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how i do love my wool socks

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Old 10-31-06 | 12:20 AM
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how i do love my wool socks

i just had to say
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Old 10-31-06 | 06:01 AM
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Yes, SmartWool is great, summer or winter.
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Old 10-31-06 | 07:13 AM
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Originally Posted by tokolosh
i just had to say
Weren't you knitting your own?

I do love wool socks. I was rumaging for a pair this morning and dug for an extra minute through the drawer past several cotton pairs to find my good wooly ones.
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Old 10-31-06 | 08:03 AM
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Originally Posted by tokolosh
i just had to say


Like this?
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Old 10-31-06 | 08:06 AM
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So hows the new bike? The new job? (well what was new 6 months or so ago when you changed both)
I still have not seen a Tokolosh's Titanic Wool Sock stand set up outside mec on broadway.
Its -2 this morning, better wear 2 pairs
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Old 10-31-06 | 08:13 AM
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I am also waiting for my pair of hand knitted wool socks.
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Old 10-31-06 | 08:30 AM
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With wool socks and gore tex socks to block the wind, who needs winter shoes??
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Old 10-31-06 | 09:20 AM
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Tokolosh socks! I looked for them when I was in Van, but I didn't see them anywhere.
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Old 10-31-06 | 10:22 AM
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Someone recommend me some good goretex or wool socks that will block the wind.

My Shimano SPD shoes only fit 2 pairs of socks, and that hasn't been enough the past few mornings (-2°C for 40 minutes)
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Old 10-31-06 | 10:32 AM
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I have dumb wool.
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Old 10-31-06 | 10:37 AM
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Wigwam -30's for me in the winter (october to april )
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Old 10-31-06 | 01:18 PM
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wool everything. greatest commuter/cycling fabric ever!

my newest greatest ones being the wool leg warmers i was forced to make out of the sleeves of a longsleeve wool jersey that had too many holes in it.

now if only someone could make a durable merino wool fabric. everytime i even sneeze i seem to get more holes in my wool stuff these days.
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Old 10-31-06 | 06:03 PM
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I got the REI merino wool socks bought 6 pairs for the winter season, and I rode this morning @ 29 degrees with them and a pair of sneakers for my seven mile commute and my feet were fine now anymore than the 7 miles and I would think about some more substantial shoes

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Old 10-31-06 | 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by lyledriver
Someone recommend me some good goretex or wool socks that will block the wind.

My Shimano SPD shoes only fit 2 pairs of socks, and that hasn't been enough the past few mornings (-2°C for 40 minutes)
Get some SPD Sandals and some sealskinz waterproof boot liners. At 32F I don't have it quite tuned in but I have some good merino wool blends on order from REI.
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Old 10-31-06 | 08:50 PM
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Originally Posted by RonH
Yes, SmartWool is great, summer or winter.
SmartWool FTW!
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Old 11-02-06 | 02:13 AM
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Originally Posted by GTcommuter
Weren't you knitting your own?
yup, that was me. feeling very vindicated right around now . . . if only those baseball parents who snickered all summer could see me and my toasty feet. course, they all keep their feet warm with suvs, so eh.

Originally Posted by jarery
So hows the new bike? The new job?
the bike's niiiiiiiiice. the job - well, i've known more sparkly personalities, but it's pleasant enough. however. i am never, ever, ever going to work in this part of this city again. and this time i really mean it. ever. downtown or nowhere.
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Old 11-02-06 | 03:39 AM
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Originally Posted by lyledriver
Someone recommend me some good goretex or wool socks that will block the wind.

My Shimano SPD shoes only fit 2 pairs of socks, and that hasn't been enough the past few mornings (-2°C for 40 minutes)
I bought some of these socks last year and have been wearing them every cold day since:

https://cgi.ebay.com/6-Pr-Head-Merino...QQcmdZViewItem

They are pretty much as advertised. They are made from the same materials (70% merino wool) as Smartwool socks by the same company in the exact same 100-year-old textile mill in TN (i guess you have to have a market for $15/pair socks to stay in the textile business in the US these days). They are not quite as bulky as my smartwool trekkers, so they're probably not quite as warm. However, the trekkers are smartwool's heaviest wool sock - the head socks are probably the same weight as smatwool hikers. OTOH, they don't fuzz up as bad as the Smartwools as they seem to be a tighter knit.

I wear the Head socks for riding and pretty much all day long, every day in winter. They don't itch a bit, and don't stink. They're holding up real well. I accidentally dried a pair in the dryer - they do shrink like...wool.

When you're looking for wool socks, be sure to look at the fiber content. Most "wool" socks are actually 60-70% nylon or polyester (wigwam's wooliest sock is only 40% wool - and its the scratchy kind - i know, i got a few pairs of em).

I reccommend the Head socks as they are the best deal I have found in wool. The ebay seller screwed up and sent me 2 packs for the price of one due to some xmas shipping confusion, then told me to keep em - so i feel a little indebted to him - thus the link to his listing.

Last edited by seeker333; 11-02-06 at 03:54 AM.
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Old 11-02-06 | 08:26 AM
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mmm. wool.

if you think wool socks are great, wait until you try a merino wool undershirt.
And when you take the leap and go for some merino wool shorts and knickers from Ibex, world cycling domination is within your grasp.


yeah, wool is great. i think i have 50 pairs of wool socks.

wool. yeppers.
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Old 11-02-06 | 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Bekologist
mmm. wool.

if you think wool socks are great, wait until you try a merino wool undershirt.
Wool is nice, but silk feels even better. Silk longjohns and undershirt served me well all winter long last year. Silk under merino wool is even better.
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Old 11-02-06 | 09:27 AM
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Where is the best place to buy wool socks? I need to stock up. I want the heavy weight ones.
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Old 11-02-06 | 09:32 AM
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Originally Posted by squeakywheel
Where is the best place to buy wool socks? I need to stock up. I want the heavy weight ones.
Sierra Trading Post and Campmor often have closeout and bargain prices on wool socks. I usually pick up a stack at REI's Scratch and Dent sale, though those are often seconds with some defects. Maybe tokolosh will post a how-to so we can knit our own.
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Old 11-02-06 | 09:32 AM
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You could get those same socks (Head brand, merino wool) from Costco for $12.99 CDN/3 pair every year for the last 3 years. I have 12 pair so far. Great socks and supper soft. I have a pair on right now at work!
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Old 11-02-06 | 05:43 PM
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OH YEAH merino wool sweater over a set of duofold undie shirt and my Burley or any other wind/ waterproof jacket you might have makes for a nice warm ride
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Old 11-02-06 | 05:44 PM
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My mother taught me how to knit when I was a little boy.
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Old 11-02-06 | 07:21 PM
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This thread made me buy a few new pairs of wool socks, and they sure came in handy this morning! 40F and pouring down rain, all day. My wife asked me at least 10 times if I wanted a ride to work, but I was stubborn... . I do, however, need a pair of shoes to ride in in the rain, something inexpensive and at least water resistant....
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