Wool in summer

[Patrick Moore]

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.

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Patrick Moore

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

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[Jeffrey Arita]

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

[iamkeith]

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.

[J]

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.

[Brian Turner]

I wear Smartwool 150 boxer briefs year-round, and I also ride in those in lieu of padded shorts or chamois. I like the Smartwool t-shirts as well, but I typically don't ride in t-shirts in the warmer months - I prefer long-sleeve button-up techy fabric shirts that allow for billowing and ventilation. In Fall and Winter, when temps drop, I like to wear wool t-shirts underneath Pendleton wool flannels (I have a few Kitsbow Icons and Pendleton western shirts that are amazing to ride in when it's chilly.

I'm in Kentucky where it gets super hot and humid like most of the Southeastern US does. It can often stay pretty warm here well into November.

Brian

Lex KY

[William Watson]

I wear wool year round in Minneapolis, with similar results to what others posted here. I do feel less sweaty in lots of humidity when I am wearing a wool shirt and underwear. I have not worn wool through sheep country though, now I will avoid that. 

I'd put a plug in for a Minnesota wool clothing company called Borealis. Not cheap, but I like their shirts and their wool underwear. 

https://www.borealiswoolco.com/

Will in Minneapolis

[J J]

I wear wool year round wherever I am, though I’m mostly on the brutally humid east coast. I wear it all the time, i.e., not just for riding: merino shirts (long or short sleeve), underwear (short and long), and socks. Wearing almost anything else feels muggy and less fresh. Synthetics especially feel gross to me. I’ve never subscribed to the supposed marginal riding gains of fabrics that stick to the skin, which is so uncomfortable to me that it makes me really annoyed to be on the bike and saps the joy from riding. 

But wool is fantastic. The only downsides to wool are how expensive it can be, the fact that it’s not as durable as other fabrics (making it relatively more costly over the long term), and that it is marginally more involved to care for. 

Jim

[Chris Halasz]

I like wool tops, but once the temperatures climb into the eighties, and for a little more sun protection, I go with linen long-sleeved shirts. Toss 'em in the laundry, line dry with a little pull stretch, and fashionably wrinkled (just like me) well past Labor Day. 

I'd go 100% with wool underwear if I could find a guarantee like Darn Tough advertises for its socks! 

[J S]

I wore wool until it would get brutal. Still wear it when I can.  I am in New England but this year was very hot. I switched to SPF shirts after having a basal cell carcinoma discover and removed. I am not religious about this even though I should be. I do make sure to use sunscreen when I remember. Wool and cotton leg the sun in but I still prefer my old lightweight Ibex merino tops. As far as the heat and humidity  go, wool is fine for me but my. Limited is not as hot as your’s Patrick. We do get out share of humility and this summer was worse than most. 

[Eric Marth]

Hello, I'm a wool obsessive right here. 

During peak summer in Virginia it can get downright nasty with high temps and high humidity. I wear wool all year when I ride. Always wool socks, even the thicker DeFeet Woolie Boolies when it's as miserable as it gets. I like the padding and the socks never feel too hot or damp. I like the Randi Jo tropical wool caps, also the 50/50 caps made by Apis in Italy. 

I have a few pair of vintage wool cycling shorts (Italian made, all wool, leather chamois) that I enjoy all year. Sometime I switch it up and wear Ground Effect 1000% polyester bibs with a pad (made in New Zealand). I'd really like to get some of their merino bibs or some from another company like Cima Coppi. 

When it's hot, I like some kind of super-chopped tank-top with lots of ventilation. I cut up cotton tees to remove the neck and make huge arm openings. I have cut up some 100% wool tees as well. Unlike Patrick I like to hold on to raggedy old wool tees until they're absolutely shredded. I like when they have holes, pulls and such. 

I also love the way cut up cotton and wool tends to roll. I think the roll is beautiful. I've also cut up Kucharik wool shorts to make them shorter, 8" and 9" inseams on shorts is just too long. Most of my wool has rolled when cut but I've had a few pieces that do not roll and just unravel... this has been limited to a pair of Turkish wool tank tops that I won't name or recommend. Just a small note of warning. Ibex, Smartwool, Wooly Warm, Rambler's Way 100% merino tees have all rolled nicely when I trim the sleeves or overall length. 

Wool is an all year material for me, on and off the bike! Since I came around on natural fibers (wool, cotton, linen) I've gone out of my way to avoid plastics and fleece, other things made out of petroleum that shed harmful microplastics. I prefer to limit the amount of that stuff in my life and household.  I still have many things made with polyester and nylon like trunks, Andiamo underwear, the Ground Effect bibs I mentioned before. Overall I find wool just feels, looks and wears better. 

[matt miller]

I haven't tried Cima Coppi or other cycling-specific wool gear, but I used to really like wool shirts and underwear in the summer in Omaha. Horrible humidity amplified by the corn sweat. And when I moved to STL, I've continued to love it. I mean, it's gross here, and if I'm outside, I am going to be sweaty. A nice light wool shirt hides the sweat and cools me off. I mostly have used Icebreaker, but a couple years ago, I tried Quince. It's excellent and a good price.

[Addison Wilhite]

I'm a year round wool wearer here in Reno.  They are all Rapha products and are holding up well after many years.

Addison Wilhite, M.A. 

Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology 

“Blazing the Trail to College and Career Success”

Portfolio and Blog

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[Nicholas A]

I have a couple of merino t-shirts from a local brand here in Ireland that I wear all through the summer or at least until the temps really start to drop.

I love the feel of it, so easy and breezy. 

[Nicholas Fox]

I'm also wearing wool year round. Maybe no surprise as summers in Oslo can be comparatively mild, but this does include traveling (another time when I think wool works great) back to the States this past June/July to visit my folks and friends in hot and humid DC and northeast. 

I stick to the same wool t-shirts and long sleeves I usually wear when not riding (Devold and various others) but top things off with a much loved RandiJo tropical wool cycling cap and light, no-cushion socks (usually Smartwool, or Minus33 — NH-made!). They feel great, dry well, and when the day is over I just hang things up and they’ll all be perfectly ready to wear again the following morning. 

The one non-wool item I keep for very sunny, high-UV days is a light, loose, Patagonia sun hoodie I’ve had for years. It’s got thumb loops and a hood that easily fits under my helmet. It’s marketed for fly fishing but still works great even though that’s something I’ve never done before. There’s probably a wool equivalent but as of now it works well, doesn’t stink, and so it’ll stick around until it wears out (or stinks).

I’ll also add that one of the way I’ve recently taken to… defraying the cost and durability issues with wool is learning to mend. Only done a handful of socks so far, so plenty of room for improvement, but even my crude early attempts are enough to get these socks back in my rotation — with a bit of fun personalization as a bonus.

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[Patrick Moore]

Nicholas: Please -- you must -- post photos of riding a Riv in Ireland. I attach a photo of CS Lewis and his older brother riding proto-Rivs near Belfast.

A few years ago when Lovely Bicycle was still publishing she described "hot" summer weather in Northern Ireland: over 60 degrees F. I laughed and posted that at 60*F I was pulling out the wool winter sweaters.

I've been riding in medium-weight (I've tried lightweight but they snag and tear and get moth holes more easily, at least it seems so to me) wool ss cycling jerseys roomily but not baggily sized in temperatures up to 98*F and in what for us here in high desert New Mexico is high humidity, mid 20s up to 50s %, and I've been perfectly comfortable. I daresay that in East Coast summer climates of 90*F and 95% humidity I might want to go back to synthetics, or say indoors.

But please post some photos; thanks.

[Patrick Moore]

Nicholas Fox of Norway (as opposed to Nicholas A of Ireland): please, you also, post pics of Rivs in Norway.

Wool socks: Just yesterday I ordered some no-cushion merino cycling ankle socks from Smartwool; I'm eager to try them. I have a pair from Icebreaker that I like to use in my walking shoes but find that those feel hot while cycling. I hope that the Smartwools will be a bit thinner.

I do wear merino socks 24/7 in winter but except for cycling and hiking, nothing comes between me and my slip-ons, and I like rayon or good cotton button ups for civilian wear. For sun protection I rely on my half-Filipino genes.

Your early repair job looks very good. I must learn how to repair holes in knit wool. I just took a Wabi Woolen jersey to the tailor for darning but your job is probably better than I'll get from this professional seamstress.