We’re sick of winter so we’re shopping and wool is on the menu

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

This post might be more RivSister-centric, but maybe not. Last summer I was in a quandary for bike shorts. I was given a pair of Terry padded shorts and I felt like I was in diapers. I had tried them because I’d been wearing regular workout shorts and this is where I discovered the wisdom of biker-style shorts. You need shorts to stay put on the thighs and not ride up and expose your skin to chafe against your saddle. This is almost 100% a women’s problem because of the short length of our shorts. 

I wanted wool. Unpadded merino biker shorts is a TALL ORDER and good luck to you. But I am nothing if not an accomplished shopper and I found the world’s perfect bike shorts with pockets at this company: 

https://www.simplymerino.com

What sets them apart is that they are making product that is nearly all merino. You can find merino workout wear in other brands, but it will be half nylon. This is 94% merino and 6% elastane. And OEKO-TEX, which you can read about on their website.

I spent a mint there and have zero regrets. I also changed over all my underthings to merino (those came from different sites, which I’m happy to share if anyone wants to know) and then I got my adult son a set of merino underwear for our bike camping trips. He said, “Mom, these really are great. Every time I ran out of them and had to go to cotton it was so disappointing.” You really cannot get us away from merino for biking anymore.

But back to Simply Merino - I have found that a lot of their tops will work for long bike rides in hot weather. You can even wear their tank tops as a “jersey.” They lack the pockets but it’s basically the same fit. I have several now and they are wonderful. Toss a breathy linen shirt over the top for sun protection.

They are a small company, so they run out of inventory often, so if you see something you like, get it right then. The bike shorts are thick and luscious and I have 4 pairs and will likely get more of them. You can wash on gentle and hang to dry. Their garments never stink, are lovely to the touch, and wear like your own skin. I LOVE them. 

If anyone gets a piece from them, tell me!

Leah

[Bill Lindsay]

I've been meaning to restock on merino unmentionables, and your post made me hit the order button.  I'm trying a new (for me) brand.  There's some $60/pair options out there that I elected not to try at this time.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Leah Peterson]

Fabulous, Bill! I hope you love them. If they are mostly merino, I bet you will.

I got these for my son and they are 100% merino and affordable. Was this the site you ordered from? There was a set that was close to $60 so I wondered… 

Also, I think you can get them on Amazon, if that appeals to anyone…

On Feb 24, 2026, at 7:01 PM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've been meaning to restock on merino unmentionables, and your post made me hit the order button.  I'm trying a new (for me) brand.  There's some $60/pair options out there that I elected not to try at this time.  

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[Ryan Fleming]

Oh...and Canadian, too. I could use a bike short restock....usually buy black peral izumis....but maybe I can live without the diaper. Great tip,Leah...thanks for this!

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Ryan, if you get a pair of those shorts I really want to know. If they can be unisex I want them for my son. They show women wearing the shorts but if you sized up, maybe men could wear? I can’t know all these things…

[Bill Lindsay]

I'm trying out a 3-pack from Woolly.  I've been running SmartWool lately and they are good.  I've used Devold, Rapha and Riv MUSA merino undies in the past, and they were very nice as well but it seems to me that the SmartWool last a bit longer.  

BL in EC

[Leah Peterson]

Bill, I got underwear from Woolly! I LOVE their stuff! All my merino underwear is theirs. They were the first merino thing I tried last summer. The rest followed. You’ll love them. Smartwool is only for socks now. It’s just too much nylon and not enough merino anymore. And certainly no less expensive. 

On Feb 24, 2026, at 8:01 PM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm trying out a 3-pack from Woolly.  I've been running SmartWool lately and they are good.  I've used Devold, Rapha and Riv MUSA merino undies in the past, and they were very nice as well but it seems to me that the SmartWool last a bit longer.  

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[John Rinker]

I wonder if sheep love wool as much as I do? 

Thanks, Leah, for the tip on merinotech.ca; they seem to offer fine products, and their reviewers (72000!) seem to agree.

One thing I try to factor in when sourcing my woolly wear is whether it is RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certified, and I don't see mention of this at merinotech. RWS seeks to certify wool that considers both farming practices and the welfare of the animals. Companies like Patagonia, Smartwool, and Woolly offer RWS-certified products. 

For what it's worth.

Cheers, John

[Ryan Fleming]

ah...Leah,I am a woman...but with a name like Ryan Fleming I undertand the confusion...indeed...my Montreal birth certificate listed me as a male, and I got more snail mail addressed to Mr. Ryan Fleming than you can shake a stick at...

[Leah Peterson]

Yes, good point. And Simply Merino (out of Canada) says their wool is “non-museled” which is supposed to mean they are treating the sheep humanely.

On Feb 24, 2026, at 8:07 PM, John Rinker <jwri...@gmail.com> wrote:

I wonder if sheep love wool as much as I do? 

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[Leah Peterson]

Ryan, I’m so sorry! Ok, go get those bike shorts from Simply Merino, those good Canadians! You’ll love them.

On Feb 24, 2026, at 8:14 PM, Ryan Fleming <ryte...@mts.net> wrote:

ah...Leah,I am a woman...but with a name like Ryan Fleming I undertand the confusion...indeed...my Montreal birth certificate listed me as a male, and I got more snail mail addressed to Mr. Ryan Fleming than you can shake a stick at...

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3a364b45-242e-4da5-afc0-8c80e47e656fn%40googlegroups.com.

[John Rinker]

Oh, perfect! Since I'm in Canada it's very nice to know of another source- Simply Merino! Thanks.

Cheers, John

[Eric Floden]

Thanks for pointing out this new to me Canadian supplier. Most appreciated!

EricF

Vancouver

[Ted Durant]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 5:28:35 PM UTC-6 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

You need shorts to stay put on the thighs and not ride up and expose your skin to chafe against your saddle. This is almost 100% a women’s problem because of the short length of our shorts. 

I wanted wool. Unpadded merino biker shorts is a TALL ORDER and good luck to you. But I am nothing if not an accomplished shopper and I found the world’s perfect bike shorts with pockets at this company: 

https://www.simplymerino.com

Another timely topic from Leah. In the fall I started wearing my long-sleeve wool base layer tops as what-I-wear-every-day, and all my long-sleeve cotton t-shirts are sulking in the closet, untouched. Also, I've been on an anti-diaper shorts crusade for a while. The only bike shorts I can wear are from Aerotech and they have the thinnest pad I can find anywhere. Aerotech only puts that pad in one model, but luckily I like it. We had a week of nice weather recently and I wore my Ibex wool knickers every day. They had a bit of a pad in them, but I noticed the stitching had worn away at the thighs (it's a problem for guys, too :-) so I just tore out the rest of the stitching and oh man they are so much better. As Leah Wilcox once said, "I worked hard to find a saddle I like, I don't want anything between me and my saddle." Also, referring back to a thread about noticing small changes in bike fit, it was amazing to feel the saddle height after removing the pad.

I have a four wool undershorts, a couple of which (DeVold, Ibex) turned out to have too-short legs to be good on the bike. My good ones are SmartWool (from long ago) and Minus33. Wool undershorts and Compass knickers (alas, Jan has discontinued them) are my perfect combo in almost any conditions when I don't want the wool knickers.

Thanks for sharing the link, Leah - like what I'm seeing there.

Ted Durant

Milwaukee, WI USA

[Leah Peterson]

Well, after Ted’s response I went on a quest to find you men the unpadded merino bike shorts of your dreams…and came up empty-handed. They don’t make such a thing, it seems! I’m gonna write to Simply Merino and ask if they’ll make you guys some bike shorts. There are several women’s versions on the market but just nothing for men! 

I know what you mean about cotton being neglected, Ted. I wore these Simply Merino long-sleeved shirts and a down vest all through this cold, bitter winter. Come summer, I’m going to buy some of the Simply Merino tee shirts and see how those do for biking.

L

On Feb 25, 2026, at 10:48 AM, Ted Durant <tedd...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Ted Durant]

On Feb 25, 2026, at 11:14 AM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, after Ted’s response I went on a quest to find you men the unpadded merino bike shorts of your dreams…and came up empty-handed. They don’t make such a thing, it seems! I’m gonna write to Simply Merino and ask if they’ll make you guys some bike shorts. There are several women’s versions on the market but just nothing for men! 

I know what you mean about cotton being neglected, Ted. I wore these Simply Merino long-sleeved shirts and a down vest all through this cold, bitter winter. Come summer, I’m going to buy some of the Simply Merino tee shirts and see how those do for biking.

https://pinebury.us/collections/merino-wool-cycling-shorts

Too expensive and I don’t want bibs, but there you are.

I have liked marino wool t-shirts in the warmer weather. Last year I bough a couple of short sleeve wool polo shirts, to get the collar and a nicer look, from SmartWool (50/50 wool/cotton) and Minus33 (84/12/4 wool/nylon/spandex). The Minus33 shirt is perfect - super lightweight, and a light gray color that doesn’t warm up in the sun. I wore it on the hottest day of my Natchez Trace ride and loved it. Unfortunately, the only other color they offer is black. I look good in black (highlights my gray hair nicely :-) but it’s not ideal on a sunny hot day.

[Roberta]

I looked at yours and Bill's suggested sites and I might delve into merino too.

Ted--thanks for the info on Aerotech, out of Pennsylvania.  I have many of their pants and shorts, which I love for the coverage and fast dry.  They usually have a booth at the Philadelphia bike show with incredible deals on what they bring, which is mostly men's stuff.  

Leah--I guess I'll finally ditch cotton underwear and try merino.  

John--I'll probably try tee shirts from your recommendation, too, since they are more within my budget.

Roberta

Philadelphia

[Bill Lindsay]

To be clear, I will be trying out woolly for the first time.  I shared that info with Leah because she asked directly.  I haven't worn them so I've got no review of woolly, only the report that I've elected to pay them some money. 

BL in EC

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Yes, Bill hasn’t tried his yet - report back, Bill? I have worn mine for a year. Size down, I say, at least for women. They have held up great. I wash on delicate and hang to dry.

Things I never imagined saying on a public forum…oh well! 

[Kim H.]

I have had a love for wool cycling garments for last 53 years with no end in sight soon. 

Four years ago, Kurcharik Cycling Clothing was in the process of going of business, I was fortunate to buy several of their wool jerseys. My most favorite one is the long sleeve royal blue wool jersey. I wish I had have bought another one. I did buy three short sleeve wool jerseys. However, only one fits me better than the other two. 

Last year, I bought a pair of Classic wool tights from De Marchi to replace my Swobo wool tights from long ago with holes in them of which I finally threw out.  These Classic wool tights are wonderful. I bought the XXL size. They fit very well allowing for fitting over my bike shorts and some wiggle room. 

https://www.demarchi.com/en/retro-wool-shorts/212-1098-classic-merino-tight.html#/11-color-black/99-size-xl

Back in the 80's, I discovered Minus33 mid weight base layers; tops and bottoms. Their quality was good. Living here in the PNW, I wear them a lot as my around the house pajamas. The tops I have worn daily for nine to ten months of out the year.  

However, I bought a pair of their bottoms several months ago, only to discover that the waist band would get twisted around my waist, unlike my old pair. Needless to say, I was and remain very disappointed. I have lost my faith in Minus33. 

@Leah. I thank you for sharing your web link for another source of wool clothing. I will have to buy a top or bottom and see how they are. 

Kim Hetzel.

[Kim H.]

I use Hypoallergenic ECOS Plant Powered laundry detergent Free and Clear for cleaning my woolies without any issues on Cold water with a Gentle Cycle. Hang to air dry always.

Kim Hetzel.

[Patrick Moore]

I'll throw this out as a very satisfied, indeed, customer, even tho' the vendor is not now shipping to the US because of tariffs: IOMerino in Australia.

I ordered 3 p of the "heavy duty" merino boxer briefs just before tariffs hit and, while expensive and requiring global shipping, mine were still cheaper than those Riv sells. I don't know if mine are better or worse, but they are fully satisfactory, so much so that after wearing them for 40 mile rides, I gave away my Kucharik wool + chamois cycling shorts. Highly recommended. Look them up after the SC's decision has worked itself out.

I mean: the saddle and the pants (Rapha Rando shorts and Eudora (can't be that; some big brand beginning in "E") cycling pants disappeared under me for 40 miles.

[Patrick Moore]

https://iomerino.com/

https://iomerino.com/collections/mens-underwear/products/mens-altitude-boxers-heavy-duty

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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[Patrick Moore]

AU$60 is about US$3.75 -- roughly.

[Ryan Fleming]

you're missing a digit there, mate... when I did a google search it was 84.25 AUS$ to 60 USD :)

[Patrick Moore]

Well, I did say "roughly."

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[Nick A.]

Hi Leah, shoutout to the royal "we". Someday I'll hop on the merino train.

Fun,

Nick in Falls Church VA 

[Armand Kizirian]

I don't think this brand has been mentioned yet but tried their boxer briefs for my last bike tour and was quite pleased with them. Very comfortable and they do the nuyarn thing with a tiny bit of nylon for strength. Also have their lightweight sun hoodie, which has performed really well on my last few backpacking trips, went through a lot of overgrowth and snags without any holes. https://www.ridgemerino.com/ 

If it's ok for me to plug, I am looking to get rid of a fantastic IBEX mid-weight vest (men's medium black ) that I've outgrown and a taylor stitch hand knit fisherman sweater (42 men's large) that are both 100% merino wool. DM me privately (don't respond in the thread!) if you're interested, can share pics and measurements.

[nlerner]

A few years ago,I picked up two pairs of Sport Pursuit padded merino wool boxers:

https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/1714794

They have a thin pad, and I wear them under various mtb-style shorts in warmer temps and long pants when it’s cold. They’ve lasted reasonably well (a few non-critical holes have developed). Otherwise, I only wear merino boxer briefs under my civilian garb.

Neal Lerner

Brookline MA

[Steven Seelig]

I still have Ibex items from 25 years ago including their cycling tights that I never take off for winter rides from 30-50 degrees.  Never tried new Ibex.

Throwing out a shout to Pinebury from Maine USA, who also is an exhibitor at the Philly Bike Expo.  I have one of the their short sleeves and it is nice.

I have been informed by my wife that if and until my old Ibex wears out, the bike jerseys, quarter zips, tights, socks, jackets, bike specific jackets, long sleeve merinos, short sleeve merinos, henley, wool undies with wind blockers, gloves, hats, bike helmet under beanies and other stuff, I cannot buy any more wool, ever.

[Will Boericke]

Re: Woolly - I have several of their polos which have not worn well at all.  The density of the knit is just not sufficient for long-term durability.  I've now patched several holes in both of them; not sure when I'll give up on them entirely.  Perhaps the fabric they use for the undies is more durable.  Smartwool has been the longest-wearing for me, but I'm unwilling to spend large $$. 

[Bill Lindsay]

Received my Woolly three pack.  They seem nice, and I expect they'll do the same things that merino boxer briefs do.  

BL in EC

[Leah Peterson]

Meanwhile, I did hear back from Simply Merino. Good news/bad news! The good news is they kindly offered a discount! Can you even believe this????

See here:

Hi Leah,

Thank you for reaching out and for the kind words. We love to hear that our products work well with lots of different activities, including biking!

We are working to expand our Men's line, and it is really great for us to know there is a demand for men's bike shorts. It is unlikely that we will be able to add them this Spring/Summer, but we will consider the feedback for next year. 

In the meantime, please feel free to share the discount code BIKE10 with your group. The code will give customers a 10% discount on 1 order each, and will apply to any of our adult products. The code will expire at the end of May, and our bike shorts will be restocked at the beginning of April.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you again for reaching out and providing feedback. As a very small shop it is super helpful to us!

On Feb 27, 2026, at 12:05 PM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote:

Received my Woolly three pack.  They seem nice, and I expect they'll do the same things that merino boxer briefs do.  

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[Roberta]

PSA.  I’ve been on the simply Merino page since this thread was started and they were sold out of fitted women’s T-shirt.   That is,until TODAY!  Be sure to use the discount code that Leah was able to secure for us. 

Also, this came across my IG feed and it explains a bit about wool and how it can be a perfect summer weave fabric. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVO_hzVoDAC/?igsh=amwzbmhmaWU3ZHYz  

Roberta