Merino wool why so special

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
User avatar
Paulatic
Posts: 7796
Joined: 2 Feb 2014, 1:03pm
Location: 24 Hours from Lands End

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Paulatic »

eeffttees wrote:chartreuse wool Vs merino wool ..which one is special


What is chartreuse wool?
I’m sure I’ve never clipped one.
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

https://stcleve.wordpress.com/category/lejog/
E2E info
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Cugel »

Grumbleweed wrote:It dries very quickly and wicks sweat away from the body with ease, popular in Europe before it was as ever taken up here.

Merino was popular for racing jerseys for many decades in Britain. In fact, it was the only real choice unless you wanted ordinary wool, which tends to be rather heavyweight and to hold a lot of water. I wore wool cycling clothing for 25 years before trying the man-made cloths. I'm back to merino now as it works better, overall. Well, for the upper body - merino tights and shorts get stretched and bag too easily because of the leg motions.

Wool's greatest virtue is that it's warm when wet. If you get soaked but continue to generate body heat by cycling, you stay warm. I understand that it's the hollow fibre of wool that provides this warmth-retaining functions, as it does for the sheep of course. And it doesn't stink within 30 minutes of getting sweaty (or 3within days) like the artificial cloths.

Cashmere works just as well if not better and is softer on the skin. My wife buys cashmere garments on ebay, where they are sold by rich fashion victims who may have worn them once before "needing" a new one in the latest cut or colour. Some of these items make very good winter base layers. She buys them for as little as the proverbial 99p but even at £9.99 they're a bargain. :-) Cashmere gloves are very nice too.

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
User avatar
pjclinch
Posts: 5457
Joined: 29 Oct 2007, 2:32pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by pjclinch »

Merino special? nah, you want Yak wool which is even specialer...

That aside (I've not tried the Yak wool so no further comment), it does appear to be the case that, like other things, there's merino wool and then there's merino wool, and not unsurprisingly the quality of the cheapest does not necessarily compare well with the quality of the best (c.f. bicycle frames in whatever material you wish to compare). Is it better than cashmere? Well, I think that would depend on the individual cashmere and the individual merino.

Merino is generally less itchy than "normal" wool, but while some versions carry a "guarantee" to the effect it won't itch it's not a guarantee, it's a brand willing to bet the odd garment that few takers will have a problem. My wife is one of those few takers that does have a problem.

There are increasingly wool/synthetic blends about, allegedly giving the best of all worlds. I've not tried them yet beyond in socks, but they weem to work well there.

I have a few merino base layers (mine are Rohan ones) and like them a lot, but they're not clearly better across the board than synthetics. Which base layer I choose is a function of what I'm doing, what weights and styles of shirt are available and what the conditions are like. One base I might choose is none at all, if it's a Buffalo kind of day. Really hot I'd sooner wear a sun-protective loose shirt in not-wool than a body hugging merino (or yak, or cashmere etc.) wool top.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
User avatar
iow
Posts: 416
Joined: 27 Jul 2010, 11:01am
Location: isle of wight

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by iow »

moths certainly seem to like it. luckily they haven't acquired a taste for polypropylene yet..
mark
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by pwa »

iow wrote:moths certainly seem to like it. luckily they haven't acquired a taste for polypropylene yet..

When we moved into our house about twenty years ago we went round changing all the carpets to wool. It cost a small fortune. Now the moths have moved in, the carpets are being eaten and we are removing the wool and putting in synthetic.

Personally, can't stand wool next to the skin, and I don't even feel easy standing close to someone else wearing it, such is my reaction to just the thought of the itching. When I was young and single I used to avoid members of the opposite sex who smoked or wore wool! I've tried merino and it is better but I can still feel that it is wool.
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20697
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Vorpal »

Regular wool can be itchy. Many people who aren't bothered by it at all, find it gets itchy when they get sweaty.

Merino and cashmere are functionally equivalent. Cashmere tends to be more expensive.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Cunobelin »

Our Park and Ride has Alpaca

If I sneak up one night with my beard trimmer..........
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Cunobelin »

Vorpal wrote:Regular wool can be itchy. Many people who aren't bothered by it at all, find it gets itchy when they get sweaty.

Merino and cashmere are functionally equivalent. Cashmere tends to be more expensive.


For those who served the RN, NOTHING itches like the wooden jumper they issued as a night uniform......
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8441
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Sweep »

pwa wrote: When I was young and single I used to avoid members of the opposite sex who smoked or wore wool! .


Am intrigued or even concerned.

It can be quite hard to tell the composition of fabrics these days without peering at labels.

On the main subject, I really like merino base layers - was doubtful at first about the supposed anti-pong nature of them but it seems to be true.

I can use the same base layer for ages, unlike with my previous synthetic ones - this I put down to the wonder properties of merino/the fact that I always shower before cycling/perhaps I filter out my own pong on sniff testing.

Mine are mostly Aldi - great value at around £15 and I am doubtful that more "brand" ones are any better.

I do have an idea that perhaps Aldi has recently skimped on quality to maintain a price point and its newer merino base layers may possibly be lighter in weight, not as thick/tough.
Sweep
toontra
Posts: 1182
Joined: 21 Dec 2007, 11:01am
Location: London

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by toontra »

Sweep wrote:Mine are mostly Aldi - great value at around £15 and I am doubtful that more "brand" ones are any better.

I do have an idea that perhaps Aldi has recently skimped on quality to maintain a price point and its newer merino base layers may possibly be lighter in weight, not as thick/tough.


I'd agree. Aldi clothing has markedly reduced in quality over the past 10 years. I used to buy most of my cycle gear there and it was great. MTB shoes, cycle gloves, jerseys, etc are really not worth buying any more as they will either fall apart, wear out quickly or are not fit for purpose in the first place.

I've been addicted to merino since buying my first base layer and now have a full wardrobe of long/short-sleeve base layers (some with 1/4 zips), cycle jerseys (which are all some variation on "sportwool" - i.e. a mix of merino and synthetic fibres to retain shape), socks and even a couple of jackets. It's the (lack of) smell thing that is their winning asset. If I'm doing multi-day cycle rides and only have one set of clothes then there really isn't an alternative.

And yes, you must make sure your house is a moth-free zone!
User avatar
pjclinch
Posts: 5457
Joined: 29 Oct 2007, 2:32pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by pjclinch »

Sweep wrote:I do have an idea that perhaps Aldi has recently skimped on quality to maintain a price point and its newer merino base layers may possibly be lighter in weight, not as thick/tough.


Like other textiles, merino wool clothes are available in a variety of different weights (typically specified in g/m^2, so higher numbers are a heavier/warmer cloth). More is not necessarily better (or worse). Aside from basic weight and warmth, IME the heavier gauges have a silkier feel.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
sukuinage
Posts: 143
Joined: 20 May 2008, 1:18pm
Location: Germany

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by sukuinage »

Cunobelin wrote:
For those who served the RN, NOTHING itches like the wooden jumper they issued as a night uniform......


Can imagine a wooden jumper being quite uncomfortable! Still, it would make sure you were on board! :D
User avatar
deliquium
Posts: 2348
Joined: 9 Mar 2007, 3:40pm
Location: Eryri

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by deliquium »

toontra wrote:And yes, you must make sure your house is a moth-free zone!


I have a selection of merino jerseys from Jura and Oregoncyclewear and three have suffered from moths :(

How best to prevent the blighters?

The jerseys from Jura and Oregon are by far the most comfortable garments I've ever cycled in :D
Current pedalable joys

"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by pwa »

deliquium wrote:
toontra wrote:And yes, you must make sure your house is a moth-free zone!


I have a selection of merino jerseys from Jura and Oregoncyclewear and three have suffered from moths :(

How best to prevent the blighters?

The jerseys from Jura and Oregon are by far the most comfortable garments I've ever cycled in :D


When not in use, store them in one of those vacuum pack bags?
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20697
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Merino wool why so special

Post by Vorpal »

pwa wrote:
deliquium wrote:
toontra wrote:And yes, you must make sure your house is a moth-free zone!


I have a selection of merino jerseys from Jura and Oregoncyclewear and three have suffered from moths :(

How best to prevent the blighters?

The jerseys from Jura and Oregon are by far the most comfortable garments I've ever cycled in :D


When not in use, store them in one of those vacuum pack bags?


Vacuum pack bags are probably the most effective. Of course, they are also more work. But they prevent incursions from carpet beetles, as well as moths. Carpet beetles are tiny and sometimes come in from outdoors.
I keep my woolens in a cedar box, but you can also get cedar panels on hangers to hang between them on a rail. Or use mothballs or something like that.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Post Reply