so im considering buying a merino wool jersey what id like to know is if its going to be really misrable riding in it in the summer months? i figure if nothing else it will be a good layer for new england winter riding

Not at all. Good quality Merino is comfortable and highly breathable, in my experience anyway. Some is lighter than others, however.
Which jersey are you considering?

Go for it.

That's all I ride in nowadays.

...other than two ratty old Patagonias my wife bought for me a decade ago.

If you need a brand recommendation let me know. I've tried quite a few over the last forty years of riding.

They are not created equally.

gomango, recommend away! I am intersted too!

Me too Gomango.

I love my Sugoi merino jerseys. They're just a little thick for temps above 90 here where it's really humid, though.

Just rode for days in a thin wool jersey - must have been around 85 degrees fahrenheit with no cloud in sight. Never felt that it was too warm.

I like the Vintage Velos jerseys, but agree with you Colonel. When it's really hot and humid, I wear something else.

I have a Vintage Velo jersey which is perfect for dawn summer rides where the temps range from the upper 50's to upper 70's, but I wouldn't care to wear it at 80F or above.

I wore my Earth, Wind and Rider wool jersey yesterday in Boston, it was close to 90 and humid. I swear it's cooler than the other materials.

Scott

i use a couple of icebreaker jerseys. the wool is slightly thicker in the front to help deal with the wind, and thinner in the back to release heat. i love 'em! wear the short sleeves in anything from 60 degrees upward into the 90's.

my 1st ride wearing one it was soaked through ... i never knew it though until i got home and took it off. no discomfort at all during the ride.

Alright then!

I'll name four brands that are outstanding values to me. imho

I'm sure there are others, but I have experience with these.

Also, remember I do a great deal of riding in northern Minnesota during the summer.

Our cabin is along the Canadian border, so mornings are a bit on the cool side.

The first I'll mention is Cima Coppi.

https://shop.cimacoppi.ca/

I have a light to medium weight jersey from them that is indestructible and will go head to head with Rapha any day of the week for a lot less money.

Next is a Smartwool (Flagstaff model) jersey I have had for quite a few years. Very lightweight and perfect for warm summer days. They make a cheaper one as well, but I don't like the pockets as much.

https://www.smartwool.com/mens/mens-f...rsey-6689.html

Next is a Kucharik. I have a short and long sleeved jersey from them.

Really incredible quality for the dollars and I kind of live in my short sleeved one all summer.

They make great tech fabric jerseys as well.

https://www.kucharikclothing.com/-c-21_26.html

Next is Woolistic.

I have a cream tricolore that is super comfy all the time.

https://www.vintagevelos.com/en/uniqu...ol-jersey.html

Hope this helps and feel free to ask questions.

I love to get jerseys for my birthday and Christmas, so my wife has used these as a default gift.

Finally, don't be afraid to look at second hand clothing stores.

Both of my Patagonia tech jerseys came from there and they were about five to ten bucks a piece.

What about when it reaches upwards of 115F, like in this crazy town that I live in?

I would recommend a wool jersey...with a bucket of ice water dumped over it.

Survival mode.

Ride at night, I would.

I give a thumbs up to three of gomango's four recommendations: Cima Coppi, Kucharik and Vintgage Velos. The only reason I don't give one to Smart Wool is that I don't have any of theirs. But I sure like that full-length zipper. If gomango says Smart Wool is on a par with the other three, that is good enough for me.

Thin merino wool is the bee's knees for hot weather. It handles perspiration very well, and you will especially like not stinking to high heaven after the ride. From my experience, Vintage Velos jerseys would be the best for a hot day because they are the thinnest. (They also have a super-thin line, but I have not tried them.) My Cima Coppi jersey is a little thicker, and my two Kuchariks are a little thicker yet, although they have the longest zippers. I would hesitate to wear one of my Kuchariks in the heat, not because they are wool, but because they are comparitively thick. I'd hesitate to wear a thick non-wool jersey in the heat, too.

And here is no fabric in the world that will make riding in 115 degree weather anything other than a life-threatening suffer-fest.

I've been trying, but the 30+ mile commute to school is so tempting! I've found that dumping water on the jersey really does help. Evaporative cooling FTW!
Also, if you spend the entire day before hydrating, then it usually isn't too bad.

But like you said, summer night rides here in Tucson... can't ask for more perfect weather!

I need to move to move to Tuscon then.

I've been a little on the chunky side most of my adult life and I could see that climate melting the last 15 pounds right off.

Or I would make nice buzzard snacks on the side of the highway.

Guys, I am going to check, but I might know of a local place that has Smartwool jerseys at about $70 for new samples.

I'll stop by there on the way to the cabin in a week or two, so pm me if you should have interest.

I know they have an online store, so they could probably ship.

I think most of the sizes were M to XL.

Their xl was even a little large for yours truly.

They also had Smartwool base layers which are great for x cross county skiing.

I wear wool jerseys year round. For very hot weather, wool blend may work better because it can be made thinner than pure Merino wool. While it usually does not get very hot here in Northern CA, temperature swings of over 50 degrees are common during a long ride, and wool works very well. I have also worn wool and wool blends in rides where the high temperature was over 110F.

My favorite brand is Ibex. I also like Smartwool and Icebreaker. Swobo is nice, but the back tends to droop if you put anything in the pockets. Rapha is also good, but pricey unless you catch one of their sales.

When it's 70 or 80 degrees, I might not like wool, because it is warming. But when it's hotter than that, I'm going to be hot no matter what. And wool wicks my perspiration more quickly than anything else.

$110 for a wool jersey is really a good value. You don't have to wash it as often as any other fabric. And it lasts for a long, long time.

My daughter bought me a vintage jersey for my birthday, on ebay. Ain't she sweet? I thought it's wool, but it turns out to be some old fashioned acrylic. Well guess what. It kept me very comfortable in high heat and humidity.

Ibex makes good stuff. I don't have a jersey, other than their Shak, which is too heavy for summer riding, IMO....but their wool shorts are on every ride.

Wow, this thread is very informative! My two wool jerseys are a capo and a woolistic. The woolristic is softer; both are a little bit droopy when you load up the back pockets. I rode in the woolistic Sat morning @79 degrees 90% humidity and I was drenched at the end of that foggy steamy ride. I think they're better in the cold. Wool jerseys are super nice, but $110 is a lot for me. Thanks for the links though and the idea to ask for them as gifts!

Its been a while since I perused their site. That black cross is tempting.

the smartwool jerseys are the lightest weight wool jersey i've come across, and very well suited for summer riding. sugoi had some thin wool in their line up, but not currently. also very good in the heat. Ibex are thinner than the traditional wool jerseys, which are more 3-season F-W-S than scorching summer ware.

if people are thinking 'woolistic' or 'kucharik' when you think 'wool jersey', you would be doing yourself a favor trying a new, lightweight summer wool jersey.

I've worn wool in hawaii and all summer on the mainland, but mostly north of the 45th parallel so my idea of 'summer' may be a bit skewed...

wow i didnt expect this much of a response! i was considering a kucharik and now that its been recommended i guess ill pull the trigger and im assuming they run the sizing about the same as T shirts?