Rapha Pro Team Base Layer

Rapha's Pro Team base layer is a remarkably good lightweight and fast-wicking option for hot weather cycling.

It's made from two different fabrics. The main panels front and rear and the shoulders/tops of the arms are a light polyester/elastane mesh – very light. The material in the holes between the grid structure is so thin that you can easily see right through it. More to the point, air can breeze right on in, especially if you unzip your jersey, and moisture can escape. The texture of the mesh means the fabric doesn't easily stick to your skin, which is good for keeping the air circulating, and it wicks moisture well.

As with any fabric, it's possible to get this one wet through, especially on a hot climb when you're working hard and little air is blowing over you – no fabric can stay dry for long in that situation. But it dries our very quickly indeed.

The side panels and the underside of the arms are also a polyester/elastane mix but this time it's not a mesh. Like the main fabric, this one is very stretchy so you can get a close fit – Rapha call it 'race-tight' – without it feeling uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, in fact – this is a remarkably comfortable base layer, especially considering the closeness of the fit. With flat seams throughout and the only label positioned on the outside, you hardly feel like you're wearing it – in a good way.

If you're carrying a few extra pounds, the stretchiness of the fabric means there's a good chance you'll still fit into this base layer, but the cut is certainly best suited to the relatively svelte. Rapha reckon that this is a base layer that's 'created for... elite-level racing' – so they really have skinny whippets in mind.

Some people don't see the point of wearing base layers in the summer but I almost always do, feeling more comfortable with one on. It's up to you, naturally. Rapha's Pro Team base layer really is one of the best I've used for hot rides and, believe me, I've used a hell of a lot over the years.

The Pro Team base layer is also available in black and in a sleeveless version (£45).

The 'Merci Roubaix' written across the front is something the late Franco Ballerini said after taking part in his final Paris-Roubaix in 2001. The wording is different on different colour and sleeve options. You can go for 'Carpegna mi basta', 'Vous êtes des assassins', 'Nous marchons à la Dynamite' or 'La tête et les jambes', all of which are phrases from bike racing history. I like this base layer despite the slogan rather than because of it, but each to their own.

You can save up to 20% if you buy three Pro Team base layers at the same time.

Verdict

A very good hot weather base layer that wicks sweat quickly and dries super-fast