Road Cycling Clothing

Chapeau Ladies Merino Baselayer Long Sleeve Review

A full length sleeve merino baselayer has long been an essential in my cycling kit.

Merino’s warmth and breathability keeps your temperature pretty constant up hill and down dale and it’s perfect for mountain biking in the spring as, on dry but cool days, you can wear it beneath a short sleeve jersey.

It’s also less bulk than wearing a jacket although if it’s really cold –
– or if you’re a roadie who favours lightweight shells – you can slip it on beneath one. Yes, you pay a premium for merino: but look after it and it will keep you comfortable for ride after ride.

This Chapeau top is in ultrafine merino and a slim fit which makes it an ideal base layer. It’s very soft and slightly stretchy, and there are no internal labels to irritate your skin. Chapeau have sewn the label onto the outside, next to the waist hem.

The sleeves are a good length – long enough to cover your wrists with a cuffed glove so there are no chilly air gaps. The body length is long enough to tuck in although it isn’t shaped at the back.

I really like the colour – which is a good job because it’s the only colour available.

Much is made of merino’s anti-bacterial and wicking qualities – it’s so effective that you may find you don’t have to wash it after every ride. However – word of warning here – you do need to take care of it carefully.

Chapeau advise that leaving merino damp after use can, over time, rot the natural fibres so if you’re not going to wash it straight away you’ll need to hang it out to dry.

I always use a 30 degree wash and a wool-specific detergent for merino. And don’t iron or tumble-dry it – this isn’t really a problem as it dries fairly quickly anyway because it is so fine.