Last winter here in Wisconsin, I used the VNM Sport ActivThermal—GP compression baselayer top, which is exactly the right season for this product. Fresh snow with moderate temps in the mid-30s (above zero!) was perfect weather to get my vintage Chrysler Sno-Runner snow bike out for some riding wearing the ActivThermal—GP Baselayer top and ActivCool-GP compression pants.
We’ve already tested the warm-weather counterpart of the ActivThermal-GP baselayer in use—the ActivCool-GP top—in the heat of beautiful Austin, Texas, during the launch of the 2023 Indian Sport Chief. The VNM Sport fabric used in the ActivThermal-GP top, which is 80 percent polyester and 20 percent Lycra, is similar to the material used in the ActivCool-GP, but has a slightly heftier feel.
The Sno-Runner is innocent-looking enough—low to the ground and powered by a seven-horsepower two-stroke engine. However, the thing is very similar to riding a dirt bike in sand much of the time, depending on snow conditions. There tends to be a lot of wrestling with the handlebars, course corrections, and body English to stay on track and upright. In addition, the Sno-Runner lacks any suspension, and its single-cylinder engine sends moderate vibration through the footpegs and handlebars. As a result, a few hours in the saddle tends to be physically challenging enough to work up a pretty good sweat and initiate fatigue.
Those factors combine to make some of the performance characteristics of the VNM Sport ActivThermal-GP baselayer top an excellent choice for cool-to-cold season motorcycle riding, on- or off-road.
With the baselayer in place, the effect on the Sno-Runner is similar to use with motorcycle gear, though the snowmobile riding gear is not armored. My cool-weather motorcycling gear is, so the seam placement helps prevent pressure areas under the armor, as in the case of VNM Sport’s ActivCool-GP baselayers. Also, the ActivThermal—GP baselayer top has a silicone gripper strip around the bottom hemline to help prevent the shirt from creeping up. As a result, it works on the snow and on the road.
VNM Sport baselayer shirts do not have the seam running along the top of the shoulder to the base of the sleeve; seams that meet at the point of the shoulder seam are common in other products. Similarly, the common seam location down the back of the sleeve that typically traverses the point of the elbow is also located away from that potential pressure point in VNM Sport baselayers.
Care is easy. It is machine washable—just turn it inside out, and no fabric softener. Hang to dry—keep it out of the dryer. On the road, you can handwash it, wring it out in a towel, and hang it up to dry.
Compression garments are widely used in athletics to help reduce fatigue and muscle soreness by countering the effects of oscillation and vibration that occur with physical exertion from riding and by reducing the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. The VNM Sport ActviThermal-GP baselayer top is just that, making it more than just apparel to keep you warm—it also extends your ride by reducing fatigue.
VNM Sport ActivThermal-GP Compression Baselayer Top Fast Facts
• Sizes: XS – XXL (chests measuring 30 to 50 inches)
• Color: Black/white/gray
VNM Sport ActivThermal-GP Compression Baselayer Top Price: $110 MSRP
