Should we wear undervests in the summer?
Hint: The answer is yes, but only if it has Pablo’s face on it.
It’s a question that a lot of cyclists find themselves asking themselves, and one which causes more controversy than it perhaps should. Are cycling undervests a necessary additional layer in the summer as well as the winter?
During mountain stages of the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France or Vuelta a Espana, you might notice something interesting. As riders unzip their jerseys in the heat, some reveal bare chests, while others have a base layer underneath.
We recently sat down with Felix English, one of the co-founders of Angry Pablo and Tokyo Olympian on the track, to delve into this heated debate (see what we did there).
Quick disclaimer, Felix is a big advocate of base layers in all conditions, so this conversation was far from impartial.
Heat
While logic would suggest that more layers will simply make you hotter in the sunshine, Felix insists that an Angry Pablo Lightweight Mesh Undervest will actually keep you cooler in the heat.
“The clothing directly in contact with your skin is crucial for preventing overheating. Fabrics need to manage moisture effectively to maintain your body's heat regulation during exercise in hot conditions.”
While Felix supports wearing a base layer year-round, he stresses that it should change with the seasons.
"Sweat needs to be wicked away to keep you comfortable and regulate your body temperature," says Felix. "A base layer is essential for this in all weather, but the type should match the conditions."
Jerseys have multiple functions, like being aerodynamic and visually appealing, which can affect their performance. A dedicated base layer, however, focuses solely on wicking sweat to keep you cool and dry. Purpose-designed summer base layers, such as the Angry Pablo Lightweight Mesh Undervest, are often more effective at this because they provide a larger surface area for sweat evaporation compared to jerseys.
Comfort
According to Felix, another important consideration for whether or whether not to wear a base layer in the summer is the additional comfort that it can provide.
“The fabric should fit snugly to your body without restricting movement or breathing. Maximising contact with your skin allows the material to effectively wick moisture away, keep your jersey dry and support efficient evaporation,” Felix claims.
“I also find that base layers provide other benefits while riding in the heat, for example preventing sweaty bib straps from sticking to the skin and offering an extra layer of protection from insects and bugs when the jersey is unzipped.”
Style
The last point is perhaps the most important from an Angry Pablo perspective- we’re known for our style after all. For far too long, base layers - or undervest as we like to sometimes call them in the UK - have been neglected. While the rest of cycling kit has moved on to become more than just a piece of performance clothing, base layers have been left behind.
At Angry Pablo, we decided to do something about this. It is therefore no wonder that the OG Lightweight Mesh Undervest is one of our best selling pieces of kit!
We think that an undervest says as much about a rider as jerseys and bib shorts. Our undervests provide you with the perfect opportunity to show off another layer of your personality when you unzip your jersey at that all-important cafe stop. Be prepared to catch the glances of onlookers though, Pablo has been known to generate smiles.
