Originally Posted by
noglider
I'm not sure, but you could wear a thin wool t-shirt under your bike clothes or street clothes if that's a big concern. My thin wool shirt is by Smart Wool. It was $60 which is a lot, but I'll get my money's worth out of it. I can wear it for a week or two without needing to wash it. I also have a Woolrich wool t-shirt which is heavier and doesn't fit as nicely, but it's also extremely useful and seems durable. I don't remember, but I think I paid between $20 and $40, and it was totally worth it. It also needs infrequent washing. It's better for when I need more warmth. I got it at Sierra Trading Post which is worth watching. Just don't believe you're getting a too-good-to-be-true value. You get solid value.
Yes, I became a big merino wool convert last year--mainly due to posts here at BF. So I'm sure I was influenced by your previous posts about the wonders of wool. One poster stood out with advice to pick up merino wool sweaters cheap at thrift stores. I now have a wardrobe of merino wool tops costing $3-6. Summer merino wool wear is harder to come by at thrift stores. So I bought a couple of summer/warm weather shirts online. They're great but I can't wear them when it's 90F plus and super humid, which is half our summer here. I'm aware there is some super lightweight stuff out there, but they are pricey. I do monitor for sales. My concern is if I can wear them in hot and humid weather. So that's why I'm interested in if the new generation of synthetics were any better with odor control. If so, I would consider them since they are generally cheaper than the premium feather light wool tops.
This past summer, I made do with linen and ramie shirts. Nowhere as good as merino wool for odor control but much better than cotton. And also better than both cotton and wool for super hot humid weather.