Originally Posted by
rogerstg
I suspect you don't have any experience with polar fleece. Wool keeps you warmer than cotton when wet, it does not keep you warm by any stretch of the imagination.
And I suspect you don't have any experience with the materials other poster mentioned. Have you tried any of the stuff other posters mentioned? I never use polyester fleece for cycling (and I have 6+ polyester fleece from Polartec in 200 weight and 300 weight), it is not the answer for insulation while cycling.
Originally Posted by
rogerstg
Equating the performance of all synthetics is like equating the performance of all natural fabrics - it makes no sense.
Wool is for fashion - if you need to stay warm in extreme conditions, polyester fleece as the insulation layer is the answer. OTOH, biking in the cold is normally not "extreme" conditions compared with other activities like winter camping, hunting, ice climbing, etc. You won't find many of those guys messing with wool, except on their feet.
Merino wool has its use, although it's not on par with Power Dry in the breathability category, it's close. In case you didn't know, merino wool does come in ultra light baselayer version just like Power Dry and they are a lot more expensive. These clothes are hardly fashionable, we are not talking about crappy cashmere wool sweaters here. They don't stink up like polyester does and they keep you warm much better. Hunters, winter campers, and ice climbers do still use lightweight merino wool, it's a lot more bearable to put on day after day unlike synthetics.