# Recommend me a new shirt for hot/humid weather



## Grinderz (Aug 31, 2012)

It has been bloody hot over this side of the world, and my current long sleeve riding shirt is starting to feel more and more like I am wrapped in plastic wrap on my longer rides at this time of the year. Heat exhausting is a real issue that I face on every ride due to the amount of hours I am putting down on the bike, and the amount of fluid that pours out of my body in the process.

As a result I am on a hunt for a new shirt. Open to suggestions for both long and short sleeve options. My current shirt is a long sleeve option, primarily because I get sunburnt before I even get a chance to work up a sweat. Having said that, I am more than happy to give short sleeve a go and just throw on some SPF.

Needs to be suited for 38-42deg heat and 80 - 90 percent humidity. No Lycra or spandex please :thumbsup:


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## Shmoo (Mar 9, 2008)

I've been wearing cotton/polyester/rayon mix shirts. They are lightweight, stretchy, and do not get heavy once soaked with sweat. Dries well. The trade-off being these shirts not being as rugged as mtb shirts. All the mtb shirts I bought when I first started pretty much go unused.

Running shirts tend to be better than mtb shirts, but are a hit or miss sometimes.

DC Space Riot Tee Black - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways


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## Jp. (Dec 30, 2012)

Having gone through various errr "phases" in the last few years myself and my mates have all come around to Nike Dri-Fit running tops for hot weather.

I have done the Lycra thing, to Moto jerseys, then cut them down, then tried MTB riding jerseys in tight and the loose style. 


All are hot, dont wick sweat like they should and feel heavy..... And are stupidly expensive. Especially in Australia.


Went to a sporting goods chain store come post Xmas sale time and bought 4 Nike/Adidas running tops in the Dri-fit style of material. Less than the cost of 1 MTB or Roadie jersey.

Crash good too... Put up with very decent scrapes and bangs.

Won't be going back.

Rant over


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## KevinGT (Dec 25, 2012)

I picked up a couple UnderArmor "Heatgear" shirts but haven't worn them yet. They are nice and light and more affordable than a jersey. Give these a look:

Men's UA Combine® Training Velocity Shortsleeve | 1236431 | Under Armour US

Men's HeatGear® Flyweight Run Shortsleeve | 1236182 | Under Armour US

These are cheaper in the US right now because it's winter but online dealers may have the same discounts.


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## ronyc (Aug 27, 2008)

+1 on the Under Armour gear, majority of the running gear have spf including the training gear. I usually wear long sleeves even in the summer for extra sun protection and protection from the ocasional thorns that likes to reach out and touch you.


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## rogbie (Jun 20, 2011)

Wool for the win! Icebreaker makes great wool jerseys. Lightweight, breathable, and no smell! Synthetic materials get funkier than George Clinton.


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## GelatiCruiser (Oct 11, 2012)

rogbie said:


> Wool for the win! Icebreaker makes great wool jerseys. Lightweight, breathable, and no smell! Synthetic materials get funkier than George Clinton.


This. Wool is the best... But if you can't afford a wool shirt (some are $$$), get some UA Heat Gear. It wicks well and regulates temperature pretty well. I'd go for the Loose Fit stuff. The Fitted is nice but a little too tight for biking as is the Compression... Those are best suited as base layers under your jacket.


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## Tone's (Nov 12, 2011)

LOL, Wool are not great for Aussie heat, the absolute last thing you would want to wear in this heat, and yes i understand the properties of wool tops.

Grinderz, buy a long sleeve jersey with the tiny holes in it everywhere, similar to motoX but thinner and lighter and with the net panels that run down the sides, i bought a few Fly racing ones cheap from CRC, they are the bomb mate


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## Whistlepigs (Jan 26, 2013)

A couple of companies make summer weight wool shirts that would work great.


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## Grinderz (Aug 31, 2012)

Tone's said:


> LOL, Wool are not great for Aussie heat, the absolute last thing you would want to wear in this heat, and yes i understand the properties of wool tops.
> 
> Grinderz, buy a long sleeve jersey with the tiny holes in it everywhere, similar to motoX but thinner and lighter and with the net panels that run down the sides, i bought a few Fly racing ones cheap from CRC, they are the bomb mate


I am currently riding with a fox style one of these and its still too hot at the moment. Pretty much a full lightweight net. When I ride, I am like this within 10mins at the moment :madmax:

The jersey usually serves me well, but I feel like at the moment it doesnt get rid of the sweat quick enough


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## net wurker (Sep 13, 2007)

Grinderz said:


> ... I feel like at the moment it doesnt get rid of the sweat quick enough


I agree. I have a couple of FOX MTB shirts, and although they claim they are a wicking fabric, they get wet and stay wet like a cotton shirt would.

The best I have found for summer are some UnderArmor Short Sleeve, I think they are UA's LaCrosse jerseys. Nice and loose fitting like I like, and they breath very well and dry out very quickly. I found them at Dick's sporting goods. As I recall they were about 30 bux (US currency) each. My favorite hot weather shirts for riding.

My second favorites are the brand sold at Target. DG, I think? Not too shabby for 12 dolllar shirts.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

I wear my summer weight "DH/MX style" jerseys year round. More comfy than performance coolmax T-shirts and I like the look better than road cycling jerseys.

The Royal Blast (blue) and Royal Stealth jerseys are my 2 favs out of my drawers. I too like long sleeve to keep the sun off.


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## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

A big no for wool from me too.
I have several Icebreaker T's in 150 weight - the lightest.
They are great and my favorite T's for everything EXCEPT for high-sweat output activities.
They just can't get rid of the moisture fast enough - the high-tech synthetics work better for this.
(Marmot, MountainHardware, TNF, SierraDesigns, Arcteryx etx)

For riding, my favorite is a Fox Attack from a few years ago, full mesh with a panel to prevent nipple rub.

michael


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## Isildur (Nov 10, 2007)

I've got heaps of MTB brand jerseys, in short, mid and long sleeve versions. To be honest though, any time I'm going to ride in hot weather, I ditch those and go with an Outdoor Research Echo T (an no, I'm not affiliated with OR in any way).

Depending on how much sun exposure I'm expecting, I'll choose between the short sleeve and long sleeve, but they bloody light, breathe well, and deal with moisture and sweat incredible well (mainly due to the fact that they're so light).

I've been through about 2 years now on 1 SS and one LS. They're only worn on super hot days, but also wear the LS version when I'm doing multi-pitch climbing and expecting sun. And believe me, we have plenty of hot days down this side of the planet in Summer 

Definitely worth looking into!


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## dancingoutlaw (Dec 2, 2010)

Grinderz, I've been thinking about getting something like this for riding in the extreme temps: Cooling vests for adults | StaCool Vest

It's pretty expensive but if it worked to keep you cool for a 2-3 hour ride during the heat, I think it would be money well spent.

My Fox Flow jersey is my favorite so far. I purchased a couple of their Attack jerseys on sale and don't like them as much b/c of the sticky material on the shoulders and the air vents on the front are positioned so that the stitching causes nipple rub.

I have read a lot of good things about the Moose Sahara jerseys. It's MX oriented and kinda loud but whatever gets the job done. It does have lycra around the collar only.

A couple of things that help me is to freeze a bottle of water, take it in my pack and as it rapidly thaws out, I'll pour a little of that over my head when I stop for a rest and keep a hand towel to wipe my head, face and eyes. I also place the bottle on my heart, wrists and neck. Pretty refreshing! I've also been thinking about putting a bandana and two wrist bands in a cooler of ice water and putting them on right before a ride or wetting them and then putting in the freezer the night before.


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