Gobik Cell Skin

On paper, the Gobik Cell Skin base layer ticks all the boxes. It ditches the typical t-shirt design idea for a panelled construction that wouldn’t look out of place in an Avengers movie, and the panels work well. Unfortunately the many seams between them don’t.

The majority of these panels are Polartec Delta, a fabric which uses small hexagonal ‘cells’ to move sweat from the skin and leave gaps through which air can flow, accelerating evaporative cooling and keeping you cool on warm rides.

And it works. On a huge huff up one of Bath’s bigger hills (Pennyquick, if you’re local) with a stack of lorries behind me and my heart rate all the way into zone five, I certainly started feeling the heat, but it never became overbearing. And unzipping my jersey – even just a tiny bit – resulted in a cooling sensation like I was being hugged by Jack Frost.

It also looks great… not that you’ll see much of it beyond the cleavage logo, unless you’re feeling brave enough to bare your Delta-clad torso or you’re on the turbo, away from prying eyes. If you’re not keen on this ‘Greyblack’ colour, it’s available in Hakuba. Which you may know as white.

I’m not sure if this garment is 100% Delta fabric. There are two panels, one down the spine and one just beneath the belly button, that feature a different kind of material. This has a more open, traditional base layer weave, and presumably these are employed to channel cooler air into the Delta regions.

This is also where the Cell Skin’s biggest flaw becomes apparent: this panels are stitched together with numerous seams. Despite Gobik’s boasts of flatlock stitching, most aren’t actually flat, and they can dig in a bit. What’s worse is that once you get sweaty, these seams become sodden (eww!), so moisture is held close to your skin. That can become uncomfortable.

This clammy moistness only builds up when you’re really sweaty, but it’s noticeable and annoying. It also means you can’t use its premium ‘temperature regulation’ abilities through a whole summer. Even UK summer days can get warmer than 25°C, which is the highest temperature Gobik recommends this for.

This isn’t a problem I’ve had with other base layers, and it certainly made me realise why ‘seamless’ is such a desirable feature.

Value

Base layers range from £20ish to £125 for thermal editions (or £5 for a string vest), and Gobik’s Cell Skin sits somewhere in the middle of that.

Galibier’s Echelon SS base layer is pretty much half the price at £23, and it has fewer seams. It looks good and does its job, even if it does have quite a roomy fit and feel a bit plasticky against the skin.

Moving up the ladder you’ll find the likes of the Altura Tempo Seamless SS base at £40. Despite Altura marketing this one as ‘seamless’ it has seams (why don’t these people understand seams!?), but it still performs impressively.

At £55, Castelli’s Pro Mesh 2.0 base layer is pricier again, but has a great fit and is the best option if you want to splash out on a premium garment. The only negative is that the sleeves can roll themselves up.

Overall

This looks great, is well put together and features some very impressive fabrics, but its many seams are its downfall – once drenched with sweat they undermine all the good work of the rest.