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review
£64.95
VERDICT:
Warm yet very comfortable base, but watch the sleeve length – and the price
Tactile feel
Great performance
Excellent moisture management
Long arms may not suit you
Weight:
163g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Megmeister Drynamo Winter Long Sleeve Base Layer is a high performance top with a surprisingly tactile synthetic blend. While the fit is mostly excellent, the arms are longer than I was expecting, so either try for size or scrutinise the sizing charts carefully first.
The Drynamo is made in Italy from a very tactile synthetic yarn. It's double layered for warmth and body mapped, meaning wicking is theoretically more efficient at key points – the lower back, armpits and chest. Flat seams run throughout and there are no big labels to scratch at you.
The four-way stretch fabric is cut well and the sizing is good, though it's noticeably long in the arms. I'm relatively long-limbed, so this was a surprise, but it didn't affect comfort and went unnoticed beneath jerseys.
Performance
The Megmeister Drynamo is the most expensive of the synthetic base layers I have, but by far the most tactile and natural against the skin. Beneath various layers on long, cold rides (between 3° and -3°C) it's kept me nothing but temperate, the fibres retaining welcome heat and expelling my own moisture with refreshing efficiency.
It's not quite as good at wicking as merino, but it's not far off, and better than other synthetics I've used longterm and in comparable conditions. It's also remarkably good at resisting smells – I wore this unwashed for five successive rides and found no hint of funkiness.
The care instructions are woven into the hem, so there's no excuse for not following them: 30° wash, minimal detergent and swerve the tumble drier. It dries quickly on its own anyway; left at room temperature it's wearable within 45 minutes.
> What's best for cycling, synthetic or merino base layers?
Beyond the smell test it's otherwise been washed a great deal, with not so much as a bobble or loose thread to show for it.
Value
Its rrp of £64.95 is a fair amount to lay down on a base layer. The Cube Baselayer Be Warm Race Long Sleeve is synthetic and a fiver steeper at £70, but in reality you can get proper merino for a good deal less. The dhb Merino Long Sleeve Base Layer, for instance, comes in at £45 and is impressively warm.
Lusso also offers merino around the dhb's price – the Lusso Merino L/S Base Layer is £39.99 and very warm, although it's unfortunately poor at wicking away sweat.
Summary
The Megmeister does exactly what it promises to, and to a very high standard. It feels good against the skin, breathes well and retains useful warmth. It's a performance you're certainly paying for, though.
Verdict
Warm yet very comfortable base, but watch the sleeve length – and the price
road.cc test report
Make and model: Megmeister Drynamo Winter Long Sleeve Base Layer MEN
Size tested: Small/Medium
Tell us what the product is for
Megmeister says: "A high performance functional cycling base layer using the unique Drynamo technology, designed to be worn as the very first protective layer between your skin and your jersey when training and racing in cool weather conditions."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
The company lists:
Body mapping ventilation for high breathability
4 way stretch ensuring optimum freedom of movement
Excellent moisture wicking capabilities. Double layer yarn technology repels water keeping skin dry during high activity
Excellent thermal insulation
100% seamless eradicating irritation or discomfort
Lower at back to avoid exposed skin when crouched over the handlebars
Antibacterial and anti-odour function
Made in Italy
Composition: - 44% polypropylene Dryarn, 44% nylon 6.6, 12% elastane
Care: - Machine wash at 30C - Do Not Tumble Dry
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Seems well made with no hint of deterioration in several weeks and constant wearing/washing.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Surprisingly tactile and very comfortable synthetic baselayer that regulates temperature and moisture eviction refreshingly well.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Can't see why it won't wear and last well.
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
Excellent fit and exactly as I'd expect.
Rate the product for sizing:
7/10
Just right if quite long in the sleeves, though it's largely unnoticeable on the bike.
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
I've ridden for several hours with the mercury hovering between 3° and -3°C. At no point have I felt anything other than temperate, the fibres retaining welcome heat, while expelling my own moisture with refreshing efficiency.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Simple, and no worries.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Performance doesn't quite rival pure merino, but is excellent by synthetic standards and arguably easier to care for.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Fit, feel and performance.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Not really a dislike, but the sleeves are longer than I was expecting.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's at the expensive end. The Cube Baselayer Be Warm Race Long Sleeve is synthetic and a fiver steeper at £70, true, but in reality you can get proper merino for a good deal less. The dhb Merino Long Sleeve Base Layer, for instance, comes in at £45 and is impressively warm.
Lusso also offers merino around the dhb's price. The Lusso Merino L/S Base Layer is £39.99 and very warm, although it's unfortunately poor at wicking away sweat.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
This does everything it should, and does it well. If it were a bit cheaper it could be a nine – you can get merino for less.
About the tester
Age: 47
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)
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