As we head towards winter solstice the days get shorter and winter gets colder. Anyone living somewhere that the temperature dips below about 15 degrees C will appreciate that it’s essential to have a few warm clothes to make cycling enjoyable through the winter.

Whilst gillets and long sleeved jerseys are great, there is nothing like a well made thermal undershirt to keep you toasty warm.  A few years ago I ventured into Kathmanduduring a sale and picked up some Altica Thermaplus thermal tops - usually $60ea they were on special; 3 for $60 - i.e. $20 ea!

What is it?

The Thermaplus top is a basic medium weight thermal top.  Having used these for a couple of years (I own about 5) they are ideally suited for temperatures of around 15 degrees C.

If you buy the right size it’s relatively tight fitting and not too bulky.  The tops are excellent at keeping you warm and in light rain they hold up pretty well.

If it’s really, really cold I’ll wear one of these under a long sleeved cycling top, however typically throughout winter in Sydney I’ll wear a Thermaplus top with a conventional short sleeved cycling top over it.  You come out looking like this:

Of course, if you’re the more shy and retiring type you can simply stick with black.  Style officianado’s can give the white a go - as a mate YoYo would say, “so hot right now”.  The combination is not bulky and it ends up looking like you’re wearing arm warmers.  The plus is that the sleeves don’t slip or creep or bunch like arm warmers, the downside is that you can’t simply roll them off if you get too toasty.

What’s Not Good

There’s not alot that’s not good about this product and the primary issues are one’s inherent in the type of product.  Quality of the actual product is first rate and my shirts have held up well to lots of use over a period of years. 

One of the main issues with this product is that it does not wick sweat away as well as some materials - especially if you are riding with a backpack (for the commuting crowd) you can end up with a bit of a damp spot on your back.  This is not extreme and the gear definitely breathes and wicks sweat, but it’s something to be aware of. 

The other issue is that after lots of use they can get a bit stinky - all man made fibres makes for a product that’s always going to hold a bit of a pong.  If you experience this there’s a simple solution (for this and any other gear) - grab some NapiSan and soak your gear overnight; does wonders for the odour.

Price / Where to Get It

One of the main things that prompted me to write this review is that it seems Kathmandu are selling these at the moment for the bargain price of 3 for $60 - basically you can go and spend $60 and have enough gear to keep you warm all winter.

Visit their specials page here: http://kathmandu.com.au/15.html to check this is still the case and their store locations are listed here: http://kathmandu.com.au/10.html

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