Adidas Warm Wind Walter Long turtleneck

The mark of a good baselayer is that you forget it's there until afterwards, when you reflect that you didn't feel too hot/cold/damp throughout the ride. In that regard the oddly-named Warm Wind Walter, or warm.wind.walter as Adidas (or adidas) writes it (Walter, hereon), more or less hits the mark – apart from the odd cut around the neck.

The polyester/polypropylene fabric of the Walter is treated with '37.5' – a micro-particle that seeks to make you master of your own microclimate. It apparently increases the surface area of the fibre by 800 per cent, speeding evaporation.

Buy this online here

The marketing blurb spins it thus: "You are most comfortable when the microclimate next to your skin has a relative humidity close to 37.5%. When you are in this ideal 37.5 comfort zone, you are also in your ideal performance zone. Cocona technology helps your body manage the moisture in your microclimate to keep you in this '37.5 zone' of comfort and performance.'

As part of the package here, the 37.5 tech works very well. I never recalled feeling overly sweaty front or back, even during hard efforts across a range of autumn temperatures and sunny/cloudy skies.

For outings that required extra insulation the Walter's fitted arms worked well under Castelli Nanoflex warmers. Sartorially you could get away with the arms of the baselayer exposed – they don't scream 'undressed'.

As for fit, it's definitely snug – with a 94cm chest and 84cm waist, the Medium fitted perfectly. The standout sizing win for me was the arms – finally, a product long enough in the cuff to fit when stretched out on the bike. Around the front of the shoulders the Walter pulls tight when standing, but when bent over, with arms forward, it sits flat against the skin.

The windproof fabric extends from mid-bicep up around the rear of the shoulder, so when worn underneath a short-sleeved jersey and paired with arm warmers you have a continuous windproof layer.

The drop tail came down mid-buttock at the back, the front ending top of thigh – in other words, just right, flaring to accommodate a 94cm hip with a perfect fit.

>> Check out our guide to cycling baselayers here

The only area I can fault the Walter is the neck fit. The trouble is, I reckon it's a deal-breaker. For a garment whose stated aim is to block wind chill, the fit of the neck is disappointingly loose.

My neck measures 36cm, and the Walter would only be snug on someone with a whopping extra 8-10cm or so under the collar. I could easily get four fingers down the neck with it done up, and when worn under a jersey the neck just looks weird – too loose on a race-fit V-neck, and bunched up/spilling out under a high-neck jersey. It's a real shame as the rest of the garment is spot on.

Verdict

A baselayer that keeps the wind off and wicks sweat very well, but the neck disappoints