WoolWeenies Club

[elk]

Wool. I'm wearing my Rivendell merino crew under a flannel shirt right now...I'm findin it easier on the skin than I did. But....what and how do you layer that wool? Is it right next to your skin? What do you wear for wind and wet over it? If you wear a waterproof shell, does the wool still breathe? HOw many layers ?

How to dress, is the question, for riding in this wet 35-50 degree climate of the NW in winter?? give me some specific stuff to shop for...
please.
oh! and I find Ibex runs a little small...anything good that runs more true to size?

[KnottedYet]

Wool. I'm wearing my Rivendell merino crew under a flannel shirt right now...I'm findin it easier on the skin than I did. But....what and how do you layer that wool? Is it right next to your skin? What do you wear for wind and wet over it? If you wear a waterproof shell, does the wool still breathe? HOw many layers ?

How to dress, is the question, for riding in this wet 35-50 degree climate of the NW in winter?? give me some specific stuff to shop for...
please.
oh! and I find Ibex runs a little small...anything good that runs more true to size?

Buy one size up in Ibex if it runs small for you.

Buy Icebreaker if you can't afford Ibex, but buy Ibex any time you can get it on sale. (check the Ibex Outlet and BackCountry.com and Sierra Trading Post and REI-Outlet)

Wear a bra under the wool. Ibex is coming out with wool bras this winter, but until then wear a regular bra.

Treat your wool t-shirt like you would any other t-shirt for layering. Put your favorite warm goodies on over it. It'll be just fine.

Wool just keeps on breathing, but how much vapor gets out your waterproof shell is entirely up to the SHELL. (not the wool)

When it's wet and in the cooler temps here in Seattle I like to ride in wool Ibex capris, wool socks, bra, wool longsleeve t-shirt, and wool sweater. I might put a shell on over the sweater if it's *really* raining, but tend not to. I generally wear just my PI visiblity vest cuz I sweat so much.

I have a wool helmet liner and wool gloves for those really cold days.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I like to wear the thin Ibex longsleeve crew "Woolie" shirts as a base layer underneath (over a bra), then a thicker wool shirt over that, like the Ibex Shak or the Ibex Zephyr. Then I'll either wear a wool vest or a screaming yellow windbreaker jacket or vest. On the bottom if it's really cold I'll wear my regular chamois tights and then my wool Ibex tights over them....or vice versa.

Sometimes i wear an Ibex woolie longsleeve to sleep with my ibex wool tights....yummy!
I find the new soft merinos are too soft to be itchy, but they have a nice subtle springy texture that feels like i'm getting a skin massage. Cotton doesn't have that effect somehow.

Always check Ibex's "Outlet" section too, for discounted items, and make sure it's showing "all" outlet items, not just the tops. The link to the outlet alway sseems to start with showing just the tops on sale.

[sgtiger]

My El Fito knickers arrived today! Yay! I'm in between sizes right now and I like my shorts on the snug side, so I ordered down a size. I'm really glad I did becuase they fit great! (Weeeeell, the waist is a bit snug, but it's not squishing internal organs or anything.) Like all Ibex the fit and finish is great. I can't wait to try out these puppies tomorrow. Maybe I'll just wear them around the apartment for a while....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah just wear them around the apt, wear them on non-biking days too with a cute short skirt!
I wear most of my wool biking clothes half the time whether I'm biking or not- they are just too damned comfy and make me feel so good. I wear my Ibex wool tights to bed now too. (and DH can't resist squeezing merino)


Hey, does anyone have the Ibex "Skyline" top?:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...l-Zip-Wool-Top
I just ordered one to try it before I decide about the shaks, and wondered if anyone had any experience with them....they look nice. Are they thick?

[surgtech1956]

What about the cheaper wools? Terramar Thermawool products?

[KnottedYet]

The last time I looked at Terramar wool, it was mostly man-made fiber with a little wool thrown in. That was a couple years ago, though. Do you have any links to 100% wool Terramar? I've had their poly-whatever long underwear in the past and liked their stuff. If they're doing 100% wool I'd like to find it!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What about the cheaper wools? Terramar Thermawool products?

You know, to be honest, I just don't trust that this wool is what it claims to be.
For that kind of price, and they come from China, made supposedly from imported Australian merino wool....well I just don't believe it for a second.

Look here, these $30 women's Terramar long johns claim to be "100% merino", made in China:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...ms_-_For_Women

Then, on another page:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/2...or-Women-.html
they claim to be not only "merino wool", but also they say they are "Fabric is 80% polyester, 20% wool"....and right below that they state they are "100% polyester"....
Then they are labeled as "seconds" from China. Just inspires confidence, doesn't it?
LIARS!!!!!

OK....so they are 80% polyester/100%polyester/merinowool seconds from China. Maybe they are made from lead?

Um, i think I'll pass.

[Dianyla]

How to dress, is the question, for riding in this wet 35-50 degree climate of the NW in winter?? give me some specific stuff to shop for... please.

Here's what's been working for me this winter:

Morning or late night commute (sub 40 degrees)
I usually wear about three woolly layers, varying them for the temps.
1 light wool layer next to skin (Smartwool or Ibex underwear layer)
1 light wool shirt layer (not much thicker than the baselayer) (e.g. Smartwool Zip-T, Ibex Pico)
1 warm wool layer (either a sweater like the Ibex Long Trail or a jacket like the Ibex Pingo. I don't actually have the Pingo, I have something from a few years back that's a lot like it.)
Outer shell varies by weather - for wet the Showers Pass rain jacket in Mango color, or for dry the PI Whisper jacket or vest for high visibility and wind-blocking.

Bottom (I'm sadly wool-deficient in these areas):
Bike shorts or knickers (PI, Sugoi, etc. For wool I just got the Ibex Calais shorts and love them. The El Fito's just don't fit my legs at all for some reason.)
Fleece tights or pants (PI Amfib, Craft storm pants, etc)
Alternately, I may just combine my PI Sugar knickers with knee-high Smartwool ski socks. Classy!
If rainy, Craft Rain Pants over shorts + baselayer

Extremities:
Thick wool socks (Smartwool snowflake, adrenaline, or ski socks)
Balaclava (Smartwool, or some off-brand wool-blend thingy I bought from Sierra Trading Post)
Gore Vulcano Windstopper gloves
Gore-tex overshoes
(Helmet has rain cover)

Midday commute (~50):
Stash one or more warm wool layers and the balaclava in my panniers to prevent overheating.

I find it much easier to dress for cold 30's rain than warm 50-60's rain. For warm rain, often just a thin longsleeve wool underwear top under the rain jacket (with pitzips wide open) is enough.