aimed to ride in. While some of us required extra insulation with a thicker base layer, some of us ran hotter and got away with a lighter base layer. So, you need to choose a base layer that best fits your needs.

Sleeve

Next, we needed to choose the sleeves on the base layers, whether we needed long or short-sleeved ones. While longer ones are perfect for winter, short-sleeved and sleeveless ones are better for warmer days. However, a lot depends on the layers that we put over the top. Sometimes, it wasn’t simply cold enough for long base layers, and we could always add arm warmers if we wore short-sleeved ones.

Fit and shape

Finally, let’s talk about the shape and fit of the base layer for summer cycling, which needs to sit flush on the skin for it to do its job most effectively. For those of us riding at a commuting level or at a lower intensity, we went for looser, baggy-fitting base layers. For those of us into higher-tempo cycling, we looked for close-fitting base layers. It’s the same thing with the fabric’s stretch. The more the fabric stretches, the better the fit. Also, we looked for smartly-placed seams so as to avoid discomfort.

Also, check out the best jackets for cycling.

Why do cycling jerseys have zippers?

There are two reasons for the same. For one, they greatly help regulate body temperature. Secondly, they make it easier to put on the jersey and take it off.

Do base layers keep you warm or cool?

Base layers are designed to keep one warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather, thus helping regulate one’s body temperature.

Are more expensive summer base layers worth it?

Usually, base layers that are more expensive are also more durable and could last for years when taken good care of. So, some might call expensive summer base layers an investment of sorts.