Q36.5 Base Layer 2 Short Sleeve

The Q36.5 Base Layer 2 Short Sleeve is very nicely made, but it's expensive, and though it's made for the summer, it feels very warm for a hot weather baselayer.

For more options, for all seasons, check out our guide to the best cycling base layers.

> Buy now: Q36.5 Base Layer 2 Short Sleeve for £57 from Swinnerton Cycles

When I looked on the Q36.5 website for information about this baselayer, I was amazed to see that it's recommended for temperatures above 22°C. Wearing this in the heat, I definitely found it to be too warm.

Wearing a baselayer in summer might sound counterintuitive, but actually a light (usually mesh) layer can keep you more comfortable than going without.

I always find myself gravitating towards a mesh baselayer as I find them more comfortable across a wider temperature range than more solid designs.

As a Brit who isn't amazing in the heat, I was happy to wear this up to around 15°C when paired with shorts, jersey and arm warmers, and a couple of degrees warmer without arm warmers, but anything above 20°C and I found it too warm.

It's worth noting that Q36.5 is an Italian brand, and Italy generally has hotter summers than the UK, but I enjoyed this baselayer a lot more when I wore it in temperatures around 10-15°C.

I found it most useful when it was reasonably mild out, worn along with a thicker jacket so I didn't need the properties of a thermal baselayer but wanted something comfy against my skin. Q36.5 has certainly made a comfortable piece of kit for that.

Build quality

The construction is excellent. Q36.5 boasts that it uses a Karl Mayer knitting machine in its manufacturing, which results in the layer being almost seamless, with only a seam on top of each shoulder – unlike some 'seamless' baselayers that still have hidden seams around the arms.

This manufacturing method also means that while it's thin for a baselayer of such a design, Q36.5 claims it is 'a much tougher and less fragile lightweight material', and weighs only 81g on the road.cc Scales of Truth.

Q36.5 has used a honeycomb knit throughout, and the manufacturing method means that different areas can be made be thinner or thicker; the back, for example, uses a thinner mesh to allow more breathability.

It's also a tight-fitting yet stretchy material that's very comfortable against the skin.

The baselayer doesn't have any hems, and Q36.5 says it can be cut and modified by the user to fit them perfectly, which is a nice bonus for people with shorter torsos, to avoid having any wrinkling without the fear of unravelling thread.

Value

As well as being a bit too warm for the quoted temperature range, a bigger drawback for me is the price. At £76, this is not a cheap piece of clothing.

You can pay more for winter baselayers – it's still £9 less than Rapha's Pro Team Thermal Base Layer – but if you compare it with other summer baselayers such as Lusso's Dryline and sleeveless Pain Cave Eco Summer, both £30, the price feels quite extreme.

One area that I do really like is the sustainability that Q36.5 claims in its manufacturing – everything is made within a 350km radius of its headquarters, helping to cut down on the pollution created during the manufacturing cycle.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a nicely made baselayer, but it's quite hard to work out who it's aimed at. If you're looking for a little more than mesh on those intermediate days, and have £76 to spare, then it's certainly very good quality. But I would only happily recommend it if it was slightly thicker and aimed more for the winter months.

Verdict

Comfortable, but expensive and too hot for the summer, for some