KraneXL

I'm surprise so many people still choose wool (as athletic apparel). Must be something ancient?

crazyravr

Where???

PaulRivers

Hmm? Wool is the best material you can wear if you can afford it.

Merino Wool
+ Keeps you warm even if it gets wets
+ Wicks moisture builup away from your skin
+ Breathes well - sweat evaporating passes through it easily
+ Keeps you at the right temp for a very wide range of temps
+ You can wear it a while before it smells
- Expensive
- Wears out easily if you're wearing it somewhere where it's rubbing against each other

Cotton
+ Breathes well - sweat evaporating passes through it easily
+ Keeps you at the right temp for a very wide range of temps (not quite as good as wool but it's still good)
+ Cheap
+ More durable than wool, less durable than synthetic, if you're wearing it wear it rubs against something
+ Smell - lasts longer than synthetic but not as long as wool
- Absolutely terrible if it gets wet, not only does it not keep you warm, it makes you colder than if you weren't wearing anything

Synthetic
+ Most of the same pluses as wool except that it starts smelling very quickly
+ Most of the same drawbacks as wool except that it's much more durable in areas where it rubs against something. Most durable material.

So it's like:
Wool: Serious weather conditions, where it's not rubbing against something.
Synthetic: Anything that rubs against something while using it (shorts).
Cotton: For everything else that's not serious weather conditions, it's cheaper, works well as long as it doesn't get wet, and it's easy to find. Also easier to find "fashionable" items if I'm biking to a destination.

They can blend cotton and synthetic and get a material with the advantages of wool and the durability of synthetic. That's what I use for my socks.

KraneXL

Not just to purchase, but to maintain as well.On the contrary, synthetics breath and have anti bacterial properties. A thin flexible layer of synthetic material is worth worth twice the weight and discomfort of wool. These fabrics are specifically manufactured to have all of the benefits of these natural material without any of the cons.Cotton gets wet and stays wet. It's also a wrinkle magnet. About the only good thing you can say about it is that you can use bleach, so it makes great towels.

Anyway, its good that you like natural materials, so there's nothing wrong with that. But I can wash my synthetic tonight and it will be ready to go again the next morning. Good luck trying that with anything wool.

Archwhorides 

PaulRivers

Not sure what you think I was saying, I was saying synthetics breath similarly to wool which is to say very well.

I've owned synthetic materials and they needed to be washed far more often than cotton or wool, or they'd stink. Sometimes it would be one ride and by the 2nd ride they'd smell. Any "antibacterial" marketing is that this was a big problem so manufacturers tried to add antibacterial stuff afterwards to counteract this.

I'm to lazy to look for a more official article but here's a random one on it:

Synthetic Workout Gear Smells Worse Than Cotton Gear
https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a2...n-cotton-gear/

Not in warmth or any other measurable qualities.

I find merino wool comfortable. If you don't that's your call, perhaps if you have more sensitive skin it doesn't work for you. Synthetic works fine if you don't mind washing it constantly.

They haven't found a way to do that, or I'd be wearing synthetic rather than wool (as I mentioned wool does have the issue of wearing out if you wear it somewhere it rubs against something).

Yeah.

Dunno about that, I haven't really noticed.

Cotton is fine if it doesn't get wet. It's cheap, it's widely available, it breathes well. The big issue is that it completely sucks if it gets wet. Whether by rain, or sweating, cotton turns from good to terrible the moment it gets wet.

I don't think many people bleach much nowadays and you can't bleach anything that's not white.

If you're willing to constantly wash it synthetic works well, it's performance is basically the same as wool. Like I said synthetic has an advantage in durability if it's rubbing against anything. Both synthetic and wool are far more expensive than cotton but if you need to deal with the material getting wet (either rain or trapping sweat underneath a windproof layer) they perform so much better it's worth the cost.

PaulRivers

That's cool, a store near me sold FITS socks so that's what I'm using. They've worked well, though I'm sure many other manufacturers use similar manufacturing techniques -
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YB5F79E/

Archwhorides 

Sock Guy 50/50 wool/spandex "Sock Monkey" agrees with you

Harhir

Don't laugh but I actually used my Merrell hiking boots when the temperatures dropped into the single digits early this year. Since this was only for a few days I didn't bother to buy special shoes.

Ged117 

Why would we laugh? I commute through Ontario winters here in Canada to the office and I'm planning on wearing my old North Face hiking boots this winter along with installing new MX80 flat pedals to grab them and ensure a good stroke. They're tough and reasonably stiff for my commute pedaling and slush and salt are irrelevant since the boots are semi retired anyway.

Bikewolf

Indeed, we do not laugh. I sometimes go with Karrimor. And I still have some Merell shoes with Polartec that are really warm.

I think the right socks for the right temperature are more important than the shoe itself.
And socks you can layer, if necessary (when shoe size allows it, or your 2nd pair).

It all depends on the type of weather / region, preferences, and body & health.

Often too warm is not good either.

Some use a piece of newspaper or tinfoil as windblocker ...

Bikewolf

We ought to have a thread “Show us your winter socks” or “Let me smell your socks” :-))