Product Review: Merino Wool
What am I wearing right now?
Wool here, wool there. Why? Because I just got off my bicycle. And since I bike
every day, I wear wool all the time. Merino wool. Courtesy of New Zealand
sheep.
Here’s comes winter. It’s
only mid-November and record cold is already heading this way. I’m set. This
winter will be like last winter, when for the first time I was never cold on
the bicycle. That’s because I had discovered wool by reading, over the course
of a year or two, the product reviews of Karen Brooks, former editor of Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times. Her advocacy of this wonder fabric, like her writing
style, was so grounded in common sense that I decided to try a pair of Dirt Rag
wool socks. Loved ’em. My first big investment in wool was a
Wabi Woolens (http://www.wabiwoolens.com/)
long-sleeve winter jersey, black in color, warm as an oven. “Designed and
sewed” in Portland, Oregon. Fine craftsmanship.
So yeah, wool. No more lycra
layering, no polyester shell causing condensation and clamminess rather than
generating true warmth. Adding to con/clamm discomfort is the cold itself—the
very cold that poly doesn’t quite thwart.
In the 50s, single layer. In
the 40s, double up and top off with a wool skullcap. Lower than that? Stay
indoors or, better yet, don a wool balaclava by Ibex: airy, breathable,
light—no nylon cling, no breath-back drip.
How about a set of poly leg-
or arm-warmers? No thanks. Make mine wool. My nylon arm-warmers feel slinky and
tight; my wool arm-warmers feel soft and right. Natural fabric touching human
epidermis is a treat. Free ventilation complements temperature control.
What about feet, you ask.
True, in lower temps it’s all too easy to get frostbite. Toes must be guarded,
leading to the inconvenience of bulky booties. Gram-counting racers must hate
having to wear them. (I, definitely not a racer, hate them too.) But when
you’re wearing thick Merino socks, you don’t need booties, even well into the
40s. Wool socks, thin ones, also deliver in warm weather. Thick, thin, or
medium, they don’t itch, they last forever, and they cost about $15.00 a pair.
Synthetic jerseys are okay
for a snug, race-y, stylish fit (which I like), for chromatic flash (which I
don’t need), and for fast dry-time (which I value since I wash most of my
bike-gear laundry by hand and then hang it on the line). This latter quality is
manmade poly’s main advantage over natural wool. Lycra seems to dry in minutes
while you’re looking at it; wool takes longer, doing best in a bright warm sun
that, alas, may not be out. On the other hand, wool doesn’t need drying as
often because it doesn’t saturate nearly as fast as poly does because wool
breathes and poly doesn’t. This is why wool doesn’t stink. After a week or more
of regular use, the same jersey will be armpit-odor-free. There’s no need for
cyclists to apply aluminum-based anti-perspirants (very bad) or deodorants,
which stink up one’s poly jersey even before one’s sweat does.
Three Merino wool jerseys: Bicycle Times full-on for fifty degrees
and lower; Ibex 220-weight base-shirt for all around use; Ibex full-zip
four-seasons jersey.
Being less garish or
brand-stamped than lycra material, wool can do double duty as everyday wear. As
more and more Merino items replaced my spandex garb, I found myself
wearing the base layer (e.g., the middle item in the picture above), the
socks too, all the time, even to work. So it’s not as if Merino wool is limited
to outdoor use—not at all. Add a blazer and jeans, and you’re ready for a date
at the local bistro or bookstore. (Finding the date is the hard part. Actually,
so is finding a bookstore.) Casual and formal woolwear offerings include
button-down shirts, skirts, pants, and the like. The Ibex store is a good place
to browse for post-ride fashion apparel (http://shop.ibex.com/).
Wool’s not cheap but, hey,
the benefits (comfort, durability, looks, functionality) far outweigh the
20-30% more per respective poly garment you might pay for it. That 220-weight
base-shirt above cost me $95.00/free shipping from Ibex’s home base in Vermont.
I found the blue jersey on sale for $100.00 at one of the big online bicycle
outlets—quite a deal since this type of short-sleeve full-zip three-rear-pocket
Merino jersey can run as high as $150.00.
Nature gets it right. Merino wool is
nature’s way of saying, I make the best
fiber for clothing. It keeps sheep warm in cold weather, cool in warm weather,
and dry in wet weather. Perfect. Pretty good for people too.
Wool. You know you’re wearing
it because you don’t feel a thing. All hail New Zealand and its flocks of
Merino sheep.
Old worn poly: bike swap,
here I come!
Roadysseus
11.14.14
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