Gorewear M Gore Windstopper Baselayer Shirt Short Sleeve

The Gorewear M Gore Windstopper Base Layer Shirt may not be cycling-specific – but I found this short-sleeve top extremely handy both on and off the bike. It has highly effective Windstopper panels where you really want them and it fits well. It's just a shame that you're going to need quite deep pockets to buy one.

> Buy now: Gorewear M Gore Windstopper Base Layer Shirt for £48.99 from Gorewear

This base layer is made from man-made materials, and it looks like it's basically the same as Gorewear's non-Windstopper base layer with strategically placed windproof panels on top.

That base layer of the base layer (see what I did there) is a mesh fabric made from a mix of 88% polypropylene, 8% elastane and 4% polyamide, which is stretchy, wicks moisture effectively and feels good next to your skin. In fact, it feels so nice that I'd happily wear it all day, every day.

Windproof, breathable and water-resistant Gore-Tex Infinium WindTex fabric has been added to the shoulders, front and kidneys, and the result is pretty much like having an all-in-one base layer and lightweight windproof gilet, but in a more breathable package.

Temperature

It's been a great base layer to wear in the cold and wet weather we've been having, adding a bit of warmth and weather protection, while managing my sweat as effectively as any non-windstopping base layer.

Having said that, I can imagine this base layer also shining on warmer wet and/or windy days, wearing just a lightweight jersey on top.

Fit and cut

Gorewear describes this as having its 'Form Fit', which it calls its 'closest fit, designed to be worn tight to the body'. I'd describe it as somewhere between figure hugging and sprayed-on, which is pretty much spot on as far as I'm concerned.

This isn't marketed as a cycling-specific base layer – and I've happily worn it for long hikes, skiing and running. Oh, and not forgetting cycling of course.

Colourways

It is available in black, which isn't always ideal when worn under a more transparent jersey, and the white/light grey version that we tested. This has the advantage of being better to wear under a cycling jersey, but it might hang around a bit longer in the washing pile – we hardly ever run a whites wash, though you might be different.

My solution was to just bung it in with the colours, and as the front's already a light grey, it's not made much of a difference.

It's not like merino, in that I've found it needs to be washed after any meaningful ride – without any anti-bacterial properties it can get a bit whiffy. That said, in my experience this seems to be the case for most base layers made from man-made materials.

Sizing

I used Gorewear's sizing chart that suggested medium was the correct fit for me. Medium is what I normally wear, it's the size I tested and it was a perfect fit.

Value

The £69.99 price is not cheap for a base layer, even one that offers wind protection. That said, while the similar base layers that we have tested are cheaper, the differences aren't by an order of magnitude.

Craft's Active Extreme X Wind Short Sleeve base layer was £50 when Shaun tested it, but it's now £65.

The GripGrab Windbreaking Thermal Short Sleeve Base Layer is a little cheaper at £55.95 but Vecchiojo rated it very highly and it made it into our best cycling base layers buyer's guide.

As ever, it's not hard to find something that's even more expensive. I tested the Q36.5 Base Layer 2 Short Sleeve, which will set you back £76 – and it doesn't even break wind.

At the other end of the scale, Rachel tested the Alpkit Koulin Trail Tee for off.road.cc. It's not cycling-specific and doesn't have any wind-stopping qualities, but it does cost just £24.99.

Conclusion

I enjoyed using the Gorewear Windstopper Base Layer Shirt both on and off the bike. It fits well, the fabric feels nice against your skin, it wicks effectively and Windstopper lives up to its name. But however much I appreciated wearing it, I'd find it hard to justify the full price – though if you can get it at a discounted price, colour me very interested.

Verdict

Highly effective windproof base layer that feels lovely next to your skin – but it is expensive