Hoody Question

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Has anyone bought this? Where is the pocket? is the fit really as huge as they say? I can't imagine I need an extra small.

I've come to the conclusion that a hoody may be the answer to my cold issues.

Yes I have the Smartwool hoodie from TE. I got the orange one and found I liked wearing it around so much that I got the black one later on too.
I normally take a size medium, and I got them in size small instead. The small was a nice comfy fit on me with enough relaxed room to be able to wear smartwool longsleeve crew layer under it. I tend to think of hoodies as lightweight sweaters to put on top. I don't think i would like it any more form fitting, so the one size down from normal worked out well for me. If you normally take a small, then yes i would say get the XS. If you normally take a medium, then order the small and see if you like that.

The hood is nice and fitted and fits under helmet well. Hey thanks for mentioning the pocket- I never noticed it!! It's concealed inside, behind the left side seam, behind your left hip, and it's nice- big enough for a small wallet too.
I also really like the thumbholes, and the sleeves can be pulled down to use them, but the sleeves are not awkwardly too long to begin with.
It's a slightly heavier merino fabric than the micro SW weight. It's probably as thick as the SW midweight Zip-T, but it has a sort of micro-rib texture...not as fuzzy-soft as the zip-T's.
Because it's pure wool, it doesn't get BO after sweating in it a few times. I have a polyester-ish Terry hoody i like, but that has to be washed after every other wearing because of that issue. I can wear my SW hoodie like a dozen times and it STILL doesn't smell. Besides, i like the snuggly-ness of the merino.

[Susan Otcenas]

Veronica -

If you wear smalls in Smartwool regularly (and maybe even if you wear mediums), you WILL take an XS in the Smartwool Hoodie. We've all tried them on here in the office and they definitely run big.

Now, that said.... I love love love the MidZero Speedster. I'm wearing one at this very moment. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I own 4 of them (black, blue, green & chalk ). I wear them ALL the time, and they are fantastic in cold weather. They keep my head, neck and ears warm on cold rides and are sleek enough to easily fit under my helmet. No extra bulk.

My oldest Speedster, in fact (which dates back to when they used to called it the SpeedSkin) is 3 or 4 years old. You'd think it would look trashed, considering how often I wear it, but it still looks great. Almost completely free of pilling anywhere.

I also own one of the Terry Hoodies that VeloBambina mentions ( we used to sell them). I love it for casual wear, but I won't wear it cycling anymore. It's Meryl, which I've come to think is much more appropriate to summer wear than winter. Meryl tends to hold the moisture, and whenever I wear it on cold days & work up a sweat in it, I get very quickly chilled when I take a break (like for food.) It just feels clammy and I have a hard time getting warm again until I really get moving. YMMV, but I'll stick to my MidZero and my Smartwool base layers under my other jerseys.

Susan

[Veronica]

Thanks for all the info ladies.

V.

[Velobambina]

Susan -- I put a Craft base layer under my Terry thermal hoody and I haven't noticed that the hoody holds moisture. Maybe because I wear the hoody only when it's really cold (below 30 degrees) and in temps like that, I don't stop for nothing! I'll have to keep in mind not to wear it as a base laye--thanks much for the tip! The smartwool hoody sure looks nice, tho. Should have put it on my Santa list! No doubt the x-small will sell out by the time I make a wish list for my birthday.

[Susan Otcenas]

Susan -- I put a Craft base layer under my Terry thermal hoody and I haven't noticed that the hoody holds moisture. Maybe because I wear the hoody only when it's really cold (below 30 degrees) and in temps like that, I don't stop for nothing!

Sounds reasonable. I don't typically wear a base layer underneath that hoodie because it's pretty warm on it's own and with that plus a jacket, a base layer would be overkill in the temps we usually ride in here in the PNW. For me, at least. I tend to sweat, so when I stop I can easily get chilled if my next-to-skin layer doesn't handle moisture well.

Susan

[mcoleman]

I couldn't agree more on the Speedster. It's my favorite winter top. I do like not having to keep up with gloves, if my hands warm up on a run. DH wishes they made one for men just like the ladies version, but our buddy at the LBS keeps telling him it is not very manly!

[mimitabby]

good grief, why isn't this in the woolweenies thread?


only kidding! man, if i could buy all the wool i want i would NOT have room in my bedroom to sleep!

[Susan Otcenas]

DH wishes they made one for men just like the ladies version, but our buddy at the LBS keeps telling him it is not very manly!

Sugoi DOES make this very same thing for men. It's available in several colors. (black, rave red and aluminum for Fall 2006. you can see the black and rave colors in the women's on our site. Aluminum is a medium gray and only available in men's.) I know more than one male cyclist who owns one, and they all love it as much as we ladies do.

If your bike shop won't order one in for you, give me a call here at TE and we can special order it for you. I don't know what Sugoi's availability is in sizes and colors this late in the season, but I'd be happy to inquire.

Susan