I also wear merino wool tops and underwear year round. Summer back east is 90s and humid to chokingly humid July-August. I prefer the color, cut and "style" of smartwool 150 wool/nylon blend but the Icebreaker cool-lite wool/lyocell blend feels the best although its seems they've futzed with the blend the last couple years. Least preferred is the 100% merino Smartwool and Merino-Tech tops. They just don't wick as well and I find myself wet at the end of a big effort which isn't great in cooler times. I've been wearing merino blend, mostly Injinj, socks for many years and don't wear anything else, can't imagine why I ever would again.
On Friday, September 6, 2024 at 1:05:31 AM UTC-4 iamkeith wrote: > Wool is great all summer for me... on those very-rare occasions thst I > actually "kit up." Arid, high 80s to 100. One big warning: Avoid riding > through sheep country when you're hot and wearing wool. (I'd say "sweaty," > but that's misleading because quality wool will make you sweat less than > anything synthetic will. Or at least it'll evaporate better.) The flys > will eat you alive. This sounds like a joke, but it's not. We do have > lots of sheep in Wyoming, and I learned the hard way. > > > On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 6:16:19 PM UTC-6 Jeffrey Arita wrote: > >> Patrick, >> >> Yes, my wife and I wear wool garments during the summer (as well as other >> seasons) especially while bicycle touring. Wool uppers would be >> (relatively) lightweight t-shirts (Smartwool-brand). Can go a week before >> taking a day off to do laundry (while on the road). I recall there have >> been numerous times where the dried salt on the front and back were clearly >> evident before dropping into the clothes washer. Continuing with this >> trend, both my wife and I have worn wool *underwear *[with Fjallravn >> shorts] for bicycle touring for the same exact reasons (non-microbial and >> do not need to wash very often and low-stink value). Wool underwear is >> underestimated because we've avoided saddle sores, especially on the front >> end of tours. >> >> For brevets, lightweight wool jerseys. Randonneurs USA (RUSA) offered >> lightweight wool jerseys which we've found to be very good even on 'hot' >> days (anticipated 90 degrees and maybe 40% humidity). Excellent for >> temperature moderation and heartily welcomed when the sun goes down and >> cycling well into the colder night time temperatures. A nylon wind vest >> helps the wool maintain comfortable temps. Wool arm warmers are then >> donned as well. >> >> We rarely wear synthetic material clothing anymore. >> >> Best regards, >> >> Jeff & Lori >> Claremont, CA >> >> On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 4:21:42 PM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote: >> >>> I'm curious to hear if any of y'all wear wool tops in summer, and if so, >>> what "summer" is in your neck of the woods: 90* humidity with 90*F temps? >>> 110 F AZ with 5%? >>> >>> I'd spent more than enough emotional energy fretting about suitable hot >>> weather riding tops: rayon, cotton, synthetics with their inevitable stink.* >>> >>> I'd owned a couple of Rivendell summer weight Wooly Warm ss jerseys, >>> quite light-gauge merino knit, but sold them after they kept sagging lower >>> and lower and gathering snags and moth holes. >>> >>> But in late Spring this year I ordered a supremely excellent ss medium >>> weight jersey from Wabi Woolens. The material is rather thick compared to >>> the WWs, and I had to order an XL to get something from the rather >>> tight-fitting line to fit trimly but not cling-ingly and allow a bit of >>> airflow, but doggone if that jersey hasn't been very, very comfortable even >>> at 98*F in 10% humidity and even at 92F and high for our area 50% humidity. >>> >>> So much was I struck by this that I fished out an Italian ss wool jersey >>> I'd bought 2nd hand years ago and until now left for that in-between season >>> between hot and cold. I rode in it yesterday at 90-92 and 23% and it was >>> comfortable as in, "I didn't even think about it." I'd extrapolate and say >>> that this older jersey, as well as the new WW, will be fine in any hot >>> weather conditions I experience here, say -- worst case -- 95* and 50% >>> humidity. >>> >>> So, what is all y'all's experience, thoughts, judgments about wool in >>> warm weather? >>> >>> * Synthetics, knit or woven, just stink after 1 ride, even just 1 hour. >>> But I found a partial antidote: immediately upon return, in the garage, >>> remove plastic jersey and swish around in 1 gallon of cold water from the >>> garage utility sink, then hang to drip dry. Sure enough, when it's dried, >>> the stink is gone and the jersey is good for another ride -- I can keep >>> this up for at least 5-7 hours of riding. >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Patrick Moore >>> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing >>> services >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* >>> >>> *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* >>> >>> *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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