Looking for thoughts on merino wool jerseys as the cool weather approaches.
Do they work for you?

merino wool? is there a sweater sale at the Barney's Outlet, or are you thinking of buying a Rapha shirt?

Wool works great in cool/cold weather.. The newer styles of Merino wool jerseys are much softer than when they were wool/acrylic blend.. Most of the merino wool jersey have a lot of stretch to them and need extra care when washing..

I was under the impression that wool trapped moisture. I have some nice Banana Republic sweaters that are merino wool, but I don't see myself wearing them on the bike.

Apparently, some people in Portland, Oregon, like the idea of wool jerseys (see the FAQ page): https://www.portlandcyclewear.com/woolcyclingjersey.html

Yellow Jersey, in Wisconsin (https://www.yellowjersey.org/wool.html), offers wool jerseys by Kucharik and says this: "Modern 'Superwash' wool is knit in such a way that it is not only super soft against the skin, with all of natural wool's wonderful attributes, but you can machine wash and tumble dry cool. That's correct--machine wash!"

Work very well.
I've 1 wool jersey and tons of baselayers in various thicknesses, as well as arm and leg warmers and a wool jacket.

They are blends... Ibex. Great stuff.
I also like their knickers and shorts for colder weather rides.


Wonderful in the cold and damp.

I have a cinzano throwback jersey. It's pretty comfortable to wear on days when the temperature varies. I wouldn't wear it on a really warm day, but its nice on those spring and fall days that start in the 50's and top off in the 80's.
It does take a little more care washing if you want to keep it nice.

I've got 2 merino jerseys ... one short, and one long. I've also picked up a few Merino t necks as base layers. I really like them for cool. They do seem to hold a little more moisture than poly, but still keep you warm. If you are commuting or riding daily they are not NEAR as stinky as poly. You can easily get a few days use without smell issues.

You do need to be careful washing ... I put a small tear in the short sleeve. But with modern Merino washing on gentle and laying out to dry is really no extra effort.

At a microscopic level water beads up on the wool fibers. Having these beads of water not connected to each other and not next to your skin means you're a lot more comfortable in wool when it gets a little damp. It's perfect for days when there is mist, light sprinkles or intermittent showers. You don't feel too uncomfortable while it's wet and it quickly drys out afterwards. It beats sweating inside a waterproof jacket.

It's also great on days with a wide temperature range. You can wear the same outfit all day while your buds are constantly stopping for wardrobe changes.

Wool is expensive. If you drop $150 on a jersey you might want to think about putting fenders on your bike before you ruin a nice jersey with motor oil, salt, and horse manure.

I have a couple of merino wool long-sleeved jerseys. They're nice against the skin, regulate body temp nicely across a wide temperature range, and wick away moisture pretty effectively. I can wear a merino wool jersey almost indefinitely in cooler weather, even right against my skin, and it never stinks. (I only washed mine -- by hand -- at the end of last spring before storing it away.) In colder weather, they work well with a good base layer and/or a wind vest or jacket.

By the way, I have a $140 wool jersey from Earth, Wind, and Rider, and I have one of the much less expensive jerseys from Portland Cycle wear, and they seem to be of about the same quality.

Wool jerseys are the best, I wear them through the fall winter and spring. I love them.

However, where they really shine is in the heat of summer. A wool jersey in summer heat breathes and the sweat simply goes away. You come back from your summer rides and your jersey isn't wet - kind of nice.

Washing them is easy, I still do what I have done for 30 years. Hand wash in cool water with woolite or zero then hang them up on padded hangers.

I really always liked wool tights but sadly you can't find those anymore.