Dumb question about base layers...

[ultraman6970]

Ok guys I have the most stupid question ever.... Looking for bibs I noticed that some companies offer bib shorts base layers, all of them I believe were padded.

Now the dumb question, if a base layer is used to get the moisture off your skin, then you put this bib base layer under the short bibs for example... bib shorts come with pad aswell... then you end up using twice the padding???

M'I wrong? Is this garment used under long winter bibs that dont have padding??

I read description and it says.. use under the bibs... anybody???

[Ti Designs]

The clothing industry can't help but put padding in anything that says "cycling" in the title. Go to Pearl Izumi's site for example, they have a number of different tights in different fabrics for different temperature levels. The ones that say "cycling" in the name have padding. Combine that with bike shop clothing buyers who never ride in the winter and you get racks of useless clothing.

There was a thread a while back about padding in tights or not, some were against, some were for, some wrote in Bernie... I don't want to get back into a poll of who wears what, I'm just going to point out one little problem - you can't layer them (well you can, but you'll need to lower your saddle...) While you're looking at the Pearl Izumi site, take a look at the temperature ranges for the tights - none of them are all that low by themselves. Without layering, their AmFib tights would be the warmest thing you could wear, and they would be clammy as hell on longer rides because you can't use a base layer. More than half my winter riding is below the temperature range of their warmest tights. Assos is the same, Winter+ for them is when I leave the house late on a nice day. If clothing buyers at shops rode in the winter they would either figure this out or freeze to death.

As for base layers, I can't help by point at Craft for the best product out there - I say that having product tested for 4 other companies. Base layers shouldn't be warm, wicking doesn't happen across a temperature drop. The best you can hope for is that your base layer wicks moisture out to the thermal layer. I've seen all the ads for jackets that pass moisture to the outside, yet in 30 years of riding I've never found one that actually does that. Anyway, here's the order it works in: First your shorts go on - that's your padding. Shorts these days are made with wicking fabrics anyway. Then goes the base layer. Thickness of the base layer is based on time active, not temperature - the base layer should have almost no thermal properties. The thickness of the thermal layer is R value, it's based on temperature. It's important to understand the difference, a long ride on a not so cold day where you saturate your base layer hours before you get home is much worse than a cold day when you're dressed right.

[ultraman6970]

I do agree with you, I have some base layer long sleeve and short sleeve brand 32 degrees... 7 bucks at costco BTW... they do work sort of but as you said it is pretty much imposible to get the moisture off your skin, once the fabric gets wet the only way to get the moisture off is to have one side to dry quicker than the other side of the fabric... impossible, well I use them to keep the temperature regulated and this cheap shirts works just for that.

I was asking about the bibs because I saw several for sale at ebay and all come with padding, i cant remember the brand but saw a few the other day that the fabric was pretty much transparent,, a transparent like bib short with padding and says Base layer bib short.. and then i started like... ok... i get the idea but all my bibs have padding by a set of bib tights... 2 pads at the same time?? w - t - f??? Diapers style? I have to ask this one...

So pretty much we have a useless product?? again?

[Gummee]

The warmest thing you'll wear all winter is a mesh base layer. Put that on first, THEN insulating/wicking layers (like wool) and then windproof.

You heard it here first (again)

I'm not going to touch the tights with/without pads discussion. I already know which I ride

M

[Andy sti]

I was asking about the bibs because I saw several for sale at ebay and all come with padding, i cant remember the brand but saw a few the other day that the fabric was pretty much transparent,, a transparent like bib short with padding and says Base layer bib short.. and then i started like... ok... i get the idea but all my bibs have padding by a set of bib tights... 2 pads at the same time?? w - t - f??? Diapers style? I have to ask this one...

So pretty much we have a useless product?? again?

I think what your seeing are bibs to be used under MTB shorts. A few companies are now making bibs instead of just regular padded shorts. They are not cold weather items.