Selecting winter cycling clothes is hard enough with the need to be warm but not too warm, tight enough not to flap in the breeze but not binding, and water wicking but not water absorbent. The task is made worse by the never ending selection of fabrics with magic bullet names, mountains of hype and advertising claims and expensive price tags. Here we set out to gather all of this information in one spot. We will provide links to manufacturers pages where possible, and we will attempt to explain the buzzwords. Wicking Fabrics - The base layer You often hear that a wicking under layer is important and an absorbent under layer must be avoided.
Absorbent fabrics soak up water and hold on to it.
Wicking fabrics transfer water somewhere else, without absorbing it. At least that's the claim. All wicking fabrics rely on capillary action, often combined with water repelling coatings of the fibers. Most are some form of polyester, the only major exception being polypropylene. Some are microfibers.