I'm going to put in a blasphemic nod to synthetics for heavy winter sweaters (people not items of clothing).
I love wool for most winter riding, hiking and running as long as its fairly steady state. I can usually dress to limit my sweat (excect for me feet, which poses a real challenge for which vapor barrier socks have helped). This complements wools absorption of moisture into the center of the fabric as I understand it. When I'm doing a high intensity activity like winter single speeding, I can wet out wool, however, resulting in discomfort and cold on the oscillating descents. My number one fitness partner (and wife) sweats alot from her back no matter the temperature. The result was that wool left her cold while it worked great for me in the same conditions. She'd overwhelm wool's ability to absorb and end up freezing at breaks or on downhills. I leaned into synthetic or hybrid synthetic wicking layers for her (I do all the shopping in the family) and it's been a revelation. Here is what we've arrived at as her absolute favorite combination: She uses either a defeet or Pearl Izumi base layer that's super hydrophobic to create a dry layer. This helps even with full merino on top. Her next favorite layer in Patagonia Capilene Air, which is a merino/poly blend. On top of that she uses a Patagonia Nano Air or Nano Air vest or jacket depending on the temperature. She likes Ibex wool blend knickers with wool knee high socks or synthetic Rapha insulated tights on the bottom. This combo has transformed her from being wet and miserable on our longer (1000'-2000') bike descents in winter and immediately after trail runs. Before you discard her experience as unbobly, I'll note that she wears this on an one of her older metal bikes with one inch steerer and vintage Suntour end shifters. Best, Zach in ABQ (where the dry climate with its lack of ice allows for lots of cold weather riding) On Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 6:00:44 PM UTC-7 Ted Durant wrote: > On Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 9:52:57 AM UTC-6 [email protected] > wrote: > > If you're a person who gets real sweaty on winter rides, how do you > manage? > > > This is a topic near and dear to me, living in SE Wisconsin. As a > commuter, taking a shower at work in the morning, with a ~35-40 minute > ride, I never worried a lot about it, and tended to overdress. When I did > an R12, riding a 200k each month through the winter, I discovered that > overdressing is a real problem. Looking at what some of the "influencers" > on social media tend to wear, I realized just how overdressed I was. It > also helped to read about Velocio climbing the Alps bare chested on sunny > days in the winter. > > Like others, my clothing choice depends on how long I plan to be out. It > also depends on, in addition to temperature, whether there is wind and/or > moisture. Though, realistically, if there is cold, wind, and wet, I'm > probably not riding outside. I have always been an advocate of wool, but I > find that all my wool base layers quickly get wet and stay wet. Even my > wool Brynje fishnet shirt seems to really hang on to the moisture. I also > have a Brynje synthetic fishnet and will go for that if I'm planning to be > out for a while. If it's not too windy, then just a ls wool jersey on that > is good to pretty cold temps. If there's some wind, I might add a wind > vest. Or, my Supplex jacket over a good base layer. For base layers, I have > a few synthetic ones that I've picked up, from Pearl Izumi and I forget > what else, that are surprisingly warm. The Pearl Izumi one, in particular, > is shockingly warm just by itself, and doesn't seem to hang on to the > moisture too much. For my legs, it's similar, though the base is always > wool and usually either it's just the wool or some wind-blocking knickers. > I have some light XC ski pants that I use on cold, windy rides, that are > very nice. For many years my standard outer top was a wool jacket with a > wind-blocking front. As noted, that helps keep the back from getting too > sweaty, but I find the zipper front to be awkward. A light vest with mesh > on the back serves the same purpose for me, and it has the added bonus of > being easy to stash in the handlebar bag if I decide I'm getting too warm. > > That last point might be the most important. I remember, probably in > something Grant wrote, about eskimo who would be constantly removing and > then putting back on their seal coats as they worked, managing their body > temps and sweat. It is so helpful to be able to remove layers while riding, > then have them available to put back on when you stop or slow down or the > conditions change. Keep your base layer from getting wet and you're way > ahead on staying comfortable. > > Also, don't overlook the choice of headwear. Something that feels cozy for > 15 minutes in the cold is probably too warm for a longer ride. Likewise, > hands and feet. I generally find that my hands and head should feel chilly > at the beginning of a ride. Otherwise, as my body temp goes up from the > effort, my hat and gloves very quickly get soaked. I only wear a wool > beanie below 40, and I use a couple of layers for gloves so I can adjust as > needed. Also, below freezing I use a lycra neck gator that I can pull over > my chin if needed. For really cold weather, I have a wool balaclava, but > haven't needed that the last few winters. > > Lastly ... important advice I read somewhere ... 3 layers, base, > insulation, outer. Base needs to stay dry, insulation needs to stay > functional, and outer is to protect from wind and moisture without keeping > moisture inside. I find I don't need all three layers until it is really > cold. Cold enough that, now that I'm on the wrong side of 60, I find > excuses not to ride. So, it's either base and shell or base and insulation > most of the time, with the shell often just being a vest. > > Okay, this was way too long - Eric, the outfit you picture would work for > me for mid-20's, dry, and not too windy, at a moderate effort. The vest > would come off pretty quickly. +1 on Woolie Boolies. > > Ted Durant > Milwaukee, WI USA > > -- 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]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4674d5b1-b4c8-4d24-bc9d-2dc860fc02b2n%40googlegroups.com.
