For £30, the Endura Transrib LS Baselayer offers great comfort and good insulation qualities, and is plenty durable enough to last a good few winters.
This is the long sleeve version, but it's also available with short sleeves, which I tested last winter. They're identical apart from the sleeve length, so which you choose comes down to your requirements and personal preferences.
I find a long sleeve gets a lot more use in the winter, but it does depend on what you're going to wear over the top. I always like to start with a long sleeve base layer, but I must admit I really feel the cold.
The Transrib is made from a CoolMax ribbed material (that's where it gets its name from) and the channels are intended to trap warm air and keep it close to your body. It seems to work. The base layer manages to be very warm when paired with a suitable jacket and has kept me snug on many very early morning rides.
Though Endura uses what it calls an 'athletic' fit for the base layer, I find it's definitely on the generous side. It doesn't hug the body tightly like some similar sized base layers, but that doesn't seem to adversely impact its performance or comfort.
It's a comfortable base layer, the fabric is lovely and soft next to the skin, and the flatlock seams used to piece it together help keep it free of irritation.
It manages sweat well, too, not getting unduly swamped by moisture if you're riding hard or you're a little overdressed. And it's treated with an anti-bacterial finish, so it doesn't smell bad either, even on very long rides.
The Transib is available in black or white and five sizes.
Verdict
A good investment for winter cycling – top performance at a decent price
road.cc test report
Make and model: Endura Transrib Baselayer
Size tested: Medium, White
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Endura says:
Year Round Performance
CoolMax® ribbed knit provides excellent insulation in winter combined with superior moisture management in summer for year round performance
Antibacterial finish to keep you fresh
High stretch supportive fit flatters all body shapes
Athletic fit
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Body mapped mesh zones for optimal temperature control
Anti-bacterial finish to keep you fresh
All seams flatlocked for comfort
Athletic fit
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
A very good investment, will last many winters of cycling.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
7/10
It's soft next to the skin but the fit could be better.
Rate the product for value:
8/10
At £30 why spend more? It does everything you need of a base layer.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Provides excellent insulation and good moisture management.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Comfortable and warm.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Fit could be a bit more athletic.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Maybe
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably
Use this box to explain your score
For £30 this is a really good investment, even the slightly loose fit doesn't impair what is a very good performance base layer.
Age: 31 Height: 180cm Weight: 67kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking
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