Here’s an embarrassing fact: I biked for close to a year without really knowing what a baselayer even was. I mean, I’d hear guys talk about how great their cycling clothes were, frequently saying “yea, it just wicks the sweat right off my skin”, and I’d nonchalantly nod, pretending I knew what they meant.

During my first year into our sport, I knew little about anything. I wore tennis shoes with laces hanging over my pedals, I’d sport a heavy cotton long sleeved shirt because “it was cold”, and yea, I even used a “comfort” gel seat when hitting some singletrack. Yes, it was that bad. I look back at pictures like the one below and honestly feel bad for myself. I looked like an idiot!

Then Bluecollar got some gear from Louis Garneau. I managed to snag a Drytex 2000 LG print shirt and some dryflex undershorts…. and suddenly biking became a whole lot easier.

I eagerly tore the packages open, suited up, and hit the trail. Man oh man, biking was suddenly a different story. The LG baselayer was incredible, suddenly 85 degrees and a gallon of sweat didn’t matter anymore. Unlike those spongelike cotton shirts I used to wear, the baselayer simply took the sweat right off my body before I even noticed it. What’s better, air was able to pass through the jersey enough for me to always feel well ventilated. As a result, I never got sticky, overheated or uncomfortable despite the temperatures.

The baselayer works great in the winter, too. I broke out my long sleeved miracle from Craft, put it on beneath the LG shirt, and took off. These two layers pack a punch in any weather, even when it’s chilly. More than once I went out in sub-40 degree temperatures, and though I was obviously cold at first it only took a few minutes to warm up. Even though I would start to sweat, the LG layer was so effective I never noticed any moisture in cold weather either.

The dryflex undershorts are great too. They’re perfect for the rider who wears unpadded shorts and doesn’t want to go for the spandex look; you simply put these guys on beneath whatever you choose to wear as an outer layer. In my friend Luke’s case (”You go ahead, I’m never wearing those freaking spandex shorts man”) they’re a great choice. They feature a thin layer of chamois padding in all the right places, so that no matter what outer gear you choose to sport you’ll always have a little extra protection from going numb. Me…. well I just like alot of padding. Instead of wearing boxer briefs with my padded Pearl Izumi shorts, I now use the LG dryflex undershorts. Since I began to wear the two together, I haven’t gone numb once… and its been six months.

The bottom line: Louis Garneau makes some great outdoor gear for us mountain bikers. I’d highly reccommend their products to anyone who’s looking for some comfortable, affordable, and stylish apparel for the trails.