Under Armour Review |
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I just happened to be visiting a military show when I came across a company called Top of the Range who were exhibiting various items in the way of clothing, primarily for the armed forces. I noticed they had what appeared to be some thermal type clothing on sale, appropriately called Under Armour. A fascinating 15 minute chat then took place which convinced me that this was 10 times better than what is on offer to motorcyclists. What impressed me as much as the technical information and the fact that our special forces use it, was that it was cheaper than most motorcycle thermal type under garments.  Basically the range comes in two types, ‘coldgear’ for those needing to keep warm and ‘heatgear’ for those needing to keep their cool. The latter tends to be in the t-shirt and shorts style, while the ‘coldgear’ is long sleeves and long john style.Both are made of modern fabrics that wick moisture away and allow the skin to breathe and assists with circulation. The ‘coldgear’ is a double knit fabric with brushed nylon on the inside to help trap heat, while the outer resists wind. Both have ArmourBlock an anti-microbial system that neutralises the microbes that cause odour. In other words you do not smell of body odour and can apparently wear the garments for up to two weeks without washing them! The difference though with other similar garments is that these are a very tight fit almost like having a body stocking on. This means they work effectively and also help keep your muscles in place and give you support at the same time to help reduce energy loss and decreases recovery time which also makes them good for athletes. I was convinced enough to order a set to be worn under my Rukka Gore-Tex riding suit for my trip across the Andes in South America when I would be riding well above the clouds at times. At sea level things would also warm up, so it would be a good test of the ‘coldgear’ at least in pretty extreme conditions. Despite my discussion and knowing it would be a tight fit, this is the first thing you notice. You are conscious of for about five minutes (and start having memories of Lycra clad lovelies at shows!) then it is just like a second skin and you forget you are wearing it. One big advantage soon became obvious is that this means there is no baulk and your outer garment is a sliding fit which traps another layer of air and allows it to work as it should as breathable garment.  After the first day I just forgot I had it on and apart from standing in the shower every other day to keep it clean, that was my only thoughts about it. No I was not going to wear it for two weeks to test the Armourblock! Really there is no need as it is dry by the morning and can be worn without any more attention.Three weeks of continual wear at everything from extreme altitude to sea level warmth showed it to be the perfect second skin and ideal wear with a Gore-Tex suit. I must say it also helped reduce fatigue and long days in the saddle were an absolute breeze. Interestingly my riding companions had on quite a few layers in comparison with over jackets etc and still complained of cold when we were up very high. I found I never got cold and even when the temperature warmed, up I never felt too hot, showing it was doing exactly as it claims controlling body temperature. Since my return I have worn it under leathers as well and it is now my first choice piece of riding kit, even for everyday use especially as the weather turns colder. If the ‘heatgear’ works as well as this a set of each will get you through a years riding in perfect comfort. Come to think of it look at the Top of the Range website and you can see some other items that would be of use to the touring motorcyclist who is short of space and weight! You can also see the various styles the Under Armour comes in for those who are fashion conscious. However in standard form, this just has to be the top riding piece of kit for the year without a doubt, being far better than some of the so called motorcycle thermal kit! www.top-of-the-range.co.uk Review by Ian Kerr
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