Mesh baselayers work by creating an air gap between your skin and jersey rather than adding insulation. The large-hole construction elevates fabric off your body, allowing airflow to move through the channels while spreading moisture across a wider surface area for faster evaporation. Craft's Cool Mesh Superlight uses this approach with an 80gsm polyester mesh built around six-channel Coolmax fiber, targeting body temperature reduction during hot-weather riding or high-intensity indoor training where standard jerseys trap heat against your skin. The design focuses specifically on conditions above 70°F where you're generating enough sweat that moisture management becomes the limiting factor in comfort.

The six-channel construction means each fiber contains six hollow cores running lengthwise, creating capillary channels that pull moisture away from skin and distribute it across the mesh surface. This structure handles sweat transport differently than solid-fiber fabrics, moving moisture outward faster and creating more evaporative surface area within the fabric itself. The mesh knit features oversized holes that keep the fabric from lying flat against your body, maintaining ventilation space even when you're hunched over the bars or generating serious power indoors where air movement drops to nothing. That standoff distance between mesh and skin creates the evaporative environment where this baselayer functions.

The sleeveless design uses wide shoulder straps to prevent pressure points under jersey sleeves, while flatlock seams eliminate the raised ridges that can irritate skin during long efforts. The ergonomic cut runs long in the torso to prevent the baselayer from riding up when you're in the drops, and the 5% elastane content in the main fabric provides compression fit without restricting breathing or movement. Antimicrobial treatment addresses odor control when you're layering this under the same jersey multiple days during stage races or bike tours where washing between stages isn't always practical.... Read More