Rowan

I am posting this only because I think there are other options out there that may be more appropriate...

I have tried really, really hard to like wool for cycling. for 15 years in fact. But I just cannot get it to do what polypro can... and that is, wick sweat away from my skin so that I don't (a) have to heat it and keep it heated to keep me warm and (b) I don't have great wet patches close to my body. The trouble with retaining the water in the fabric is that when I stop riding, even with good outer layers, I get chilled... just as I would with cotton (awful to say that to the wool fans, but it's a fact for me).

I have had lightweight jerseys made for Netti in Australia -- nice for warm weather, but even then, they retained the water. I have got thickers ones that I really like by and Italian maker, De Marchi; same issue. I have thin base layers from a reasonable quality department store. Same. I have worn thick woollen pullovers to ride bikes as an outer layer or one under a waterproof, and have been happy with them. And for activities that don't involve moderate physical activity and above, I will pick wool.

But the water retention issue was brought home to me last weekend when I did a 400km randonnee. I wore a base of polypro, an intermediate of polyester (actually, the jersey commemorating the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200), and an outer of a Ground Effect Storm Trooper jacket from New Zealand, but also during the coldest part of the night, a light polar-fleece jacket bought at Decathlon in France.

The layer against my skin felt remarkably dry throughout the whole 24 hours of the event. I did not feel chilled even when stopped. However, when I took the polar-fleece off at the end, one area was quite wet. This is what I expected, and I first came across polar-fleece's ability to draw water to the outside on an overnight ride when I discovered frost forming on the jacket (my water bottles also froze solid that morning).

Yes, yes, I know that polypro and other synthetics are supposed to stink much more than wool will. I agree, but that is not unmanageable and especially if you have access to borax powder to include the wash.


As an aside, the one wool that I am enthused about is cashmere. I have several beautiful socks that I bought cheap in Canada* and I have taken to wearing them as the skin base layer on my feet, with pure wool socks over the top, then my waterproof Gaerne MTB boots. The cashmere seems to do what ordinary merino and other wool cannot do.

* I seem to collect clothing on our travel. It's one of the real pleasures of fun bits of touring for me to call into LBS and non-LBS retailers to see what they offer that we don't have here in Australia.

And just in case you think I just anti-wool, I spent today working in an old woolshed which is being dismantled by the property's new owner who hates sheep. But the property has a long history of running wool sheep, the last flock being agisted Merinos. I also love the smell of good-quality wool, and I love browsing a shop at Ross, in central Tasmania, that has only woollen products.