Technical Summer Wear Shirts
 

Hi

Okay this might be a bit left field but you never know what knowledge is out there :)

I have a cycling tour coming up, about two months or so of tootling along from Darwin to Perth (Australia), leaving around July. Given that this will, even at that time of the year, be pretty warm weather for a fair bit of the ride and sun protection is also important I am looking for suitable shirts to wear.

Such beasts will ideally be loose fitting, summer weight, smell resistance (can be two weeks between washes and only a couple of shirts to be worn between washes) and a reasonable degree of UV protection. Am I asking too much? I am aware of the likes of Ground Effect shirts such as the ZZ Top or the Rock Lobster but I am wondering if there are similar products in the bushwalking market place (Ground Effect's gear might be on the tight side :o ).

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/graphi.../ZZT-LI-FR.jpg

They don't have to be technical tees or have rear pockets either so other suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks
Andrew

No idea about brands , down there ..
Synthetics with a moisture transfer agent work well ,
For Sun protection, a collared long sleeve,
collar flipped up to protect the back of your neck, is a good thing.

a wash in a plastic bag and put it back on.
sort of wash and wear will be easy enough to do.
given sufficient water.

In the world of online shopping down here don't matter anymore :) Brands are handy if you have suggestions :)

Thanks
Andrew

My NZ-made merino T shirts are about the best material for touring. You can get long-sleeved ones with a higher collar for sun protection. Mine are Chocholatefish which is a UK brand selling NZ-made items. I have worn them for many days without getting stinky.
I think this is an Aussie-based outfit with similar stuff.

For sun protection, i like a white cotton shirt from anywhere, any brand. As light weight as possible. I had a great Patagonia one for a while but I wore it out.

Do you have an Anaconda in your area? I picked up a couple short-sleeved T-shirts in a technical fabric there which are quite decent. They've got a selection of cycling gear, but they also have other outdoorsy clothing as well. And their prices aren't too bad.

Another one to check might be Kathmandu, and I've picked up several jerseys from Torpedo7 in New Zealand. They may have other tops as well.

I've found the Columbia Men’s Blood and Guts Long Sleeve Tee to be excellent for sun protection during summer bike tours. Once wet with sweat it wicks moisture well and is cool for riding. Not sure you can find this in Australia, but certainly something similar exists:

http://www.columbia.com/Men%E2%80%99...efault,pd.html

For neck and ear protection, I use something similar to this under my helmet:

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/sun-runner-cap.html

+1--- There are different schools of thought about what is the ideal fabric for hot weather. It all depends if it is hot and dry or hot and wet.

Several years ago I was at a hypothermia clinic and talked to one of the doctors who was giving a presentation. I was telling him about the "cotton kills" information we have in our ski patrol's cabin. He said that is true for the winter, but in extremely hot dry conditions cotton can be much more comfortable compared to "wicking" fabrics. It is more efficient at evaporative cooling than synthetics. Also when you are hot and dry, pouring water down your back for cooling is a lot more effective with cotton. I tried using a cotton t-shirt riding in 109 F temperatures across Eastern Oregon, Southern Idaho , and Wyoming. I also used one in 110 F temps in Southern Spain. It seemed to work well. I also carry a couple of synthetic t's for dress and because they dry quickly when washed. I also ride in them when its hot. It often depends on what's clean. A cotton bandana also makes a nice cooler. Tie it around your neck and keep it wet.

Google something like "cotton clothes in hot conditions or clothes for hot climates", and you'll get all the pros and cons of cotton vs. synthetics,

I personally use regular bike jerseys made of polyester (I think), but I think the Under Armor Heat Gear stuff would work well. I have used it off bike a good bit and really liked it for hot weather.

Both just up the road. Hadn't thought of either as an option. Prejudiced against Crapmandu I guess :)

Will go and have a look now.

Thanks
Andrew

I was looking at these last night with the idea of wearing one under my helmet. I was wondering if they would be as comfortable as a cycling cap. They do look like they will be as there does not seem to be any bulky seams.

Thanks
Andrew

I wear one of these but in green: http://www.racingtheplanet.com/store...-ls-men-1.html

The collar flips on and has an extra long flap to protect your neck. There are mesh side panels and a flap on the back to allow air flow. Its quick dry material and durable. I used it all the way across Asia wearing it every day. The sleeves also roll up and button in place to become a short sleeve. It looks nice enough that you can even walk into a nice restaraunt and look pretty normal too.

+1

That "cotton kills" thing doesn't apply to summer/warm-weather cycling.


Now ... July is the dead of winter, but I know that Darwin remains about 30C throughout the winter, and I also know that just north of Melbourne (where I live) drops to near freezing and there can be snow in the middle of winter. But how's Perth? How will it be as you travel southward from Darwin?

Hi

As I was out and about today I dropped into Anaconda and Kathmandu as suggested for a look. Not much at Anaconda as I pretty much expected but I did pick up a Gondwana Brumby shirt which is 50% bamboo and 50% Cotton. Was on clearance for $42 so not a big issue if it does not work out. Only down side is that it is short sleeved.

From Kathmandu I got a long sleeved short which is more "technical" in its material, if you can describe 100% nylon as technical for $70. Still over priced but it feels good on and is quite light material. It is a Kangsar which has a UPF 45 rating, long sleeved and comes with insect repellent apparently. If that works against March flies I will be very impressed indeed.

I also tried a lightweight merino long-sleeve t-shirt at Kathmandu but found it warm even in the air conditioning at the store.

Both of these shirts are normal button up so not cycling shirts by any means but I will give them a try next week on a four day ride. If nothing else they will be okay bushwalking and camp shirts.

Also I suspect that they will not do well on the smell meter, but I like the wash in a bag idea that someone posted.

Still open to ideas as well.

Regards
Andrew

Most of the ride will be in warmer winter conditions until the last two maybe three weeks where it will start getting cooler. I can easily arrange to have a warmer jersey or two post to me as I get closer to home, e..g, a merino style from Ground Effect or the like. It is really the major part of the ride in the outback that will warmer and where something providing sun protection etc is where I am light on for clothes at present.

Andrew

this has been my experience with cotton when its dry, here in Montreal and thereabouts, we can get real muggy hot, and thats when I find cotton just to be all sticky when we sweat a lot. I have lots of memories of camping when young with sticky sticky cotton shirts plastered to me. For biking, I really do find light synthetics so much better for really sweaty sticky weather, and cotton does seem to take forever to dry unless its dry heat, hence my never using it in outdoor stuff as an adult.

for the "washing stuff in a drybag or whatever" idea, this works really well. Put in water, add soap, clothers, roll over top and shake back and forth. This is where light, synthetic is so good as it washes easily, you can get the water out fairly fast and of course, it dries quickly (which sort of negates the smell factor a bit)

I have a long sleeve shirt like Zepp describes, have had it for ages, cant recall the brand, but it too has mesh and the extra fold up collar bit--its been my canoeing sun shirt for quite a while and pretty tough too. Nice and light, dries quickly and yes can almost look respectable.

you know, now that you mention it, I dont recall you complaining about bugs that much, now I know why.

Ex-Officio also makes good shirts in the same vein of the one posted by zeppinger. Cotton kills me wether is hot or cold. Well, it doesn't "kill" when it's hot but I find it very uncomfortable.

I like to tour in just about any long-sleeved "wick-away" style shirt, coupled with a bandana around my neck for sun protection. In terms of the synthetic shirts, I've noticed very little difference in actual performance between the high-end stuff I've tried and the cheapest from Target.

Mainly, I love how fast the synthetic material dries -- it makes it easy to rinse them out every chance I get, even during the day while I'm biking.

Hi

Looks like I found the right Icebreaker products to go for. Thanks to GJ Coop for his feedback via CGOAB (he is currently riding the outback and has been for some months). He is suggesting Icebreaker GT. GT150 I assume as that is for a lightweight material for warm weather. Wearing this under a lightweight long sleeve shirt such as what I have found at Kathmandu or similar seems to be the way to go.

Bivouac Outdoor a NZ company has good prices and free shipping to Australia. They also stock the Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap which was I after for wearing under my helmet.

http://www.mainpeak.com.au/images/pr...whiteSlate.jpg

Andrew

Every time we've gone to Anaconda lately (it's a bit of a drive so we don't get there too often), they've had a big sale on. :)


Other places you might check are K-Mart, Big W, and Target. I was just in a K-Mart yesterday and noticed a "wicking" T-shirt there for $10. Those places often have a small selection of that sort of thing in their sports wear sections.