New vest: wooly warm versus ...?

[PATRICK MOORE]

Thanks for all the replies about the zipper. It looks as if it's time
for a new one. REI no longer repairs, their referral won't do a full
zipper and the seam looks too complex for an ordinary tailor.

So: the Wooly Warm looks nice tho' pricey; the down side is that it is
a pullover and can't be quickly unzipped when you enter a building
(while shopping, say) to avoid overheating; otoh, it is knit so allows
more air circulation. I do have a WW LS sweater/jersey, and it looks
as if the vest is like that, simply sans arms.

I have another Cannondale vest of light nylon, but that is generally
too thin for the use I have in mind. The vest I want repaired is a
dual vest/jacket combo made of heavier fabric that was just right for
what I have in mind.

So, I am asking for opinions and recommendations: what do you
recommend as the best compromise for the following criteria?

1. Light to medium layer for days when a second, full sleeve jersey or
top is not warranted, to be worn over a wool ls base layer, usually
(ss wool jersey + arm warmer, or ls wool jersey).
2. Adapts easily to changes in temperature, eg when getting off the
bike after sweating on a cold day, and going inside a heated building.
3. Some wind blocking quality.
4. Durable.
5. Packs small to fit into a saddlebag that may also be stuffed with groceries.
6. Long enough in back to but not baggy.
7. Good looking (the Riv WW wins here, of course).
8. Costs less rather than more.

Thanks.

--
Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
Patrick Moore, ACRW
http://resumespecialties.com/index.html

[PATRICK MOORE]

Forgot to add: anyone who wants that Cannondale vest/jacket, vg except
for that damn' zipper, is welcome to it for postage. Size L: fits me a
bit loose who am a very long torso'd 5'10".

[Dan Abelson]

Take a look at foxwear.  You can choose the weight and custom sizing.  I don't have a foxwear vest but I have 2 pairs of pants I like.

Dan Abelson
Saint Paul, MN

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[Joe Bernard]

I use the WW vest thusly: LS wool undershirt, lightweight plastic loose-fit MTB-type SS jersey, the vest, then a plastic shell over that if needed. I think you'll be happy with it.

[David Yu Greenblatt]

Keep in mind that the WW tweed vest does not really block the wind at all since the knit is rather loose. So if the wind + temperature threatens to make you chilly you will have to layer something over the WW vest like a shell or another wool garment with a much denser weave. But you already have the LS WW sweater so you know all this already.  

 

I wish Ibex made a cycling-specific vest out of the Shak ponte knit fabric, which is thin yet dense (390 g/m2, according to the specs) and has some stretch to it. There is a Shak Vest but it does not have a drop tail which as you know is nice when riding in the drops. The Ibex Breakaway 2 Vest apparently uses Shak Lite fabric (295 g/m2) on the back. An Ibex cycling-cut vest with a Shak front and shoulders and Shak Lite sides and back would be sweet. Ibex if you are reading this please make it and send a free demo to Patrick in ABQ to test.

 

David G, Madison WI

[Bertin753]

Thanks for the comments, all. Some of those options are expensive! I'll go check out REI and Performance tomorrow, God willing to see if they have something that is not too wide and close to 29" from collar seam to tail.

Keisha measures the M and L WW vests for me today and alas, even the L measures only 28" -- odd because my size L WW jersey measures 28". I can live with 28" but 27" is cutting things short.

Man, at $235 foe the Ibex breakaway, it makes sense to pay $80 for a new zipper!

Patrick Moore

iPhone

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[Bertin753]

Forgot to add that the WW jersey is quite good, for me, down to about 40F, slight higher if breezy, over a decent wool base  layer. Perhaps warm air is trapped in the weave despite its porousness. It has the advantage or being thus warm without making me sweat as even  vests in nylon do. I do have a rather thrashed poly fleece Cannondale vest that works well -- long, trim, breathes to a degree. We'll see what REI and Perf have in stock. Damn, I'd order the WW L if it were an inch longer I'm back, but that's a crucial inch.

Patrick Moore

iPhone

On Jan 27, 2012, at 4:36 PM, David Yu Greenblatt <david.yu....@gmail.com> wrote:

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[PATRICK MOORE]

I got a minimally decent Louise Garneau vest at Performance for $50;
it has illuminite: how long will that last if you only handwash such
clothing in cold water? Lousy, cheap zipper but P has a lifetime
guarantee, so ... Medium fits snug but the long rear flap keeps the
cold wind out.

In other news: stopping today at Bike Coop, saw this project ss bike
owned by one of the staff. He also had a two-side drive fixed gear
parked at the shop. Sorry for the poor photo quality, but the bike
features decorative rims laced between the rims proper and the hub;
two drivetrains on the right side; and a multitude of floating
chainrings inside the two chains -- not practical, rather like double
top tubes on a 56 cm Sam Hill.